Hipódromo Presidente Remón

Hipódromo Presidente Remón is Panama's national thoroughbred racing venue, named after President José Antonio Remón Cantera who was instrumental in developing organised horse racing in Panama in the early 1950s. Located in the Juan Díaz neighbourhood of Panama City, the track operates on a dirt surface that produces fast times and favours horses with early speed — characteristics that have shaped the Panamanian thoroughbred breeding programme, which places a high premium on sprint ability and resilience on dirt. Panama's racing is operated by the Jockey Club de Panama, which runs meetings on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year. The track's most important race is the Clásico Presidente de la República, part of Panama's domestic Classic programme, while the international pinnacle of Panamanian racing is the country's hosting of the Clásico del Caribe — the Caribbean championship series that includes Colombia, Venezuela, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Panama. Panamanian horses have competed successfully at tracks in the US (particularly at Gulfstream Park, which has a significant Latin American horse population) and in the Dominican Republic, with the relatively short shipping distance to Florida making US-based competition a realistic target for the best Panamanian-trained horses.