THERE BEING no major upset at Caymanas Park on Saturday, both the Pick-9 and Super-6 failed to survive the day's racing.
The million dollar Pick-9, propped up by three consecutive carryovers, fell to five punters, each receiving a cool $262,272.50.
In contrast, the Super-6 was caught by as many as 126 punters, each pocketing $5,856.00. This was easy pickings, considering the winners of the six races were fairly easy to spot as DIESEL and LADY CHACHI in the seventh and 10th races on the Jockeys' Guild of Jamaica 11-race programme were considered five-star bankers.
Other winning favourites in the Pick-9 races were MAKING WAVES at 2-1 in the eighth race, Division II of the CTL Exercise Riders' Race, and LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY at 3-2 in the closing race for the Jockeys' Guild of Jamaica over 1400 metres.
Winning by the proverbial city block, the five-year-old mare from the stables of Paul Campbell was, quite fittingly, ridden by the president of the Jockeys' Guild, Robert Reid.
BITTER TASTE
In the third race won by 6-1 shot DR. RSF, this the first of the Pick-9 races, something occured at the start that left a bitter taste in the mouths of everyone, especially trainers.
The vet on duty at the gate allowed the highly fancied VALID REASON (7-2) to start after she had flipped over in the starting gate and had to be resaddled again at the start.
VALID REASON, not surprsingly, ran no race at all and according to her trainer, Gary Subratie, "she came back lame and will have to be turned out for two to three months as a result".
"This is a horse who has never been lame in her life, but owing to the presence of a vet who is inexperienced at the starting gates, she will be forced on the sidelines," added the disgruntled trainer.
Subratie went on to explain that he spoke to the stewards and was told that it was the vet's call to determine whether a horse is well enough to start at the gate.
Obviously, said Subratie, VALID REASON should have been withdrawn in the circumstances and his colleagues in the trainers' room are in total agreement with him.
MORE CONTROVERSY
Another controversial topic was the disqualification of the runner-up, MUSTANG, in the fourth race won by SHAN FABULOSO.
It was the general belief that jockey Ameth Robles did everything possible to prevent the front running grey gelding from bolting in the lead at the home turn, causing both SHAN FABULOSO and the fourth horse RISING MOON to swing very wide.
With Robles trying to correct him from running into the next parish, so to speak, MUSTANG took a square turn into the straight and although interferring with both SHAN FABULOSO and RISING MOON, it appeared to be accidental.
In cases such as this punters have a way of taking out of their pockets. So let's leave it at that.
