Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
MIRACLE MAN (left), running at odds of 3-5 with jockey Allen Maragh aboard, takes command from AD INFINITUM (right, Brian Holding) in te closing stages of the Digicel Jamaica Derby for native three-year-olds over 2400 metres at Caymanas Park on Saturday. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE PICK-9 again proved elusive on Saturday's massive Digicel Derby Day programme at Caymanas Park, the carryover topping the $2 million mark as a result.
Despite the fact that the two major upsets - CLASSIC TUDOR at 38-1 and JACK EM UP at 27-1 came before the start of the Pick-9 in the fifth race on the 13-race programme, only six punters with eight of nine winners were fortunate enough to collect $18,475.50 each.
What was surprising was that the first of the two Super-6s on the card (races one to six) was caught by one lucky punter, despite the fact that both JACK EM UP and CLASSIC TUDOR in the third and fourth races respectively, were included in it.
Yet, it is said that Jamaican punters are the most knowledgeable anywhere in the world, and this one punter spotted all six to walk away $503,826.00 richer, a testimony to that. It was a Derby Day he will long remember.
The same is true of Florida-based Jamaican jockey, Allen 'Bungo John' Maragh, who booted home the 3-5 favourite MIRACLE MAN for popular owner Joseph 'Fudgie' Duany and legendary 75-year-old trainer, Allan 'Billy' Williams in the 85th running of the premier classic, which was sponsored for the first time by Digicel.
Maragh, 43, always had faith in MIRACLE MAN. In a feature story carried in this newspaper exactly three months ago, it is interesting to recall what he said then:
Commenting on his near miss in the 2000 Derby with the outsider GENERAL VERRAZANO, who was beaten by a neck by I'MSATISFIED, the jockey in relating to this year's Derby said. "This time I won't make any mistake. I'm very excited about riding MIRACLE MAN in the Classics for he's such a wonderful horse that is getting better and better with every race.
"He gave me an armchair ride the other day and still won by 13-1/2 lengths in a very fast time for a mile. This shows me he has trained on nicely from two to three and despite the fact he will face two tough opponents in the stable-companions KAMIR and COLTRANE, I believe he is potentially better than both over a distance of ground. MIRACLE MAN has what it takes to win classic races a real turn of foot," he stated then.
After his big win on Saturday, an elated Maragh, flanked by the Florida posse, simply looked me in the eye and said, "I told you so."
He was quick to add: "We are yet to see the best of this horse."
Reflecting on the race, MIRACLE MAN didn't look as fluent as he did when winning the May 14 Lotto Classic for the Governor's Cup over 2000 metres with Winston Griffiths aboard.
OVERTIME WORK
Maragh admitted that MIRACLE MAN was "a little flat" approaching the final bend and he had to work overtime in order to win by 1-1/2 from AD INFINITUM and ROYAL COMMAND, heads on.
He beat both horses by four lengths and nine lengths respectively in the Governor's Cup and it could be a case where MIRACLE MAN ran a bit below expectations, despite winning, or AD INFINITUM and ROYAL COMMAND ran vastly improved races.
If the latter is true, then the St. Leger in a month's time could turn out to be a very interesting race.
As for the the 2000 Guineas winner COLTRANE who could only manage sixth (beaten 25 lengths) after being the marginal leader on the inside approaching the half mile, jockey Charles Hussey had this to say: "He wasn't travelling right from the half mile. He tried to change his left lead at this stage and hung on the right instead. I knew he wouldn't be around at the finish when this happened," he added.
