Multiple champion jockey Patrick Husbands gave a timely reminder of his prowess in the saddle when he logged a three-timer and on Saturday’s 10-race card at the Woodbine Racetrack.
Husbands maintained his place in the top five of the jockey’s standings at Canada’s leading racetrack, moving to 13 wins for the season, which opened on April 16, but he trails leading rider Kazushi Kimura by 19.
Keveh Nicholls and Slade Jones, two other Barbadian jockeys collected wins, and compatriot Tedston Holder owned and trained Jegos Fire, which Jones guided to victory in the CAN $35 700 third race.
After he missed out on 9-5 favourite Jinxed in the second race, Husbands landed victory by a neck aborad the 8-5 favourite Allegorical in the CAN $123 200 fourth race over 1 700 metres on the all-weather track.
Allegorical was rated along the inside and then was boxed on the turn, and Husbands had to work overtime to ease the three-year-old, chestnut gelding off the inside leaving the quarter pole before coming with the challenge four wide into the lane and closing well to to get up in time under a mild drive to clock one minute, 46.01 seconds.
Husbands failed in his attempt to win the CAN $175 000 featured Royal North Stakes by a neck on the third favourite Souper Sensational, but he returned to drive 9-4 favourite Souper Munnings to the narrowest of racing victories by a nose in the CAN $109 100 ninth race over five furlongs on the inner turf.
He put Souper Munnings to track the leaders and moved into contention turning for home and the four-year-old, dark bay filly finished strong to get up in the final strides for a time of 56.88 secs – a mere 1.42 outside of the track record.
Husbands closed the day’s racing with a half-length win astride the 11-1 outsider Commanders Palace in the CAN $101 200 final race over seven furlongs on the turf.
He vied with Commanders Palace for the early lead between horses and two wide and then went on get the four-year-old, dark bay filly to set a pressured pace entering the turn before coming under pressure in the closing stages and holding sway to post a time of 1:20.68.
Earlier, Nicholls got his sixth win of the season when he opened the day’s racing with 2-3/4 lengths win on the 7-1 chance D’s Soul in the CAN $35 700 first race going 1 300 metres on the all-weather track.
D’s Soul controlled the race from start to finish with Nicholls shaking clear the seven-year-old, bay mare to get to the line in 1:18.11.
Canada-born rookie Jones, 16, son of three-time Breeders Stakes winner Jono Jones and grandson of former southern Caribbean champion Chally Jones, logged his second win in his first season on the circuit when he piloted 7-1 choice Jegos Fire to a 1-3/4 lengths score for Holder.
Jegos Fire too, was an easy ride in the 1 700m trip around the Polytrack, leading from pillar to post, with Jones getting the eight-year-old, chestnut gelding to repel a challenge midway through the final turn before drawing clear to reach the line in 1:46.91.
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