Husbands wins thrilling feature event

TORONTO, Canada – Barbadian riding legend Patrick Husbands won only his second Canadian Derby when he combined with 9-2 chance Fev Rover to edge favourite Crystal Cliffs in a grandstand finish to the CAN$200 000 Grade II event on Sunday.

Going a mile and eighth for the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares on the Queen’s Plate card at Woodbine, Husbands stalked from second with the three-year-old bay filly before taking over from pacesetter Angelou and locking horns in a searing duel with Crystal Cliffs, ridden by the outstanding Rafael Hernandez.

With neither Fev Rover nor Crystal Cliffs yielding an inch, the result came down to the head bob at the wire, the Mark Casse-trained filly managing to clinch victory by a nose in a time of one minute, 47.33 seconds.

“To be honest, I thought I’d won but when I saw Rafy (Hernandez) punch the air after the wire, I said … Mark is going to be mad,” Husbands joked afterward.

“But she’s a gutsy filly. Last time, Rafy caught me in the bottom of the lane in my blindspot but today I made sure he didn’t catch me in the blindspot. I made sure I got [Fev Rover] going before he got to me.”

Angelou, with Luis Contreras aboard, laid down the early fractions, dragging the field through 24.50 seconds for the quarter and 49.28 for the half.

Husbands raced Fev Rover just off the rails in second with 2-1 bet Flirting Bridge in third and Munnyfor Ro fourth.

They remained in that order down the backstretch until Husbands roused Fev Rover approaching the seven-sixteenth, taking the field into the stretch level with Angelou.

Angelou and Flirting Bridge both faded but Crystal Cliffs unleashed a furious ride on the outside to challenge Fev Rover to the wire.

“It was a great ride as always by Patrick. I don’t know but this is … over 1500 wins together,” said a beaming Casse.

There was disappointment for Husbands in the million-dollar Queen’s Plate, the 49-year-old finishing second with another Casse entrant – 16-1 outsider Hall of Dreams – behind Hernandez who got 9-5 chance Moira to the wire seventh lengths clear.

There was success for another Barbadian jockey, Jason Hoyte, as he steered the 2-1 bet Hazelbrook to a three-quarter length score in the $134 750 Sweet Briar Too Stakes in race three.

The pair survived a bump at the start to chase down the frontrunners over the 6-½ furlong sprint before reeling them in mid-stretch to reach the finish in 1:16.14. (CMC)