KINGSTON, Jamaica - The just released 2021 racing calendar indicates that there will be 51 race days on Saturdays and 25 on Sundays with the eight other days scheduled for public holidays and Wednesdays.
The onset of COVID-19 occasioned some major changes to the calendar this year, following a break of three months, and the promoting company, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), has decided to continue some of the new trends in 2021.
Foremost among these changes are the Classic races.
In the past the Classic races were run in the order of the Guineas, the Oaks, the Derby and finally the St Leger.
In 2021, the Oaks (10 furlongs), for fillies only, gets the three-year-old Classic season underway on Saturday, June 5 followed the next day by the Governor’s Cup (not a Classic), but a major three-year-old event which was not contested this year according to SVREL because of the pandemic.
The Oaks is followed on Saturday, July 3 by the one-mile 1000 Guineas (fillies only) with the 2000 Guineas (one mile – colts and geldings) following on Sunday, July 4.
Like this year, the St Leger (10 furlongs) is next on August 7, with the Derby (12 furlongs) on Saturday, September 4.
The running order, therefore, for the Triple Crown series is the 1000/2000 Guineas – one mile; the St Leger – 10 furlongs and finally the Derby – 12 furlongs.
The 2021 racing calendar, which became official as at December 10, 2020, does not include long-standing offerings such as the Superstakes, the Caribbean Sprint Championship and the much-vaunted and loved Gold Cup, just to mention a few.
Changes can be made to the calendar during the course of the year subject to approval by the regulatory arm of racing, the Jamaica Racing Commission.
