Cardenas says Caymanas track in perfect condition

Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas says the Caymanas Park track is now in immaculate condition after the recent resanding and grading of the surface at the Gregory Park facility.

Cardenas said the track surface was a bit tough for horses to compete on before but, since the recent resanding, the animals are now operating a lot better.

“They have done a really good job because the track needed this a long time ago,” said Cardenas. “The horses are getting used to it and they are working really well on it because, I tell you the truth, the track is in really good condition right now.”

“The track was too tough, and it feels like I was riding on a road before, because you could hear the horses groaning before but, right now, they are galloping very nicely and I like that,” Cardenas said.

Lorna Gooden, general manager of Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, promoters of horseracing, said the recent resanding and grading of the track was done to international standards.

“What we do on a yearly basis is that we conduct the sanding,” said Gooden. “It is part of our regulatory requirements and, for the last two years, we have utilised a new methodology in which we used the mechanical paver to lay the sand to give a more even distribution of the sand and the slope of the sand,” she said.

“We are also doing grading and multi-depth analysis, which is something new to the regulator because we do bi-monthly multi-grading. So what we are doing is seeking to ensure that we maintain the track for the safety of the horses and jockeys, in order to remain within international standards,” Gooden said.

Meanwhile, Patrick Smellie, president of the United Racehorse Trainers Association of Jamaica, said his organisation is very happy for the recent upgrading work on the track.

“It is a good thing for the horses because it (track) has more cushion now,” said Smellie. It is also a lot more safer for the horses and jockeys, and so I am very pleased about it,” he said.