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Cardenas double upsets Reggae 6
February 17, 2025
AFTER Saturday's first four races, it appeared to be Reggae 6 deja vu - Shane Ellis winning the first two races aboard favourites, as he did the previous meet, followed by other fancied winners - leading to a measly payout of $1,432.
However, in stepped Panamanian Dick Cardenas, riding back-to-back upsetters at the tail-end of the Reggae 6, turning the popular bet on its head by landing the fifth with 11-1 shot SENSATIONAL GOLD and the sixth astride 26-1 chance, United States-bred WICKED CASSIE.
SENSATIONAL GOLD and WICKED CASSIE's upset wins forced a $92,857 Reggae 6 payout and single-winner bonus of $8.2 million carried forward to Saturday, the first of two days of racing to close February's meet at the weekend.
Cardenas used SENSATIONAL GOLD to track 15-1 chance ZION'S PRINCESS for the first three furlongs before slipping through a half-mile out in the seven-furlong event for three-year-old optional claimers, native six-year-olds, non-winners of four races, and imported runners, non-winners of two races.
BIG JULE, the 3-5 favourite, circled rivals to launch a bid at SENSATIONAL GOLD, who he had beaten by 18 lengths, five weeks prior, at six furlongs. BIG JULE, partnered by Samantha Fletcher, pointed briefly a furlong and a half out but was left standing by SENSATIONAL GOLD's rally inside the final furlong.
WICKED CASSIE struck like a thief in the night, a four-year-old out for her third career start, two down-the-track finishes and no speed gallop to her credit at exercise.
Motoring on the outside, from 10th at the half-mile marker, WICKED CASSIE blew past the grey, SPEED ON WHEELS, coming off the turn to take aim at fellow outsider, 23-1 shot SO BEAUTIFUL, trying to steal home under Reyan Lewis.
Despite Lewis' best attempt, WICKED CASSIE wore down SO BEAUTIFUL close home to win in a drive-by, shooting down many surviving Reggae 6 bets, ensuring a worthy payout.
Meanwhile, United States-bred INSPIRE FORCE reversed his miserly form with a last-furlong burst of speed to power past rivals in the James B Dawes Memorial at odds of 8-1 with champion jockey Raddesh Roman for trainer Philip Feanny and A. C. K Stables.
INSPIRE FORCE handed Roman his second win on the 10-race card after booting home GENERATIONAL in the fourth at five and a half furlongs among million-dollar claimers.
Roman's two-timer moved him to 10 wins but still remained third in the early jockeys' standings behind Robert Halledeen on 13 and Shane Ellis, who jumped to 12 with a three-timer.
Ellis opened the programme for a second consecutive meet with back-to-back winners, United States-bred PROPELLANT and three-year-old debutant, EASY MONEY, the winner of the second event at five furlongs round.
Ellis also enjoyed an armchair ride astride another foreigner, Peter-John Parsard's MAIN MISTRESS, who toyed with rivals for a nine-length win at seven and a half furlongs in the ninth among native four-year-olds, non-winners of three races, and imported non-winners of two races.
