Phenomenal Power crashes on bad day for favourites

UNITED States-bred PHENOMENAL POWER, unbeaten in two starts with a combined winning margin of almost 22 lengths and considered the banker of the day, ran a stinker of a race, finishing sixth in yesterday's third event, resulting in a whopping $837,479 Reggae 6 mandatory payout.

Further drama unfolded in the five-furlong straight event when first-past-the-post DANKA, a 6-1 chance, was disqualified and the race awarded to runner-up MISS GROVE, a 4-1 shot and stablemate of 2-5 favourite PHENOMENAL POWER, for drifting and interference within shades of the wire.

There were no winning favourites on the Reggae 6, which opened with BOBBYTWOBAD landing the opening event at a king's ransom, odds of 6-1, after bettors went crazy over even-money chance, SILENT AMERICAN, who finished down the track, seventh, in the 10-horse field.

MISS MARBELLA, the first of three winners on the 10-race card for trainer Peter-John Parsard, was the closest thing to a winning favourite, landing the second at 8-5, outfinishing BOWMORE, the even-money choice at five furlongs straight.

BANGARANG handed Parsard his second winner in the fourth at four furlongs straight, proving stronger than 4-1 chance LEGAL FIGHT, winning at odds of 5-2 with three-time champion jockey Anthony Thomas, visiting for the day on break from Gulfstream Park in Florida.

Tajay Suckoo, who was aboard disqualified DANKA, returned to floor bets in the fifth with Spencer Chung's seven-year-old, GENERAL CHIEF, who awoke from a four-race slumber for a near 10-length win, stunning $350,000 claimers at odds of 9-1, the level at which he had won last July, leaving a bitter taste in form-players' mouths.

LAUREN'S SECRET, fitted with blinkers for the sixth at five furlongs straight at odds of 5-2, powered past even-money chance HUMILITY, flooring yet another Reggae 6 favourite for a whopping payout to surviving bets.

'I Love February', the month of mandatory payouts, continue this Saturday with the Placepot 8 on the line.