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Indomet calls on Dominicans to stay alert as hurricane season begins June 1

As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, meteorological authorities in the Dominican Republic are stepping up preparedness efforts, urging all residents across the country to stay updated on weather developments and keep emergency plans ready ahead of the season’s official start on June 1. Running annually from the beginning of June through the end of November, the upcoming season is projected to bring slightly below-average tropical cyclone activity by international forecasting bodies, but officials have stressed that the Dominican Republic remains at high risk of severe disruption from even a single storm system.

Gloria Ceballos, director of the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), confirmed that the agency has already fully activated its comprehensive technical and operational readiness frameworks. These plans are designed to enable 24/7 continuous tracking of developing tropical systems and ensure timely, accurate weather updates are released to the public throughout the entire six-month season. Ceballos emphasized that a lower overall predicted activity count does not eliminate storm risk, noting that even one strong hurricane making landfall can trigger catastrophic flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage across the island nation. She urged residents to prioritize checking official Indomet weather bulletins and follow all guidance issued by national emergency management agencies.

Two leading international forecasting institutions have released their early projections for the 2026 season. Researchers at Colorado State University forecast a total of 13 named storms will form across the Atlantic basin, six of which will strengthen into hurricanes, with two developing into major hurricanes categorized as Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offers a slightly more conservative range, projecting between 8 and 14 named storms, with up to six reaching hurricane strength.

Indomet experts note that the potential emergence of the El Niño climate pattern is the key factor behind the predicted lower activity. El Niño brings warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures to the central and eastern tropical Pacific, which in turn increases vertical wind shear across the Atlantic basin — particularly during the season’s peak months of August and September. Higher wind shear disrupts the formation and strengthening of tropical cyclones, suppressing overall storm development.

To further boost public awareness and preparedness, Indomet has also launched a new outreach initiative named the “Get Informed on Time with Indomet” campaign. The campaign is focused on spreading a culture of hurricane prevention, expanding public access to verified official meteorological information, and helping communities across the country prepare for potential storm impacts before they develop.

28 5 月, 2026
Haiti and the Dominican Republic to resume flights on May 30

After more than two years of halted cross-border air connectivity spurred by Haiti’s worsening domestic security upheaval, Haiti and the Dominican Republic have formally announced the resumption of commercial passenger and cargo flights between the two Caribbean neighbors, set to launch on May 30. The confirmation came Thursday in an official release from Haiti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, which also specified that all flights will operate through Cabo Haitiano International Airport, located in Haiti’s northern administrative region.

Commercial air travel between the two countries, which share the island of Hispaniola, was first suspended on March 5, 2022. The halt came in direct response to rapidly escalating violence driven by powerful armed gangs across Haiti, where widespread gang-linked attacks, armed robberies, systematic kidnappings, and other violent criminal activity have plunged the country into profound political and social instability. The suspension cut off a key travel and trade link that thousands of people relied on for work, family visits, and cross-border commerce.

The decision to restart services followed a high-level bilateral meeting held on April 17 between Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez and his Haitian counterpart Raina Forbin. The talks took place at the Codevi Industrial Park, situated just meters from the two nations’ shared land border. In its official statement, the Haitian government emphasized that the reopening of air links marks a key milestone in broader efforts to rebuild regional connectivity and strengthen collaborative ties with its closest neighbor. It further reaffirmed Haiti’s long-term commitment to upholding constructive, mutually respectful dialogue and cooperative relations with Dominican authorities, anchored in principles of good neighborliness.

28 5 月, 2026
Dominican government invests over RD$800 million in San Isidro Air Base upgrades

In a formal ceremony held in Santo Domingo, Vice President Raquel Peña led the inauguration of a sweeping infrastructure modernization project at San Isidro Air Base, joined by senior representatives from three key national bodies: the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), the national Airport Department, and the Dominican Republic Air Force. The multi-million peso upgrade delivers three core new assets to the base: a cutting-edge air traffic control tower, a completely overhauled runway lighting network, and updated horizontal runway markings, addressing decades of outdated infrastructure to lift national aeronautical safety and capabilities. A core strategic objective of the project is to establish San Isidro Air Base as a certified alternate diversion runway for Las Américas International Airport José Francisco Peña Gómez, the country’s busiest international gateway, during unforeseen emergencies or service disruptions at the main facility.

Total public investment in the modernization effort tops RD$819 million, equal to roughly $15.4 million U.S. dollars, split between two leading government agencies. The national civil aviation authority contributed more than RD$600 million to deliver the project’s high-tech core components, including a modernized control cabin, upgraded digital communication networks, new DVOR/DME navigation equipment, and a redundant energy backup system to ensure uninterrupted operations during power outages. The Airport Department allocated an additional RD$219 million to supply and install the runway beacons and horizontal signaling systems, with all work completed to align with strict global safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Senior project leads emphasized that the previous lighting and navigation infrastructure had been in continuous operation for more than 60 years, and the modernization will boost the runway’s operational capacity and reliability for decades to come.

Speaking during the inauguration event, IDAC Director Igor Rodríguez Durán noted that the infrastructure upgrades at San Isidro are just one part of a broader national strategy to strengthen the Dominican Republic’s aviation ecosystem, which drives critical sectors of the national economy including connectivity, tourism, and trade. He outlined a pipeline of additional ongoing aeronautical improvement projects across the country, including the deployment of new advanced radar systems at Cibao International Airport, the replacement of aging out-of-date radar hardware at Gregorio Luperón International Airport, and the installation of new Instrument Landing System (ILS) technology at both Punta Cana International Airport and Las Américas International Airport. Rodríguez also confirmed that active construction and upgrades are ongoing at Cabo Rojo International Airport, a development positioned as a strategic economic and tourism hub that will unlock new investment and growth in the Dominican Republic’s southern region. To underscore the sector’s growing momentum, officials shared that the Dominican aeronautics industry recorded 79,693 total air operations across all facilities during the first four months of the current year, signaling steady recovery and expansion of the country’s air travel market.

28 5 月, 2026
College pipeline crisis

MONTEGO BAY, St James — As the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) kicked off its third annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Summer Camp at its western Montego Bay campus Wednesday, university president Dr. Kevin Brown has drawn urgent national attention to a growing breakdown in Jamaica’s secondary-to-tertiary education pipeline, warning that dismal pass rates on regional secondary exams are leaving thousands of young people locked out of higher education and intensifying competition for a tiny pool of qualified applicants.

Every year, roughly 30,000 Jamaican high school students sit for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), the standardized exam that marks completion of secondary education across the region. Current data shows that only 20 percent — just 6,000 students total — earn the minimum five passing scores required for entry to most Jamaican tertiary institutions, including mandatory passes in both mathematics and English. An additional 5,000 students earn five subject passes but lack required qualifications in math or English, leaving them ineligible for admission at most post-secondary schools.

This severe shortage of qualified graduates has turned recruitment into a zero-sum game for Jamaica’s 16 tertiary education providers, Brown explained. From the regionally renowned University of the West Indies to the Caribbean Maritime University and local teacher training colleges, every public and private post-secondary institution is competing for the same small cohort of eligible students. For UTech alone, incoming classes require 3,000 qualified new students each year — half of the entire national pool of students who meet minimum entry requirements. “You have a pipeline issue,” Brown emphasized.

Beyond the competition between universities, Brown warned that the crisis poses a far more urgent social threat: 24,000 CSEC candidates leave secondary education each year without the qualifications needed to pursue tertiary study. While some of these young people enter vocational training through Jamaica’s HEART/NSTA Trust agency or join the workforce, a large share are left without clear pathways to stable employment or upward mobility. “That’s a scary thought,” Brown said of the growing cohort of out-of-school youth left behind by the current education system.

In response to this growing gap, UTech has positioned its STEM Summer Camp as a long-term national intervention, rather than just a campus recreational program. Now in its third iteration, the initiative was created and spearheaded by UTech Western Campus Coordinator Antoinette Smith, who launched the program just days after Hurricane Beryl hit Jamaica in 2024. Despite post-storm uncertainty, the first camp drew more than 80 participants, proving immediate demand for hands-on STEM learning opportunities for young Jamaicans. Building on that early success, the program expanded to UTech’s Papine Campus in Kingston in 2025, reaching an additional 100 students, while Montego Bay participation grew to more than 120. This year, the program will serve 200 underserved youth aged 11 to 16 across both campuses.

This year’s camp, themed “Resilient Futures: Empowering Jamaican Youth Through STEM Innovation for Climate Action, Community Impact and Sustainable Development”, runs from July 13 to 24 at the Montego Bay campus and July 20 to 31 in Papine. In addition to core STEM topics including environmental science, robotics, artificial intelligence, engineering design, and mathematics, the program integrates training in entrepreneurship, personal wellness, and career exploration to build critical employability skills for Jamaica’s fast-changing digital economy. Smith noted that recent disruptions from Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in October 2025 and caused widespread damage across western Jamaica, reinforced the camp’s focus on building youth resilience and adaptive problem-solving skills.

The initiative relies entirely on private sector sponsorship, which Brown framed as a critical investment in Jamaica’s future workforce, rather than just philanthropic support for the university. Longtime corporate partners including Exelerate Energy and National Bakery have backed the camp since its launch, a commitment Brown said he does not take for granted. “They could say no,” he noted.

National Bakery Executive Director Laurie Ann Samuels, who spoke at Wednesday’s launch, explained her company’s longstanding support by pointing out that sustainable national growth depends on investing in young people. “Meaningful development of our country begins with investing in our people; particularly our youth,” Samuels said. “When we create opportunities for young Jamaicans to learn, explore, innovate, and dream bigger; we help to shape the future of our country. That is why initiatives like this STEM Summer Camp are so important.”

For organizers and education leaders, the camp is more than a summer enrichment activity — it is a targeted effort to expand the pipeline of STEM-qualified young Jamaicans, address the growing education gaps flagged by Brown, and build a more skilled, competitive workforce for the country’s long-term development.

28 5 月, 2026
Garage blast claims one life

A deadly explosion and subsequent fire at a Kingston, Jamaica garage adjacent to courier firm Beryllium Limited has left one person dead, with two others critically injured flown to the United States for advanced burn care and one remaining in local hospital treatment, emergency and company officials confirmed Thursday.

The blast, which injured four men spanning the garage’s management team, a Beryllium operations employee, an air conditioning technician and a welder, has rocked the local business community, with coordinated response efforts launched immediately across public medical institutions, local nonprofits and private sector stakeholders.

In an official statement released Thursday, Beryllium Limited confirmed that one external contractor working on-site at the garage facility had succumbed to his injuries. Local media Jamaica Observer later identified the deceased as Richard McQuire. The company extended its deepest sympathy to McQuire’s family, friends and loved ones, saying the organization shared their grief during this devastating period.

The two surviving critically injured victims—Damian Walter and Richard McPherson—were transported via ambulance from Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), where they had been admitted since the incident, to Norman Manley International Airport. A specialized air ambulance was on standby to transfer the pair to top-tier U.S. burn treatment centers. One victim is bound for UCSF Medical Center in California, while the second will receive care at the JMS Burn Center in Atlanta, Georgia, a facility widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading burn care institutions.

Nicholas Benjamin, deputy chairman of the Guardsman Group, Beryllium’s parent company, confirmed that the third surviving injured victim remains in stable condition receiving ongoing care at a Jamaican hospital. Benjamin emphasized that expediting access to specialized care for the two critically injured men was the top priority to maximize their odds of survival.

“Our staff and contracted workers are our most fundamental responsibility, and safeguarding their well-being is our primary duty,” Benjamin told reporters on the tarmac at Norman Manley International Airport. “Over the past 36 hours, it has become even clearer that timely intervention is non-negotiable for burn patients. Moving them quickly to advanced care is the single most critical step we can take right now.”

He added that even with severe third-degree burns, the two men remained in remarkably high spirits as they boarded the transfer ambulance, a moment that left a lasting impact. “Seeing their positive attitudes lifted all of us up. This is an incredibly difficult ordeal for them, and it’s hard for our team to see them suffer, but their resilience has given all of us strength to keep pushing forward to support them,” he said.

Stephen Josephs, founder of the Burn Foundation of Jamaica, which partnered on the transfer logistics, praised the rapid response from local medical teams at KPH for laying the groundwork for the successful transfer. “I cannot say enough good about the physicians, nurses and entire KPH team for how quickly they shared critical patient information and stabilized the men. Information is everything when coordinating an emergency international transfer, and their phenomenal work got us to this point,” Josephs noted.

Benjamin echoed that praise, noting that the KPH medical team acted swiftly to stabilize the two patients, preparing them for the next phase of their treatment and recovery. “We are deeply grateful to our local medical colleagues for their incredible work,” he said.

Guardsman Group founder Kenny Benjamin, who was present at the airport for the departure, reiterated that the company’s core priority is its people. “Our business revolves around people, so supporting these men and their families is the most important work we can do right now. I’m proud that every stakeholder came together quickly to do everything possible to help,” he said.

In its official statement, Beryllium Limited and the Guardsman Group confirmed that the well-being, care and full recovery of all those affected remain the organization’s absolute top priority. Since the explosion occurred, the company has worked in close lockstep with local and international medical professionals, emergency response teams and government authorities to put in place all required medical logistics, travel arrangements and family support for the victims. Professional trauma counselors have also been brought in to provide emotional support for Beryllium staff who were impacted by the incident. The company added that it remains fully committed to supporting all affected individuals and their families, and will continue cooperating fully with authorities as the investigation into the cause of the explosion moves forward.

28 5 月, 2026
Jugglings then & now

After more than 20 years shaping the global dancehall landscape, veteran deejay Spragga Benz retains the same electric enthusiasm for music that drove him at the start of his career, remaining deeply connected to the culture that turned him into a household name across the Caribbean and beyond. Whether he is dissecting the work of today’s rising dancehall stars, penning new original material, or debating shifting production trends in the genre, his commitment to dancehall’s evolution has never wavered.

Currently, the artist’s full attention is turned toward an ambitious new project: a full remix album of his recent studio release *Endeavors*, which pairs his original tracks with guest verses from a lineup of artists he personally admires. In a recent interview, Spragga Benz shared details of the collaborative project, naming established heavyweights including Agent Sasco, Grammy winner Sean Paul, Stonebwoy, Bugle, and I Wayne as already confirmed contributors, adding that he is also working to bring veteran reggae vocalist JC Lodge onto the project. “This next release is all about working with people I truly respect,” he explained.

This focus on cross-generational collaboration aligns with Spragga Benz’s broader perspective on today’s dancehall industry, where conversations about generational rifts often dominate public discourse. Positioning himself as a bridge between older and newer cohorts of artists, he says he has built mutual respect across age groups by leaning into openness rather than conflict. “I see myself as the in-between generation – I have love and respect for every artist out there,” he noted. “I don’t go out looking to disrespect anyone, and I walk away from tension when I can. I have no issues with the young artists coming up, and I hope they feel the same about me. Everything is good, and I’m ready to make music with any of them anytime.”

That open-minded approach has allowed him to keep close tabs on the new wave of talent redefining dancehall, and he has not been shy about highlighting the young artists that have caught his eye. One emerging act that stands out for him is breakout star Skeng, whose magnetic stage presence and unorthodox style he says elevates him beyond traditional deejaying. “I love Skeng’s energy – what he’s doing is totally different,” Spragga Benz explained. “I don’t know if he’s realized it yet, but he’s not just a deejay, he’s a rock star. In this new generation of artists, he’s in a class all his own.”

Other rising acts earning the veteran’s stamp of approval include Masicka, Jashii, and Bittah So Sicka, an up-and-coming artist from his own Red Square crew who he says has massive untapped potential.

Despite embracing the genre’s evolving sound and new generation of creators, Spragga Benz says the core of his passion for music has not changed in 20-plus years. To this day, he says, inspiration strikes immediately when he hears a beat that stands out from the crowd. “I love music, and I will always get excited over a great rhythm,” he shared. “Every time I hear a beat I like, that has a different groove or feels new to me, I immediately want to write a song. Whether I end up releasing it or not, I still create something – this is my work and it’s my hobby.”

One contemporary production trend that has piqued his interest lately is the wave of Hill and Gully Ride-inspired rhythms that have grown massively popular in modern dancehall. “I love the Hill an’ Gully sound – I would absolutely destroy that rhythm,” he said, joking that he has already been pressing producer Stephen McGregor to send him a version of the beat to work on. “It has the same raw energy as the classic Powercut rhythm, which fits right in with my era.”

Even as he welcomes new sounds, however, Spragga Benz did share one observation about a core element of dancehall culture he believes has faded over time: the traditional juggling rhythm format that allowed dozens of artists to layer their own unique perspectives and stories onto a single shared production. Today, he says, most productions are built for solo artists rather than collective juggling projects. “I prefer juggling rhythms because they let everyone get involved and tell their own story,” he explained. That said, he did critique a common trend he has observed in modern juggling projects: too many artists fixating on the same narrow topics, turning the format into a competition of who can repeat the same theme better. “I just want to see more creativity in the topics artists are exploring,” he added.

For Spragga Benz, the career mission he set out with decades ago remains unchanged: keep creating, keep evolving, and keep contributing to the growth of dancehall culture, whether that means collaborating with respected peers or lifting up the next generation of stars set to carry the genre forward.

28 5 月, 2026
BOLD AMBITION

One of Jamaica’s most successful rising football coaches, Haron Martin, widely known by his nickname “German”, has stepped into the top role as head coach of the Wolmer’s Boys’ School Under-19 football team, marking a major new chapter in his young coaching career. Taking over the post from long-serving veteran coach Jerome Waite, Martin has already laid out an ambitious roadmap to return the historic Jamaican school to the upper echelons of the country’s Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) schoolboy football competition.

In an exclusive interview with the Jamaica Observer, Martin opened up about the significance of his new appointment, expressing deep gratitude for the opportunity to join one of Jamaica’s most prestigious educational institutions. “I’m very grateful for this opportunity to be a part of such a storied institution. I’m humbled, I thank God for this opening, and I will give everything I have to succeed on this new journey. This appointment means the world to me — this is the biggest role I have ever been trusted with as a coach,” Martin said.

At the core of Martin’s long-term vision is building a unified, recognizable playing identity across all of Wolmer’s Boys’ age-group football teams, from the youngest youth squads up to the Under-19 top level. He emphasized that this cohesive style, which he calls “the Wolmerian way”, will not only focus on winning matches but also nurture well-rounded student-athletes prepared for success off the pitch. “Our vision is for Wolmer’s football to have an identity that everyone can adore and admire. We win the Wolmerian way here. We aren’t just fielding teams — we are building student-athletes and molding these young boys for their future lives,” Martin explained. “Working alongside our experienced team of managers, who put in tireless work day in and day out, we believe the time has come for Wolmer’s to regain its competitive edge for many years to come. We will roll out this unified identity across all age groups, so the transition from Under-14 to Under-16, and then to Under-19, is seamless for our developing players.”

Martin’s track record at the youth level speaks for itself, making him a natural fit to lead the program’s turnaround. He first built his reputation as a championship-winning coach at Lannaman’s Prep, where he claimed top honors in both the prestigious Alberga Cup and Henriques Cup competitions. He later moved to Kingston College, where he led the school to multiple ISSA Under-14 titles, and served as assistant coach when Kingston College’s Under-19 squad lifted the coveted Flow Super Cup championship in 2017.

After joining the Wolmer’s Boys’ football program, Martin continued his winning streak, guiding the school’s 2023 Under-14 squad to an undefeated season that ended with both the urban and all-island championship titles. Beyond his work in school football, Martin also serves as technical director for the Norbrook Strikers club, and led Constant Spring to the 2023 KSAFA Under-13 championship just last year.

The biggest immediate challenge facing Martin in his new Under-19 role is ending a historic championship drought for Wolmer’s Boys: the school has not claimed the ISSA urban Manning Cup title since 1994, a dry spell that has stretched for more than 30 years. For the ambitious young coach, this opportunity is not just a chance to end the drought, but also a key milestone in growing his coaching brand. “I’m as ambitious as any coach looking to build their career and legacy, and I’m absolutely elated to get this chance. It motivates me more than ever to keep pushing forward,” Martin said.

Reiterating his long-term goals for the entire program, Martin noted that with support from Wolmer’s principal Dwight Pennycooke and long-time Wolmerian football supporters, the school is poised to reclaim its status as a dominant force across all age groups in Jamaican schoolboy football. “Wolmer’s is already the leading boys’ school in academics across Jamaica, and we want to match that same level of success on the football pitch. I fully stand behind the vision our principal has laid out for what the Wolmerian brand should represent,” Martin added.

Martin’s promotion to the Under-19 head coaching role has triggered a series of well-planned coaching changes across the lower age groups to strengthen the entire program. Delano Campbell will take over leadership of the Under-16 squad, while Raymond Leveridge steps into Martin’s old role as head of the Under-14 team. Lamar Brown will serve as the program’s dedicated goalkeeper coach, and Romone Lewis takes on the role of technical assistant coach. Martin emphasized that the entire coaching staff has a long-standing working relationship, putting collective success for the school above individual recognition. “All of us coaches at Wolmer’s have known each other for years, so there’s no ego here. It’s just a group of people working together to make Wolmer’s football a success,” he said.

28 5 月, 2026
DaCosta dominates with four-winner haul on Saturday card

On Saturday, May 23, 2026, four-time defending champion thoroughbred trainer Jason DaCosta delivered a masterclass demonstration of his elite horsemanship, solidifying his status at the top of his sport by saddling four victorious horses across a nine-race Jamaican racing card. DaCosta’s undefeated quartet of winners – Purosangue, Himaya, Fred The Master, and Eye of the Tiger – controlled the track from the opening to closing contests, turning the day’s event into a showcase of his training expertise. The most eye-catching performance of the day came from Purosangue, an American-bred three-year-old colt guided by jockey Tevin Foster, who claimed an explosive 8 ¼-length victory in the $1.05-million Maiden Special Weight race, open to both native-bred and imported three-year-olds over a one-mile (1,600-meter) distance. After breaking slowly out of the starting gate, the chestnut colt accelerated powerfully to claim the lead approaching the six-furlong (1,200-meter) mark and never surrendered his position, crossing the finish line 1:38.4 ahead of second-place Unbelievable Power (ridden by Ian Spence) and third-place Comuna Trece (ridden by Raddesh Roman). The race splits were recorded at 24.1 seconds for the first quarter-mile, 47.0 for the half-mile, 1:12.4 for three-quarters of a mile, and 1:25.4 for seven-eighths of a mile. In a post-race interview with the *Jamaica Observer’s Supreme Racing Guide*, DaCosta highlighted the young colt’s untapped potential, noting that Purosangue has consistently shown a preference for longer distance races and is developing at exactly the right time ahead of future competitions. “Today, he had to do all the work himself out front, but he will be even more effective when he can sit behind a faster early pace and make his move late,” DaCosta explained. “He’s a top-class long-distance prospect, and the racing world will be hearing a lot more from him moving forward. We’ll give him time to recover from this run, then target a race at the next higher class level for his next start.” The second of DaCosta’s four victories came in the $790,000 Optional Claiming event, open to three-year-olds and older, plus native-bred six-year-olds and older that have not won four races, contested over seven furlongs (1,400 meters). Ridden by jockey Shaheem Gordon, five-year-old roan mare Himaya mounted a thrilling late charge down the home stretch to edge out second-place finisher Sir Wong Don (ridden by Raddesh Roman) by a head at the finish line, crossing the wire in a time of 1:30.1, with intermediate splits of 23.2 and 47.4 for the first two splits and 1:15.1 for six furlongs. Money Box, ridden by Romane Gordon, rounded out the top three positions. Next, four-year-old American-bred bay colt Fred The Master claimed victory in the $1.19-million Restricted Stakes, a race restricted to imported three-year-olds and older that have not won three races, plus native-bred three- and four-year-olds that have not won four races, run over six furlongs. Jockey Robert Halledeen positioned Fred The Master at the front of the pack from the early going, and the colt never looked back, romping to a comfortable 5½-length win over second-place Mulligan Man (Jaheim Anderson) and third-place Star Quest (Shaheem Gordon), finishing the race in 1:12.2 with splits of 23.2, 47.2, and 59.3. DaCosta’s fourth win of the day came from three-year-old native-bred bay colt Eye of the Tiger, who turned in a dominant performance in the $1.05-million Maiden Condition Race for native-bred three-year-olds over the five-furlong (1,000-meter) round course. Ridden by jockey Abigail Able, Eye of the Tiger made a single decisive move to claim the lead and pulled away to win by 8¾ lengths, covering the distance in a rapid 59.4 seconds with splits of 23.4 and 47.3. Dark Authority (Raddesh Roman) finished second, while Golden Ambassador (Tevin Foster) took third. The racing day was capped off by photos from photographer Garfield Robinson, capturing DaCosta inspecting Fred The Master alongside owner Milard Azan in the winners’ enclosure, Able celebrating her win atop Eye of the Tiger at the finish line, and Gordon guiding Himaya back to the winners’ enclosure after the mare’s thrilling close win.

28 5 月, 2026
Cunningham hits treble to bring up eighth winner for 2026

On May 25, 2026, veteran horse racing trainer Carlton “Jerry” Cunningham cemented his reputation as one of the most skilled conditioners in the sport, delivering a remarkable three-victory haul at a 10-race meet that pushed his seasonal win total to eight.

Cunningham’s winning streak kicked off in the day’s second contest, a 5 ½-furlong (1,100-meter) Optional Claiming event open to three-year-olds and older runners, plus native-bred six-year-olds and upward that had not claimed four wins. With jockey Richie Shakes in the stirrups, Global Machine, a progeny of stallion Hedge Fund and dam Sparing Time, pulled away from the field to secure a decisive 2 ¼-length victory. The runner-up spot went to Skyrizi, ridden by Tevin Foster, while Salud with Jaheim Anderson aboard finished third. Global Machine crossed the finish line in a final time of 1:09.0, with intermediate split times of 24.1 seconds for the first quarter, 49.0 seconds for the half-mile, and 1:02.1 for five furlongs.

The trainer’s second win of the day came in the sixth race, a 4-furlong (800-meter) Optional Claiming event with a $350,000-$250,000 claiming range open to all runners three years old and older. This time, Tuts, piloted by jockey Tevin Foster, dominated the competition from wire to wire, crossing the finish line a comfortable three lengths ahead of the pack. Undisclosdlocation, ridden by Tyrese Anderson, took second place, while Restoration with Demar Williams up finished third. Tuts clocked a final time of 48.3 seconds, with opening splits of 23.3 seconds for the first 2 furlongs and 35.3 seconds for the first 3 furlongs.

Cunningham capped off his historic day with a third victory in the Restricted Allowance II stakes, a 6 ½-furlong (1,300-meter) event restricted to native-bred five-year-olds and upward non-winners of four races, and imported five-year-olds and upward non-winners of three. Jockey Richie Shakes guided Adira, a Hedge Fund-sired mare out of dam Thisgirlisonfire, to a well-timed late move that put her ahead of the field entering the final stretch. She held off late challenges to win by just half a length, with Princess Fiannie (Tevin Foster) taking second and Ruby’s Light (Jaheim Anderson) claiming third. Adira posted a final time of 1:22.0, with fractional splits of 24.0, 47.4, and 1:14.2.

The impressive treble not only underscores Cunningham’s elite skill as a horse conditioner but also brings his total number of wins for the 2006 racing season to eight, solidifying his standing as a top contender for training honors heading into the second half of the campaign.

28 5 月, 2026
Gordon marks return with win as Himaya storms late to land thriller

Apprentice jockey Shaheem Gordon delivered a storybook comeback to competitive horse racing on Saturday, May 23, 2026, clinching a dramatic last-gasp victory at Jamaica’s iconic Caymanas Park aboard the Jason DaCosta-trained roan mare Himaya.

The triumph marked Gordon’s first competitive ride after a six-week break forced by a serious fall earlier in the year. On Easter Monday, April 6, Gordon was thrown from his mount Get A Pepsi during the 10th race of the day, suffering a concussion that required a short hospital stay and kept him sidelined from the sport he loves. Stepping back into the irons at Cayman Park, Gordon was scheduled for five races across the afternoon, with his comeback win coming in the very first of his scheduled outings.

The race that sealed Gordon’s return to the winner’s circle was an Optional Claiming event open to three-year-old runners and older, contested over seven furlongs (1,400 meters) of the Caymanas Park track. From the starting gate, jockey Raddesh Roman jumped out to an early lead aboard Sir Wong Don, with Prince Marshall and Richie Shakes settling into close pursuit to track the pace setter. Meanwhile, Gordon and Himaya sat far off the early tempo, holding down the second-to-last spot in the running order through the first half of the race.

As the field rounded the final turn for home, Sir Wong Don had opened up a comfortable multi-length lead, with most onlookers expecting the front-runner to hold on for an easy win. Even entering the final two furlongs (400 meters), Himaya still trailed the leading pack by a significant margin, before the mare finally found her racing rhythm. Gordon expertly angled Himaya toward the inside rail, a move that allowed her to build unchallenged momentum as the race neared its finish line. When the race leader Sir Wong Don began to tire and fade in the closing strides, Himaya’s devastating late burst closed the gap in dramatic fashion, pushing her across the line a head ahead of the competition for the win.

Romane Gordon’s mount Money Box finished a further four and a half lengths behind to claim third place. The winning time for the seven-furlong contest was clocked at 1:30.1, with quarter-mile splits recorded at 23.3, 47.4, and 1:15.1 respectively. For Himaya, the victory marked her third career win from 51 total starts, boosting her lifetime race earnings to nearly $3.5 million. Following the fairytale win, Gordon headed to the scales to complete post-race requirements, with photographer Garfield Robinson capturing the iconic moment of the apprentice jockey’s comeback win.

28 5 月, 2026