Walcott stretches jockeys’ lead

EDMONTON, Canada – Barbadian Rico Walcott left the weekend with an increased lead in the jockeys standings at Century Mile after logging a double yesterday to follow up his triple 24 hours earlier.

The 29-year-old rode winners in race six with favourite Alberta Bound before returning in the very next race to score with another favourite Small Victories.

On Saturday, Walcott grabbed all the headlines on the eight-race card, capturing race four with 7-5 chance Irish Trick, race seven with favourite Ever True and race eight with 8-1 choice Gunn With the Wind.

Walcott’s weekend success took him to 57 wins for the season, 28 clear of fellow Barbadian Antonio Whitehall who boosted his own numbers with a handsome double on Sunday.

Starved of success in the earlier part of the day, Walcott finally reached the winner’s circle when he paired with four-year-old gelding Alberta Bound to beat the three-year-olds and upward by 1-¼ lengths.

Going a mile, Run Jeanne Run and Lucky Last Night duelled through the half before Walcott brought Alberta Bound from off the pace to snatch the lead with a furlong to run.

Walcott’s next win also came over a mile, guiding seven-year-old chestnut gelding Small Victories to a 2-½ length win over the three-year-olds and upward.

Super Indian, Kiwitahi, Indicative and Cash Reward all jostled for the lead early before Walcott brought Small Victories wide to hit the front at the top of the stretch.

Whitehall, meanwhile, having just wrapped up the Assiniboia Downs title in Winnipeg last week, opened his account in race five over seven furlongs when he combined with Whoop It Up to beat the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares by half-length.

And his second win came in a six furlong sprint in race eight, the 26-year-old combining with favourite Hard To Come Home to get the better of the three-year-olds by a length.

The 4-½ month Century season is set to wrap November 8.

Meanwhile, fellow Barbadian jockey Reshawn Latchman won two of the four stakes races on Saturday’s nine-race card to come away with top honours and eclipse the million-dollar mark at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

The 29-year-old paired with 2-1 choice Theladyistrue to win the US$50 000 Rachel’s Turn Stakes in race two before returning in race six to capture the $50 000 Sadie Hawkins with favourite Bridging the Gap.

Latchman lies third in the jockeys standings on 48 wins and  $1 017 714 in earnings at the southern United States racing oval, only behind leader Arnaldo Bocachica with 119 wins and $2 million, and second placed Christian Hiraldo with 40 wins and nearly $1.1 million in earnings.

Latchman opened his account in a 4-½ furlong sprint for West Virginia-bred two-year-olds when he carried brown filly Theladyistrue to a 1-¼ length victory in a time of 53.85 seconds.

Eleven-to-one chance Got Your Number sprinted clear but was caught by Theladyistrue inside the sixteenth pole, and Latchman edged the filly clear late on.

Latchman’s second victory over seven furlongs when he made all the running with four-year-old roan filly Bridging the Gap to beat the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares by 4-¼ lengths in one minute, 26:51 seconds.

Bridging the Gap produced splits of 23.28 seconds for the quarter and 47.41 for the half while being chased gamely by 8-1 bet Grace Elizabeth but found another gear in the stretch to dominate. (CMC)