Whitehall’s winning ways continue

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Red-hot Barbadian rider Antonio Whitehall followed up Tuesday’s triple with another on Wednesday, as he stretched his lead at the top of the Assiniboia Downs championship to a whopping 27 wins.

The 26-year-old stormed to victories in the curtain-raiser aboard even-odds Wolski, in race two with hot favourite Stevie Mac and in race three in the irons of another favourite Coaltonne.

On Tuesday, Whitehall was also the star of the seven-race card, winning race two with favourite My Kinda Gal, race four with another favourite Storm Stride and race five with 7-2 choice Frankalee Fun.

Trinidadian Stanley Chadee won the $35 000 CTHS Sales Stakes.

Whitehall now has 67 wins for the season with Rafael Zenteno well adrift in second on 40 and Trinidadian Stanley Chadee three back in third.

Chadee grabbed some of the spotlight on Tuesday’s card, winning the CAN$35 000 CTHS Sales Stakes in race three aboard favourite Melisandre and also taking race one with another favourite Sask Lady.

Whitehall wrote all the headlines on Wednesday, however, installing himself as the outright favourite for the Assiniboia Downs title.

His opening win came over six furlongs when he combined with three-year-old bay gelding Wolski to beat the three-year-old and upward maidens by a length.

Wolski was sat off the pace set by favourite Storm Squall before rallying on the outside in the stretch and taking the wire first.

Whitehall followed up in another six furlong sprint, guiding seven-year-old mare Stevie Mac to an impressive 2-½ length win over the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares.

Dazzling Gold and Fat N Bitter disputed the lead through the half-mile before Whitehall brought Stevie Mac from off the pace to challenge successfully.

Whitehall completed his hat-trick of wins over six furlongs when he eked out a narrow win over the three-year-old and upward maidens with three-year-old brown gelding Coaltonne.

After pressing the pace set by Awanana, Coaltonne got to the front in the stretch before holding off second placed My Last Twenty.

Trinidadian Richard Mangalee also tasted success, winning the $30 000 Osiris Stakes in race four with 4-1 bet Explorer Bill, beating the two-year-olds by half-length.

Mangalee also captured race five over 7-½ furlongs with 7-4 chance Eye Catching, getting the better of the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares by a head.
(CMC)