分类： sports

When the starting gates fly open at Caymanas Park tomorrow, the roar of the crowd won’t rise up for a maiden dash or a low-stakes claiming race. All the anticipation, all the buzz, is focused on one thing: the long-awaited comeback of one of Jamaica’s top thoroughbreds.

At 5:00 p.m. local time, six elite sprinters will step into the starting blocks for the $1.75-million Reggae Trophy, a 1,000-meter (five furlong) straight dash that has become the most anticipated race of the current season. But for fans, trainers, and punters alike, every pair of eyes will be locked on a single horse: Legacy Isle.

The two-time runner-up of the prestigious Mouttet Mile has not stepped onto a competitive track since December 27, 2025. On that final raceday of last year, Legacy Isle turned the 1,100-meter Christopher “Chris” Armond Sprint into a dominant solo performance, crossing the finish line 10 lengths clear of the field in a blistering time of 1:04.2 before jockey Raddesh Roman eased him up in the final strides. In the 126 days that have followed, the champion has stayed out of the public eye, with only quiet rumors from the stable and impressive morning workout sessions keeping fans on edge waiting for his return.

Now, trainer Rohan Crichton is ready to send Legacy Isle back into the spotlight, and even the 1,000-meter straight course may not have enough space to contain the seasoned racehorse’s talent. Jockey Raddesh Roman, who will re-team with Legacy Isle for this comeback race, has a clear game plan: break clean out of the gate, settle into second position behind the early speed, and make his move when the moment is right. That confidence is backed up by Legacy Isle’s most recent workout: on April 18, he galloped five furlongs in a sharp 59.0 seconds, with the first four furlongs completed in 46.0 seconds, a strong indicator of his race readiness.

As a top-tier Mouttet Mile contender dropping down to a sprint distance, Legacy Isle has a massive class advantage over the rest of the field — a gap so wide it can only be described as a canyon. But as any racing fan knows, races are not won on paper, and each of his five competitors has their own plans to upset the favorite.

Drawing the inside starting position is Pack Plays, an American-bred horse who is coming back to his favored sprint trip after an unsuccessful experiment at 1,700 meters earlier this month, where he finished 22 lengths behind winner Rideallday. That failed distance test is now off the table, and trainer Ricardo Mathie is returning Pack Plays to what he does best: blazing fast early speed. A time of 1:06.4 for five and a half furlongs posted last August proves he belongs at this distance. Jockey Richie Shakes will send him hard out of the starting gate from the rail, and if he can grab an early lead of a length or two, the entire dynamic of the race will shift.

Stalking both Legacy Isle and Pack Plays will be Money Market, a consistent six-year-old bay contender trained by Gary Subratie, a conditioner who never brings a horse to a stakes race unless he believes they can win. Money Market has not finished off the podium in any five-furlong race in over a year, including a victory posted in 57.2 seconds back in February. Jockey Emelio McLean plans to let the two leading speed horses wear each other out in the early stages before making his move for home. He is widely considered the biggest threat to Legacy Isle — if the long layoff leaves the favorite tired in the final 100 yards, Money Market is perfectly positioned to step in and take the trophy.

Long shot fans should not count out Mighty Gully, a filly who just notched a win at this exact distance in a sharp 57.4 seconds. She carries almost 20 pounds less weight than Legacy Isle, a significant advantage in sprint racing. Trained by Robert Pearson, who has her in peak race condition, and ridden by tactician Tajay Suckoo who excels at rating late-closing horses, Mighty Gully could fly down the outside in the final strides if Pack Plays and Legacy Isle battle each other to exhaustion in the first half of the race.

Another One, another horse that excels at the five-furlong straight, rounds out the mid-field, though trainer Anthony Nunes has acknowledged that stepping up to Graded Stakes company is a big step up in class for the runner. The final entrant, seven-year-old veteran Rainsville, is largely considered to be in the race only for appearance money, with his best racing days firmly behind him.

When all the tactics, weight advantages, and past form lines are stripped away, this race remains Legacy Isle’s to lose. A two-time second-place finisher at the Mouttet Mile, he finished both runs behind all-time greats — but this time, there is no Rideallday or Funcaandun to beat him. All that stands between him and the trophy is 1,000 meters of straight Caymanas Park turf and five competitors just trying to keep pace in his slipstream. If Legacy Isle is even 90 percent fit, he will win. If he is at 100 percent, he will leave the rest of the field far behind in his dust. For most pundits, the Reggae Trophy is already Legacy Isle’s — the rest of the field is simply racing for second place.

Beyond the featured Reggae Trophy, reporters have highlighted top contenders to watch across the rest of the day’s nine-race card: In Race 1, keep an eye on Wilson, Havajoy, and Sneaky Joe; Race 2 features top picks Another Mission, She’s Adorable, and Sweet Victory; Race 3’s runners to watch are Bowmore, Brompton Boy, and Hi Slew Squared; Race 4’s top contenders are Hazelt Nut, Lockdown, and Four Thirty; Prince Roy, Ability, and Awesome Anthony lead the field in Race 5; Wah A Gwaan, Hooray Henry, and Juventus One are the picks for Race 6; Alaeddin, Goodness Graceous, and Modern Monarch top Race 7; the featured 8th Race’s top three are Legacy Isle, Money Market, and Pack Plays; and Digital One, California Crown, and RicoRicoRico lead the way in the 9th and final race.

The Jamaica Women’s Premier League enters its pivotal ninth round of fixtures this afternoon, with two teams on the cusp of locking in their spots in the competition’s semi-finals. A positive result for either Cavalier FC or Los Perfectos will see them join already qualified defending champions Frazsiers Whip and Arnett Gardens in the final four, setting up a repeat of last season’s semi-final lineup if both secure the results they need.

In Zone A, 15-point Cavalier faces a high-stakes showdown against pre-qualified Arnett Gardens, with a full three points enough to punch their ticket to the knockouts. A repeat of their first-round 1-1 draw could also be enough for Cavalier to advance, though their fate will hang on the result of the simultaneous fixture between third-placed WiFi United and fourth-placed Real Mona FC at Merl Grove High. If Arnett Gardens claims victory, the door swings wide open for either WiFi United or Real Mona to close the gap on Cavalier heading into the competition’s tenth and final round of group play.

Arnett Gardens heads into the match with a formidable attacking lead: star striker Shikira Douglas has notched 11 goals so far this campaign, and a supporting trio of Tuanashae Hamilton, Sade Berry, and Suen Gregory have added another 11 goals combined, bringing the side’s total to 22. In contrast, Cavalier has only managed nine goals across the tournament so far, putting the underdogs on the back foot heading into kickoff.

Real Mona, which holds one game in hand over the teams above it, will look to leverage home advantage against WiFi United. The two sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in their earlier meeting this season, and experts expect another high-scoring affair at Merl Grove. Real Mona has notched 14 goals, the second-highest total in Zone A, but defensive fragility has held the side back: they have also conceded 15 goals, the second-worest record in the group. WiFi United fares even worse defensively, having let in 17 goals through eight rounds, creating the conditions for an open, goal-heavy contest.

Over in Zone B, Los Perfectos only needs a single point from its home fixture against Real MoBay AFC to confirm its semi-final place. The side already defeated Real MoBay 3-0 in an away matchup earlier this season in Montego Bay, and carries a massive attacking advantage into the round. Star forward Venicia Reid alone has scored 12 goals for Los Perfectos, double the five goals that Real MoBay has managed as an entire team. Still, the visitors have reason for confidence: they have picked up four points from their last two outings without conceding a single goal, carrying solid momentum into the encounter.

The final fixture of the round sees already group-qualified Frazsiers Whip face off against Mile Gully. The defending champions locked in the top spot in Zone B weeks ago with a staggering 22 points from eight matches, allowing the side to rest key first-team players for the knockout stage. Frazsiers Whip defeated Mile Gully 11-0 in their first matchup of the campaign, and fresh off an 11-0 blowout win over Springers United last weekend, the title holders are heavy favorites to extend their unbeaten run to nine consecutive matches.

On the opening day of the Debswana World Athletics Relays held in Gaborone, Botswana, Saturday delivered a historic moment that will be etched in track and field history books: Jamaica’s mixed 4x100m relay squad shattered the world record, becoming the first team in the event’s history to clock a sub-40 second time. The Jamaican foursome, made up of sprinters Ackeem Blake, Tina Clayton, Kadrian Goldson and Tia Clayton, put on a dominant display of speed and flawless baton passing from the opening crack of the gun to the final handover, powering through their qualifying heat to stop the clock at an unprecedented 39.99 seconds. Their new mark toppled the 40.07 second world record that Canada had set just minutes earlier in the day’s first qualifying heat, a performance that had already left spectators and commentators stunned ahead of Jamaica’s history-making run. Beyond securing their spot at the top of the rankings for Sunday’s event final, the record-breaking run automatically locked in Jamaica’s qualification for two upcoming major global athletics competitions: the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary this coming September, and the 2027 World Athletics Championships set to be hosted in Beijing. Great Britain’s squad crossed the line second behind Jamaica in the heat, finishing with a solid time of 40.72 seconds to earn their own place in the final, while Australia rounded out the top three with a 40.78 second finish to also advance to the next round of competition. The opening day of the World Athletics Relays has already set a high bar for competition, with Jamaica’s historic achievement signaling what is sure to be an action-packed final day of world-class racing.

On Saturday at the Debswana World Athletics Relays hosted in Gaborone, Botswana, Jamaica’s mixed 4x400m relay team delivered a standout performance to punch their ticket to the event’s final, crossing the finish line first in their semi-final heat with a time of 3 minutes 11.68 seconds.

The quartet made up of sprinter Deandre Watkin, sprinter-hurdler Shana Kaye Anderson, rising sprint star Antonio Watson and 400m hurdler Rushell Clayton outpaced competing squads to claim the top spot in the second semi-final heat. Poland followed behind in second place with a time of 3:13.00, while Nigeria rounded out the top three with a 3:13.12 clocking.

Beyond securing a place in the upcoming World Athletics Relays final, the result also guarantees Jamaica’s spot in two upcoming elite global track and field competitions: the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary this coming September, and the 2027 World Athletics Championships set to be hosted in Beijing, China.

Jamaica’s semi-final run posted the ninth-fastest time across all three qualifying heats. However, under the event’s qualification rules, the first two finishing teams from each of the three heats earn an automatic spot in the final. With their first-place finish in the heat, Jamaica advanced to the next round without facing any elimination uncertainty.

The 2024 Debswana World Athletics Relays, hosted in Gaborone, Botswana, delivered a standout opening performance from Jamaica’s powerhouse women’s 4x100m relay squad on the event’s first qualifying day. The quartet, made up of global sprint star Shericka Jackson, Jodean Williams, Lavanya Williams and Jonielle Smith, blazed through the track to clock an impressive 41.96 seconds, finishing first in their qualifying heat and securing the top overall seed for Sunday’s highly anticipated final.

Finishing behind the dominant Jamaican team, Germany claimed second place in the heat with a solid time of 42.44 seconds, while Portugal rounded out the top three with a historic run. The Portuguese squad set a new national record of 43.11 seconds, marking a career milestone for the team and a standout moment in the qualifying round.

Beyond securing their spot in the weekend’s final, the leading performance from Jamaica punched the country’s ticket to two major upcoming global athletics competitions: the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary this coming September, and the 2025 World Athletics Championships set to be hosted in Beijing. This early qualification solidifies Jamaica’s status as one of the top contenders for gold in both events later this year and next.

Three other participating teams — Belgium, France, and Nigeria — faced disqualification during Saturday’s opening qualifying heats. However, the teams have been granted a second opportunity to qualify, and will compete in an additional qualifying round held Sunday ahead of the main final to earn their place in the championship round.

On the opening day of the 2024 World Athletics Relays held in Gaborone, Botswana, Jamaica’s powerhouse men’s 4x100m relay squad suffered an unexpected setback that sent them into a last-chance qualifier for a spot at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. The quartet of Rohan Watson, Odaine McPherson, Adrian Kerr, and Rasheed Foster clocked a 38.08-second finish to land in fourth place in their semi-final heat, missing out on the top-two automatic qualifying slots that secure an early advancement.

The Debswana World Athletics Relays kicked off its opening rounds of 4x400m competition in Gaborone, Botswana on Saturday, and Jamaica’s top men’s and women’s relay units both left themselves with work to do heading into Sunday’s decisive final day of action. Both squads finished fifth in their respective opening heats, missing out on the automatic qualification spots that went to the top two teams in each opening round group.

In the men’s competition, the Jamaican foursome made up of Assinie Wilson, Jevaughn Powell, Jeremy Bembridge and Reheem Hayles struggled to match the pace of leading competitors, crossing the finish line with a time of 3:00.48. The heat was dominated by Australia, who claimed the top automatic spot with a blistering new national record time of 2:57.30. Host nation Botswana secured the second automatic qualification spot with a solid time of 2:57.52, leaving Jamaica well adrift of the qualifying positions.

Before the men’s heat got underway, Jamaica’s women’s team featuring Andrenette Knight, Leah Anderson, Janielle Josephs and Shiann Salmon was also unable to mount a serious challenge for a top-two finish. The squad faded in the later stages of the race to end up in fifth place, posting a final time of 3:27.19. Spain claimed first place in the heat with a winning time of 3:24.44, while Czechia took the second automatic qualifying spot with a time of 3:25.42.

Despite their underwhelming opening round performances, both Jamaican relay squads will get a second chance on Sunday to punch their tickets to two upcoming major global championships. The top finishers at the World Athletics Relays will earn qualification to both the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary this coming September, and the 2027 World Athletics Championships set to be hosted in Beijing.

The 23rd Pan-American International 10×10 Draughts Championship wrapped up recently in Paramaribo, Suriname, and its closing ceremony delivered far more than just a traditional celebration of top competitors. The event exposed a growing shift in the competitive landscape of regional draughts, combining established dominance from traditional powerhouses with promising breakthroughs from up-and-coming national programs.

In one iconic moment that summed up the tournament’s shifting narrative, Brazil’s newly crowned Women’s Classic champion Carla Assunção Calasans stood side-by-side with Jamaica Draughts Association (JDA) president Jermaine Delattibudiere, who took home silver. The photo, taken on stage at Paramaribo’s Mind Sport Centre during the official award ceremony, carried quiet symbolism: one country reaffirming its long-held position at the top of the regional rankings, while another marked its intentional, steady climb up the competitive ladder.

Brazil’s reign over the 100-square 10×10 draughts format was reinforced in emphatic fashion at this year’s championship. Calasans put on a masterclass of technical precision and calm under high-stakes pressure to claim the women’s top prize, solidifying her status as the sport’s regional standard-bearer.

Her compatriot, International Grandmaster Allan Igor Moreno Silva, extended his already legendary regional legacy by capturing his sixth Pan-American Men’s Classic title – a rare and remarkable feat that spans more than a decade of elite championship competition. Silva’s dominance did not end there: he also delivered a commanding performance in the Blitz competition to take home a second gold medal, highlighting Brazil’s unmatched depth and consistent excellence at the highest regional level.

The men’s division’s top finishers showcased the high calibre of competition drawing athletes from across the Americas. International Master Angel Rafael Mejía of the Dominican Republic claimed the runner-up spot, while International Master Yevgeniy Sklyarov of the United States took third. Suriname’s own Federation Master Arief Salarbaks and Trinidad and Tobago’s Federation Master Dickson Maughn rounded out the competitive top five.

In the women’s division, two American representatives – Candidate Master for Women Galina Petukhova and International Master for Women Lublyana Turiy – secured second and third place respectively. Calasans claimed the top spot, with Suriname’s Shreya Ragho taking fourth to complete the top tier, a result that underscores both the high level of play and the geographic diversity of this year’s competitor field.

Beyond regional bragging rights, the championship served as a critical qualifying event for the 2027 World Draughts Federation World Championships set to take place in the Netherlands. The top two finishers in both the men’s and women’s divisions have already secured their spots at the global tournament, cementing the Pan-American Championship’s role as more than just a regional contest – it is a key gateway to elite global draughts competition.

Against this backdrop of established excellence, Jamaica’s solid performance at the tournament carries broader strategic significance for the future of the sport in the region, according to Delattibudiere, who also serves as a Deputy Superintendent in Jamaica. He explained that Jamaica’s 10×10 draughts program is still in its early formative stages, with the nation’s first official entry into the Pan-American Championships coming only in 2022 at the event hosted in Santo Domingo.

At that 2022 tournament, Delattibudiere shared, Jamaican competitor Jermaine ‘Wasp’ Hutchinson turned heads with a standout 13th-place finish, while International Grandmaster Wayne ‘Shines’ Reid claimed 24th place. “Both players set an early benchmark for Jamaican competitive participation that we have built on here,” he added.

Delattibudiere noted that his own silver-medal finish at this year’s championship represents consistent progress for the Jamaican program, while also reflecting the steep learning curve that comes with transitioning from the smaller 8×8 draughts format, more commonly played in Jamaica, to the far more complex 10×10 version used in elite international competition.

LONDON – In a commanding display that has shifted the momentum of the 2024-25 Premier League title race, Arsenal crushed Fulham 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, opening up a six-point gap over defending champions Manchester City and sending a clear warning that Mikel Arteta’s side is still hungry to end their 22-year top-flight title drought.

Two first-half goals from Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, split by a clinical finish from winger Bukayo Saka, wrapped up all three points for the Gunners before the halftime whistle, capping a dominant opening 45 minutes that left Fulham unable to mount a meaningful comeback. The result gives Arsenal a crucial cushion ahead of Manchester City’s first of two games in hand, which sees Pep Guardiola’s side travel to face Everton on Monday night.

The win comes as a major confidence boost for Arsenal, who stumbled through rocky patches in April with damaging losses to both Manchester City and Bournemouth, leading to widespread speculation that the club was once again set to collapse under the pressure of a late title push. But Arteta’s side has bounced back in clinical fashion, shifting all pressure back onto the reigning champions, who can draw level on points with Arsenal with wins in both their outstanding fixtures. Even if City do pick up six points from these games, Arsenal currently hold a superior goal difference that could still prove decisive when the season concludes.

Speaking after the full-time whistle, Arteta reflected on his side’s position, noting: “Game two done. Another three to go. We won the most games in the history of this club in a whole season and it’s not finished. It was a critical game because we knew the importance of the win and the goal difference in the Premier League. It was a great team performance. We started in the game as we wanted. Very lively. Really intense in the high press. We got the crowd going and when this stadium creates that kind of atmosphere, it can be difficult for the opposition.”

A standout talking point from the match was the performance of Saka, who made his first start since recovering from an Achilles injury that kept him sidelined for five matches. The England international was a constant threat on the right flank, and Arteta hailed his impact at the most critical stage of the campaign. “We know what he is capable of. He comes back at the most important part of the season. His mind is fresh, he has the hunger,” Arteta added. “We are ramping up his minutes. We need to be careful because we need him on the pitch.”

After a string of anxious, tight performances in recent weeks, Saturday’s game saw Arsenal return to the free-flowing, aggressive attacking style that carried them to the top of the table in the first half of the season. Arteta says the performance reflects the unshakable belief in the dressing room that this is the year the club ends their wait for a league title, having finished as runners-up in each of the last three seasons.

“It says to us and our dressing room that we keep the dream alive. What our guys have done in these circumstances, without so many injured players at different times, it is incredible,” he said. “This is going to carry the energy into the next game.”

That next game is far from a gentle test: just three days after the Fulham win, Arsenal host Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, with the tie tied at 1-1. A win on Tuesday will book Arsenal a place in the Champions League final for only the second time in the club’s history, and the first since 2006. Arteta says his side has managed to avoid distraction from the huge European fixture, and carried the same intensity into the Fulham match that they will need to progress.

“We talk about hunger and we had that today. Understanding that you don’t want to be distracted by a huge game here on Tuesday, we played with authority and desire,” Arteta said. “We have a lot of rhythm. We are used to playing every three days and we will play one of the biggest games in the history of this stadium.”

Before turning his focus to the Champions League, however, Arteta says he will be settling down to watch Manchester City’s trip to Everton on Monday, with the outcome of the match set to shape the rest of Arsenal’s season. When asked if he would be tuning in, he replied: “Yes because I love football and there is so much at stake.”