Shakes lands brace of longshots

Richie Shakes rattled yesterday’s 10-race card with two longshots including WHIZZ KIDD, who benefited from a collapsing pace to stun rivals at odds of 23-1 in the O & S Tack Room Trophy at a mile.

Shakes had earlier upended bettors with three-year-old maiden winner, MS PROSECUTOR, who surged forward under gentle handling to outfinish 8-1 chance ONEDEGEHDEGEHLINKS, closing the Reggae 6 at odds of 21-1, sending an $8.22 million carryover to today’s mandatory payout, which should exceed $20 million.

Whereas MS PROSECUTOR had no history of upsets, a maiden out for her seventh start, WHIZZ KIDD, claimed May 25 by E Anthony Subratie as a 22-1 runner-up to AWESOME ANTHONY, had last won on February 14 as a 67-1 shocker, chasing down RANI BANGALA at seven furlongs.

WHIZZ KIDD’s latest upset was inconceivable, certainly after the first four furlongs, trailing his 10 rivals, almost a quarter-furlong behind even-money favourite I DREAM AGAIN and BOB THE BUILDER having a go at each other on the lead.

Turning for home with only two horses behind, WHIZZ KIDD motored from off the ace in mid-track, taking aim at COOKIE DAY N NIGHT, who had grabbed the lead early in the stretch run from I DREAM AGAIN, the disappointing 2025 Jamaica Derby and St Leger winner surrendering easily in yet another race, having only won once in seven starts as a four-year-old.

Desperately begging for the wire after making a sweeping move off the final turn to pounce on I DREAM AGAIN, COOKIE DAY N NIGHT proved no match for WHIZZ KIDD, who closed strongly a furlong out to power past his fellow six-year-old, winning by four and three-quarters of a length in 1:39.1 for owner Foster’s Inc.

Tevin Foster greeted defending two-time champion jockey Raddesh Roman’s return to the saddle with a three-timer, moving six clear atop the riders’ championship, which his rival led before falling from MIDNIGHT GALAXY on July 25.

Foster booted home two winners for champion trainer Jason DaCosta, howling favourites BIRTHDAY KING and GALLANT GROOM, United States-bred horses, in the second and seventh events, respectively.

Foster, who lost the 2024 title to Roman in the last race of the year, closed his three-timer aboard LAUREN’S SECRET with another of his signature heart-stopping, come-from-behind victories, nailing PRINCE KAZAIRE at the wire with the 4-5 favourite in the eighth at six furlongs.