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Hail The Queen drops bomb on Reggae 6
August 19, 2025
HAIL THE QUEEN's 21-1 bomb, going gate to wire at a mile, knocked the wind out of most bettors' Reggae 6 sails before the ships left harbour.
A four-year-old maiden up to early March, HAIL THE QUEEN floored United States-bred WICKED CASSIE coming off a strong second to OIL MACHINE. CROWN CHASER, last year's Jamaica Derby winner and St Leger runner-up, backed as 3-2 favourite, second run off the lay-up, could only manage third.
In a Pearl Harbor-like attack, HAIL THE QUEEN flew in under the radar with Dick Cardenas, bombing most bets, directly responsible for the $331,756 Reggae 6 payout, compounded by MILLINIUM STAR closing the exotic bet 6 at odds of 9-1 in the knotty sixth event at five furlongs straight.
HAIL THE QUEEN's win underlined a multitude of factors, which must be taken into consideration whenever reading form lines, among them race-fitness, jockey calibre, exercise gallops and, most important, equipment changes.
A textbook example, if there was ever one, HAIL THE QUEEN was partnered by experienced Panamanian Dick Cardenas, called in to replace claiming rider Emelio McLean. A visor was fitted for the occasion after cantering in the headgear on Tuesday. Voila, one scrape at 21-1.
Rules which were ignored in last Saturday's Reggae 6 opener included never trust horses coming off lengthy lay-ups. CROWN CHASER returned within two weeks with one run under his girth since winning last year's derby.
United States-bred ROCKET FIRE SEB, similar to most Raddesh Roman winners, was always a banker in the second event at odds of 2-5, so too BOSS MAN in the third at 1-2, despite shortening, which was expected, to hold off late-charging PERFECT AFFAIR at a mile.
RIDGE LINER's third-place run behind SENSATIONAL MOVE and RANI BANGALA at five furlongs straight was always a factor in being sceptical of the fourth. Despite EMPEROROFTHECATS being on a four-timer, another rule of thumb was in pay, a change of barn.
BELLA BELLA's back class, just failing to catch BESTDAUGHTERINLAW at four furlongs straight in April, would have made her a natural selection among other runners to be carried in a spotty race.
Similarly, MILLINIUM STAR, though closing the Reggae 6 at odds of 9-1, should not have been left off any bet, considering form shown out the straight course in two of her last three races.
Jockeys' Guild president, Philip Parchment, rode BELLA BELLA and MILLINIUM STAR on a caveat, awaiting an appeal hearing after being handed a 25-day suspension for intimidation and interference to LINGUIST and DANKA at the start of the Jamaica Oaks.
Meanwhile, Robert Halledeen and Jason DaCosta, last year's Mouttet Mile and this season's Jamaica Derby winning combination, teamed up to land yet another trophy race, MAMMA MIA making every post a winning one in the Arthur Jones Memorial at six furlongs.
Competing down-in-class for the third time this season, MAMMA MIA made it two wins from three starts among overnight-allowance runners within six months, finishing third at the level four weeks ago behind two out-of-class foreigners, RIDEALLDAY and GIRVANO.
The Reggae 6 opens with a $4.1 million single-winner bonus on Saturday. A mandatory payout is scheduled for Saturday, August 30.
