Triple treat for Chris Husbands

FORT ERIE, Canada – Barbadian Chris Husbands rattled off a hat-trick of wins to steal the spotlight on yesterday’s seven-race card at Fort Erie.

The 30-year-old captured race two with favourite Easy Weekend, race four with 13-5 chance Be The Change and race six with hot favouite Unyielding.

Husbands lies fifth in the standings on 19 wins, well adrift of leader Juan Crawford also from Barbados, on 34 wins.

Crawford managed only a single win in four outings on the day’s card when he steered 11-5 bet Doctor Uptown to a convincing 2-¼ length victory over the three-year-olds and upwards in a seven furlong trip.

Husbands, however, took all the plaudits at the southern Ontario racetrack with an impressive showing.

He opened his account over seven furlongs when he combined with the three-year-old bay gelding Easy Weekend to trounce the three-year-olds and upward by three-quarters of a length.

Uncle Howard and Kilkenny Prospect duelled through the half-mile before Husbands brought Easy Weekend from a stalking position to collar the leaders in the stretch.

Husbands had to settle for another narrow win in a 5-½ furlong sprint in race four when he barely got six-year-old chestnut gelding Be The Change up to beat Captain Sidney and Love That Lute.

Up against the three-year-olds and upward, Husbands stalked early on as Love That Lute and Trebek contested the pace, before getting the better of the stretch run.

The final win for Husbands came in a six furlong sprint where he paired with four-year-old chestnut gelding Unyielding to turn back the three-year-olds and upward by 3-¾ lengths, after stalking early pacesetter Eyes Forward. (CMC)