By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterFOR THE third consecutive race day, the popular Pick-9 had no takers on Saturday at Caymanas Park.
Two punters with eight of nine winners each received $55,221.00 for their efforts, while 38 with seven of nine secured $1,497.50.
The carryover going in tomorrow's meet stands at a whopping $997.592.40, ensuring a payout of at least $1.4 million if caught.
It was surprising to learn that the Pick-9 eluded punters once again, considering there was only one upset (a mild one at that) in 8-1 shot SHOWDOWN (a winner on his previous outing) in the eighth race over 1400 metres.
Among the fancied horses to be unsaddled in the winners' enclosure was the day's five-star banker, EPICTATUS at 2-5 in the sixth, the first of the Super-6 races.
As far as the Super-6 was concerned, it was cornered by 25 punters each receiving $29,789.00.
Although the Elias Haloute-owned pair of EPICTATUS and LATONIA (3-5) in the seventh were popular favourites, most of the remaining winners in the Pick-9 (excluding Showdown) were not all that difficult to spot.
These included the 2-1 favourites SUPREMELYSATISFIED and BUSHY PARK RAJA, as well as ZAHBO at 5-2 in the fifth.
More problematic were LADY SOLO at 9-2 in the ninth and sparingly used THE RASTAFARIAN at 3-1 in the fourth, where she had to fight tooth and nail in order to beat 17-1 chance STRIKING LIGHTING by a head after a prolonged duel over the last furlong.
All credit is due to trainer Peter McMaster who presented THE RASTAFARIAN in peak condition after an absence of 10 1/2 months.
SUPERBLY RIDDEN
The fashionably bred 4-y-o filly by Royal Minister out of Midnight Angel was administered lasix for the first time to combat an internal bleeding problem and in the end, was superbly ridden by in-form lightweight Peter Bryan who had a second winner on the card in SUPREMLYSATISFIED, this in the Prince Consort Trial Stakes co-feature.
PHANTOM J, recently claimed by second generation trainer Ryan Darby on behalf of leading patron O'Shaun Connection for $140,000, came back a different animal to slam rivals over 1,200 metres on a $170,000 tag. This was Darby's seventh winner of the season and like his father, Robert Snr. in the mid and late 90s, has the potential to become a claiming icon.
The youngster has learnt well and his progress will be followed closely this season, especially having supplemented his string with several horses owned by Raphael Gordon and formerly trained by the late Howard Phillipps.
Fashion-conscious jockey, Leo Miller, was at his aggressive best aboard SHOWDOWN, winning aboard the sparingly raced 6-y-o gelding in a red mask which made him look every inch like Ben Affleck in Daredevil.
Miller has been known to ride with psychedelic goggles and was also one of the first jockeys at Caymanas Park to ride in dark coloured pants. In the end he clearly outrode apprentice Dane Nelson on the highly fancied BOUND FOR GLORY to win in a driving finish. A daredevil ride you might say.
