Husbands, Crawford split four victories

FORT ERIE, Canada – Reigning champion Juan Crawford and fellow Barbadian Chris Husbands both logged braces on Tuesday’s seven-race card at Fort Erie.

Crawford won with favourite Be Vewy Vewy Quiet in race five before returning to clinch race seven with another favourite Gimbala.

Husbands, meanwhile, tasted success in back-to-back rides in race three and four, winning first with 11-1 chance Hasn’t Hit Me Yet and then with favourite Arcelor.

Husbands is already well clear at the top on 23 wins, with Guyana-born Sunny Singh 11 back in second on 12, with Crawford sixth on eight wins.

After narrowly missing out in race one, Husbands found the winners enclosure with his next appearance when he guided four-year-old filly Hasn’t Hit Me Yet to a 1-¼ length victory over the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares in a five furlong sprint.

And he followed up aboard seven-year-old bay mare Arcelor, producing a front-running effort to trounce the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares, going six furlongs.

Crawford’s first win came in his third ride of the day when he partnered with six-year-old bay gelding Be Vewy Vewy Quiet to crush the three-year-olds and upward by 8-¾ lengths over a mile and 70 yards.

Thirteen-to-one choice Stormy Summer showed early but Crawford forced the pace to lead by the far turn, and completely dominate the stretch run.

Crawford’s second win came in a five-furlong dash when he made virtually all the running with six-year-old mare Gimbala to easily brush aside the three-year-olds and upward by 5-½ lengths.

The season at the southern Ontario racetrack got underway May 15 and winds up October 26. (CMC)