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Highly favoured Mineola sinks Reggae 6 bets
December 23, 2024
THERE's a Reggae saying, "It's not who wins, it's who loses", resulting in big payouts such as Saturday's $396,388, almost $400,000 on a bet with one outsider, sending a $5.25 million single-winner bonus to tomorrow's bet ahead of Thursday's mandatory payout.
Though MAYA's 23-1 stunner in Saturday's fifth event would have derailed most Reggae 6 bettors, MINEOLA's loss as the 1-5 favourite in the fourth for two-year-olds would have sunk twice as many, a banker that turned out to be a sinker.
Reporting for her third start after an encouraging second-place run behind KIMUCHI at five and a half furlongs a month earlier, MINEOLA exhibited her dam Sweet Trail's traits in the one-mile event, stopping, as though shot, after six furlongs.
Pedigree reared its head, leading to SIMPLY ENCHANTING, foaled by middle-distance specialist, My Elle Belle, taking over off the turn and rallying strongly to hold off late-charging ATILA by a short head.
The first half of the Reggae 6 played true to form with fancied runners getting the job done for bettors. United States-bred FINAL LOAD repelled fellow American PROPELLANT to win his first career race at even-money with Robert Halledeen for trainer Winchester McIntosh, making all at seven furlongs, a popular Reggae 6 winner to get the ball rolling.
WHO DONEIT, a half-brother to Jamaica Derby third-place CAPTAIN SPARROW a winner later in the afternoon, landed the second at odds of 5-2, keeping most hopes alive.
Dane Dawkins, who booted home a four-timer on the 10-race card, impacted the Reggae 6 with two winners, opening his tally with MPRS LINKS at odds of 2-1 in the third and MILA KAY in the closer, the BGLC-TOBA Millionaires Series event at seven furlongs for three-year-old maidens.
Dawkins broke four-year-old MPRS LINKS sharp on the lead and repelled favourite COSMIC FORCE throughout to win at seven and a half furlongs. However, the Reggae 6 was turned on its head in the next two races - MINEOLA's loss and MAYA's stunner - sending bets into a tailspin.
Displaying uncanny timing aboard MILA KAY, Dawkins roused the Seeking My Dream-Track Rose filly from ninth down the backstretch, producing a searing stretch run to collar SOLACE stealing home under Roger Hewitt.
Dawkins' heart-pounding finish in mid-track earned MILA KAY's owner, Ahab's, a $1-million BGLC-TOBA bonus, open for horses who fall under the hammer at the Mixed Sale or made eligible by a $150,000 eligibility fee.
