MAN OF STAR, ridden by apprentice Dane Nelson, romps yesterday's Caymanas Park feature for the James B. Dawes Memorial Trophy over 1300 metres, winning by 4 1/4 lengths as the 6-5 favourite. -Michael SlolelyOrville Clarke, Freelance Writer
EVEN WITH champion jockey Trevor Simpson dominating the action at Caymanas Park yesterday, the Pick-9 proved elusive for the 14th consecutive raceday and the carryover to next Saturday stands at a fantastic $9.97 million.
In the end only three punters with eight of nine collected $174,283.00 as the monster Pick-9 continued to grow into Godzilla-like proportions.
With a $8.1 million carryover from Ash Wednesday propping up "the monster", Pick-9 activity intensified after the second race with sales of more than $4 million passing through the tote.
Unlike Ash Wednesday when majority of punters choked from the first of the nine races following a 10-1 upset by PRINCESS MAYESHA, yesterday most started on the right foot when the 4-5 favourite CALL ME SACH duly obliged by all of 10 lengths over the circular nine course. But they were then knocked over by the apprentice-ridden MISS HIMO at 9-2 in the next race over 1100 metres.
Thereafter, Simpson rode his second of four winners on the card, the evens favourite RED BOOTLACES, but the Pick-9 crowd had a major scare when the in-form five-year-old mare scrambled home by only a nose from 8-1 chance KERMIT in a tremendous head bob.
That close shave was quickly forgotten when Simpson won the fourth Pick-9 race aboard 2-1 second favourite CHOCOLATE SLEW and came back to win the next race with another 2-1 chance, THE SANDMAN, for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta.
Five races down and four to go, the Pick-9 at this stage looked to be 'history', before the 3-y-o debutante LADY AMY (7-2), under former champion Charles Hussey, docked a few in a breath-taking finish with odds-on favourite CRUCIAL SEASON, then COUNTER STORM at 10-1 and the grey LATIN RHYTHM at 19-1 put the final nail in the Pick-9 coffin.
Despite going winless, there were a lot of happy faces at the track, happy over the fact that come next Saturday (no racing on Wednesday) they will have another crack at a possible $12 million payday. The last Pick-9 was caught on Saturday, January 11.
Meanwhile, Simpson assumed the lead from Clive Lynch in the jockeys' standings by virtue of four winners on the 11-race card, his second four-timer in consecutive racedays.
His winners were the even money favourite NUCLEAR POWER in the first race, RED BOOTLACES, CHOCOLATE SLEW and THE SANDMAN, the first three for bang in form trainer Richie Todd who also posted three winners on Ash Wednesday.
Simpson, who resumed riding on the previous Saturday following a six-week stay in the United States, has now ridden 10 winners in three consecutive racedays. He ended the day on 16 winners - three clear of Lynch who failed to ride a winner yesterday.
Hussey rode two winners in DANCE DIXIE and LADY AMY for brother Percy, while apprentice Paul Francis also twirled a double comprising CALL ME SACH and the upsetter COUNTER STORM for in-form trainer Charles Morrissey.
Douglas Badaloo became the 14th apprentice from the batch of 21 which graduated from he Jockeys' School in late November to ride a winner. The youngster booted home MISS HIMO for trainer Tyrone Prince, rallying his mount under a hand ride leaving the furlong pole to catch the leader NOWITSKI in deep stretch.
The day's feature for the James B. Dawes Memorial Trophy over 1300m was won in fine style by 6-5 favourite MAN OF STAR, ridden by apprentice Dane Nelson for owner Emery Meghoo and trainer John McKenzie.
