Bajan jockeys dominant on Canadian tracks

FORT ERIE, Canada – Barbadian Juan Crawford all but put the finishing touches on a now certain title at Fort Erie when he produced three winners on yesterday’s eight-race card.

With only one week left in the season at the southern Ontario racing oval, the 41-year-old Crawford captured race four with 7-5 choice Bread Crumbs before snatching the last two races on the programme with favourites Lenches Gimme and Elusive Ro.

Crawford tops the riding charts with 46 wins, 13 clear of Melanie Pinto, with Jamaican Kirk Johnson one back in third.

Johnson was among several Caribbean contemporaries who also tasted success on Monday. He won race six over a mile and 70 yards with 7-1 chance Naked Illusion while veteran Trinidadian Emile Ramsammy raised the curtain on the programme with victory aboard 10-3 chance Dynamic Force in a six-furlong sprint.

Barbadian Christopher Husbands won race three with 2-1 bet Town Dancer in another six-furlong sprint while fellow countryman Jason Hoyte combined with favourite Bel Tempo to win race five over a mile and 70 yards.

However, the spotlight belonged to the enterprising Crawford who had just one ride in the first three races but then dominated with his three wins in the last five races on the card.

He opened his account aboard Bread Crumbs, carrying the four-year-old gelding to a 1-½ length victory over the three-year-old and upward maidens going a mile and 70 yards.

Favourite Trinity Thundah led into the far turn before Crawford brought Bread Crumbs into contention at the top of the stretch.

Crawford missed out narrowly in the next two races before returning to the winner’s enclosure in race seven, getting the four-year-old filly Lenches Gimme up late to nip pacesetter Party Dress at the wire in a five-furlong sprint for the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares.

His final win came in a six-furlong sprint for the three-year-olds and upward when he guided four-year-old chestnut gelding Elusive Ro to a dominant three-length victory.

Meanwhile, Barbadians Desmond Bryan and Rey Williams, along with Jamaican Shamaree Muir, all rode braces to dominate Sunday’s 11-race at Century Mile.

The 49-year-old Bryan, a veteran rider on the Canadian circuit, won the day’s two opening races with 3-1 bet Papas Coleen and 5-1 chance Here Comes Barney while Williams, 21, claimed race seven with favourite Bonanza Creek and race 10 with 9-2 Cash Reward.

Not to be left out, the 25-year-old Muir benefitted from a disqualification to win race five with 9-2 choice Dougs Pal before taking race six with favourite Reflectionofvalues.

None of the three are featuring prominently in this season’s campaign, however. Both Williams and Muir have only 10 wins while Bryan has won just four times in 26 outings.

It was Bryan who raised the curtain on the day’s programme, winning a 300-yard dash with four-year-old chestnut filly Papas Coleen.

He then followed up immediately by partnering with four-year-old gelding Here Comes Barney to beat the three-year-olds and upward by a length in a 5-½ furlong sprint.

After failing to place in two previous rides on the card, Williams opened his account in race seven when he brought chestnut gelding Bonanza Creek from off the pace to catch pacesetter Imaclassicmen late and get the better of the two-year-old maidens by a neck in another five-furlong dash.

In contrast, his win with Cash Reward came over a mile and sixteenth, guiding the five-year-old gelding to a length score over the three-year-olds and upward.

He dueled with longshot Super Indian most of the way and only got clear with just over a furlong left.

Muir’s opening win came when Major Shephard appeared to hold on for a narrow victory in a five-furlong sprint but was disqualified for interference on the first turn, following an objection lodged by the connections of longshot All That Gold.

Doug’s Pal, who trailed Major Shephard home, was promoted to the top position giving Muir and the roan colt a fortuitous victory over the two-year-old maidens.

Muir then produced a dominant gate-to-wire ride aboard five-year-old gelding Reflectionofvalues to beat the three-year-olds and upward by a length over a mile and sixteenth.
(CMC)