Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
YAN YAN STORY (No.5), ridden by apprentice Douglas Badaloo, is pushed out to win the fourth race over 1100 metres in a driving finish from the 1-2 favourite TRUE SENSATION (Rudolph Paige) at Caymanas Park on Saturday. Trained by Philbert Watson, YAN YAN STORY won at odds of 6-1. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE PICK-9 again proved elusive at Caymanas Park on Saturday and the carryover going into tomorrow's midweek meet stands at a whopping $2.39 million.
With heavy betting anticipated by punters willing to dig deeper in order to catch the Pick-9, a payout well in excess of $3 million looks a real possibility. The Super-6, meanwhile, was caught by one punter who walked away $913,018 richer.
Significantly, one punter with seven of nine winners pocketed a cool $146,400.50 consolation in the Pick-9. Most players lost out on a chance to win millions from the very first Pick-9 race when the Vin Edwards trained 12-1 shot ENCHANTING EYES stormed through a furlong out to win the maiden condition race for horses who have not finished second, third or fourth lifetime.
It was a poor field of three-year-olds who contested the race and there were some who criticised the promoter for carrying not one, but two of these races on the card. Many did not see the wisdom of dividing this race into Division I and II, but in these days of rising feed prices and other overhead costs to owners, ways have to be found by the promoter to facilitate horses who find it difficult to earn in open three-year-old maiden races.
By restricting these races to horses who have not finished among the four in previous races afford them the opportunity to earn in a less competitive environment. The winner's purse of $199,300 to Vin's wife, Monica, who owns ENCHANTING EYES, represents a good payday for one who loves racing for the fun of it.
MILD UPSETS
Of course, racing needs big owners like Alexander Haber, Howard Hamilton, Elias Haloute, Richard Azan and Ruth Hussey. But without smaller owners like Monica Edwards, who would buy the modest priced not-fashionably-bred horses which make up most of the lower classes?
In addition to ENCHANTING EYES, there were mild upsets via TIP TOP MACHINE at 8-1 in the seventh race. LADY SOLO for veteran 'Hall of Fame' trainer, Sydney Watson, at 7-1 in the eighth race where the hot ante-post favourite OLYMPIC STAR was declared a late non-starter, having gone lame, and YAN YAN STORY at 6-1 in the fourth.
Winning Pick-9 favourites were DIGI N' JIGGY at 8-5 in the third, EMMVEEPEE at 6-5 in the fifth and VISCOSITY at 3-2 in the closing race over the straight five course.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
The outstanding performance of the afternoon was turned in by DIESEL who won the overnight allowance feature over 1200 metres. One of two winners for champion trainer Philip Feanny, DIESEL shot into the lead approaching the half mile and although looking in danger of defeat when the favourite PRECOCIOUS MISS D mounted a strong challenge early in the straight, found a lot extra to put the issue beyond doubt.
Running like a well-oiled machine, DIESEL ticked off his second consecutive win and his fifth from only seven career starts. He once again proved that the imported horses are nothing to crow about, leading home four American-bred fillies in the process.
We will continue to watch the progress of this lightly raced but progressive four-year-old gelding by Law Of The Sea out of Psyche. How far can he go? One can never tell with Feanny-trained horses.
