Jamaica must note racing’s new global playbook

Within days of last week’s column, ‘More big-day racemeets necessary’, which highlighted the return of the Diamond Mile sponsored by the Jamaica Racing Commission, three major developments emerged in the United States — all aimed at transforming North American horse racing.

Though not openly admitted, these moves are designed to shift racing from a niche pastime — ranked 44th among America’s top 50 sporting events — towards the mainstream appeal it enjoys in the United Kingdom, where horse racing sits eighth among the top 10 sports.

The first initiative is easy for the layman to grasp: the announcement of two racing “leagues” intended to spark year-round public interest and betting. North American racing relies heavily on revenue from privately owned casinos, racinos, and horse-racing video terminals that mimic slot machines to fund purses at most tracks.

According to Thoroughbred Daily News (TDN), the Horse Racing League (HRL) is “a new, team-based thoroughbred racing league — with planned stops in Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park, and Keeneland — being launched by Greg Maffei and Danny Epstein, expected to debut next February”.

Maffei, former CEO of Liberty Media (parent company of Formula 1), oversaw F1’s transformation into one of the world’s most valuable sports properties. Epstein is founder of Skylark, an incubation and investment firm. In Maffei’s words: “Formula 1 demonstrated what can happen when you bring fans to a historic sport in a modern way through storytelling and social media … dramatic rivalries, high-stakes betting, and a championship that builds race-by-race.”

TDN reported that HRL will launch with 10 teams, including leading owners Godolphin, WinStar, Vinnie Viola, and Gary Barbe. Top-tier celebrities from sports, music, and entertainment are also expected to participate — a mix designed to preserve tradition while attracting new fans.

The 10 teams will compete in a points-driven, season-long championship across Los Angeles, Miami, and Lexington. Points will be awarded based on finishing positions, accumulating to determine the winning team. Like the NBA, HRL will host a live draft in November 2026, where each team selects eight horses, ensuring competitive parity and creating a marquee offseason moment.

The second initiative, announced by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), is the Thoroughbred Championship Series (TCS) for three-year-olds. If HRL is the equivalent of the English Premiership, TCS could be likened to Europe’s Champions League.

According to Paulick Report, the six-race competition will begin in 2027, hosted by iconic venues Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, and Saratoga. “This series is designed to showcase the sport’s best three-year-olds across a season-long championship, elevating our biggest events and creating the next generation of fans,” said NYRA President and CEO David O’Rourke.

The series will feature the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Matt Winn Stakes, Jim Dandy Stakes, Travers Stakes, and a Championship Race at Churchill Downs. Notably, the Preakness is excluded, sparking debate among traditionalists concerned about the Triple Crown’s future.

These leagues join the Las Vegas-based National Thoroughbred League, which began in 2023 with six teams and has since expanded, co-owned by sporting stars and Hollywood celebrities.

The third development is ongoing: classification of horses through the Equibase ratings handicap system. Launched last October, it addresses a gap that forces owners into claiming races after limited opportunities. Paulick Report noted that ratings races have grown across 13 tracks, with horses competing more often and recording fewer workouts — a sign they are racing more consistently.

Locally, Jamaica’s claiming and conditions system, adopted from North America in 1993, remains difficult for newcomers to grasp. The breeding industry is hamstrung by a structure that even in the US is acknowledged as limiting ownership opportunities.

It is often said that when North America sneezes, Jamaica catches the flu. Local horsemen should note that the US is moving towards ratings and handicapping — systems long established in the UK, France, Australia, and New Zealand. These jurisdictions rely on betting revenue, not casinos, to fund purses.

The irony is that Jamaica, like the UK, depends solely on betting revenue. Yet, unlike the UK, that revenue flows into the coffers of the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission and the Jamaica Racing Commission, leaving racing with crumbs.

The fix must be twofold: revert to a ratings handicap system and convince government to return racing’s revenue to support breeding, infrastructure, purses, and welfare — both equine and human.