KINGSTON, Jamaica - FOLLOWING Loose Ball’s upset success at odds of 47-1 in a Restricted Allowance event on Saturday (July 11), trainer Wayne DaCosta said that he was not surprised by the victory as he knew his horse had a good chance of landing the event.
Loose Ball (Fearless Vision – My Friend Lucy) came from nowhere on the preferred inside rails to nip K D Rocket (Dane Dawkins) on the line and win the five-furlong (1,000m) straight offering by half a length in a time of 1:00.2.
“Loose Ball was working well coming into the race.
“He [Loose Ball] got an awful trip last time he was at the races as he was carried wide the entire trip. Fourth-place Rough Love only beat him by a length or two and Rough Love got a rail run. And now, drawn on the outside, I think he [Loose Ball] had an excellent chance.
“My other runner in the race, Whoshotthesheriff had it all to do from the one draw, and she was coming off a rest and was badly drawn. All in all, it was a good performance by Loose Ball to win. I never expected the 47-1 odds; this one dodged the public.
“If you had researched the race properly, he [Loose Ball] finished fourth to England’s Rose and Wow Wow going three furlongs on his first start, and so obviously he loves the straight,” DaCosta said.
Loose Ball was unable to go with the early leaders and had to race with the backmarkers, as K D Rocket (Dane Dawkins), Basilicus (Paul Francis), and Whoshotthesheriff (Anthony Thomas) showed good speed when the gates were opened.
Basilicus and K D Rocket both drew clear passing the dummy rails with the race looking to be a straight duel involving the stable companions; but with yards to go, apprentice Raddesh Roman produced his mount with a late run and Loose Ball got up in time to nip K D Rocket on the wire. Basilicus was third.
