Pick-9 climbs to $17.5 million

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

For the 11th consecutive raceday, the Pick-9 proved elusive at Caymanas Park yesterday and the carry-over to Saturday's meet stands at a whopping $17.5 million.

With Pick-9 activity expected to intensify from early on Saturday, a payout in excess of $21 million looks a real possibility.

Following a lull in Pick-9 activity last Saturday, owing to the social unrest in the Corporate Area, Pick-9 sales went through the roof yesterday, thanks to a huge carry-over of $14.3 million

According to Chris Armond, acting CEO and director of marketing of Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), Pick-9 sales topped the $7-million mark yesterday.

"With the carry-over having settled at $14.3 million, we were anticipating intense Pick-9 activity.

"The rush on the Pick-9 helped to push sales significantly, as just over $30 million changed hands at the betting windows, which is good going for a midweek meet", explained Armond who is looking forward to Saturday with great anticipation.

Thanks to back-to-back upsets by ANTIOCH at 19-1 in the seventh race and DOLLA WIN at 24-1 under champion jockey Omar Walker in the eighth, no Pick-9s were alive going into the closing Alex's Imports Dig Out Handicap, won in post-to-post fashion by 4-5 favourite CLASS ACT.

SEEK GOLD wins feature

The Super-6, meanwhile, was caught by one lucky punter. He walked away with a whopping $1.8 million, having spotted both outsiders along with 2-1 chance SEEK GOLD, a convincing winner of the Henry George Harrison Sr Memorial Cup over 1300 metres, feature event on the card.

The four-year-old filly, who raced prominently into the straight before disposing of long-time leader ALLTHEBEST, was ridden by five-time champion Trevor Simpson for owner Shawn E. Tulloch and trainer Richie Phillipps.

Simpson, Walker and top apprentice Doushane Gordon shared the riding honours with two winners each, while Anthony 'Baba' Nunes saddled two winners in BELOW THE WAIST and CLASS ACT.

Incidentally, the mushrooming Pick-9 is still a long way off the record of $46.9 million shared by seven punters on Saturday, July 26, 2008.