Husbands delivers ‘Magic’ in feature race

TORONTO, Canada – Veteran Barbadian rider Patrick Husbands presented himself with the ideal birthday gift last weekend when he produced a stellar front-running effort aboard 9-2 choice Summertime Magic to capture the CAN$100 000 Ruling Angel Stakes.

The seven-time Sovereign Award winner for Canada’s best jockey paired with the Mark Casse-trained roan in Saturday’s feature to upset the three-year-old fillies, reaching the wire 1-¼ lengths clear of favourite Mrs Barbara, in a time of one minute, 22.26 seconds.

For Husbands, the win marked his second added-money score of the new season and came just 24 hours before celebrating his 49th birthday.

“[From] just looking at the form [book], I saw the other speed horses were Mark’s horses…,” he explained afterward.

“She was going really easy down the backstretch but she was rolling, and she was rolling with her ears pricked showing me she was just happy. Then when the [field] came to me swinging in the turn, I hadn’t asked her yet but coming off the turn she showed me you had to run to beat her.”

Making her stakes debut, Summertime Magic sprinted to the front while Join the Dance and Outfoxed chased from second and Urban, Guileful and Mrs Barbara formed a line across the track as they brought up the rear.

Summertime Magic made the quarter mile in 23.07 seconds and arrived at the half in 46.17, with Outfoxed making her bid on the outside and Guileful also taking aim at the lead from third.

Coming off the turn, Outfoxed drew alongside Summertime Magic but Husbands found another gear in the filly and she pulled away impressively, leaving Mrs Barbara’s run up the rails in vain.

“She was rolling but she was rolling happy so I didn’t have to worry about slowing her down or about how fast I was going,” Husbands said.

“She was just enjoying it.”

On Sunday, Jamaican Shaun Bridgmohan won the CAN$123 200 race six when he guided 7-1 chance Winston Blue to a narrow victory over the three-year-old and upward maidens.

Going a mile and sixteenth, 8-1 bet Langstaff Bet set the early pace, returning splits of 25.06 and 49.87, with Winston Blue stalking from second and Guard of Honour and Hall of Dreams well placed.

Bridgmohan roused the three-year-old colt on the turn and he ran down the leaders to edge out Hall of Dreams by a head. (CMC)