ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Patrick Husbands had easily his best day in the saddle for the new season, when he captured four victories on last Sunday’s ten-race card at Woodbine.
The victories included the feature event, the CAN$150 000 Wando Stakes.
The ace Barbadian reinsman drove the prohibitive 3-5 favourite Check Your Soul to a 2 ½-length victory at Canada’s premier racetrack, beating 13-1 long-shot Whippit, under Emma-Jayne Wilson.
Check Your Soul, a three-year-old dark bay colt, finished 1 700 metres on the Polytrack in one minute, 45.29 seconds to hand Husbands his third stakes victory for the season, and second in as many days.
It was an extra-special victory for Husbands. After all, the race – in its fourth year – was named to celebrate the achievement of the chestnut stallion Wando, which he guided to the Canadian Triple Crown eight years ago.Check Your Soul made his racing debut in March at Gulfstream Park in the United States, and is being strongly considered as a contender for the Queen’s Plate on June 26.
With Husbands steering, the colt broke a step slowly, and went five-wide on the first turn, before racing three lengths off a sluggish pace set by Something Extra, ridden by James McAleney.
Check Your Soul closed three-wide to five-wide on the far turn, and then swept to the lead in the upper stretch before widening under a drive from Husbands, and taken in hand near the wire.
Husbands had earlier partnered 7-2 second choice Venus Bay to a two-length victory in the CAN$62 300 third race going 1 300m.
Venus Bay, a four-year-old dark bay filly, made her bid at the top of the stretch, drove clear quickly, and held sway under pressure for a time of one minute, 18.14 seconds.
Following the feature, Husbands won the CAN$61 800 seventh race over 1 200m aboard the 9-2 choice Mohawk Road by a neck, and then captured the CAN $67 975 eighth race astride the 7-1 bet Paso Doble by 2 ¾ lengths.
Jockey Slade Callaghan and trainer Ricky Griffith, Husbands’ compatriots, also landed victories on the card.Callaghan piloted the 5-1 chance Whispered Legend to a half-length victory in the CAN$26 900 second race.
Whispered Legend, a three-year-old bay gelding, ran 1:04.49, after bidding in deep stretch and prevailing over two rivals to give Callaghan his fifth victory of the season.
Griffith, a former Barbados champion jockey, whose father Godfrey was also a top reinsman in the island, saddled the 5-1 chance Sweesouthern Doll, which captured the CAN$22 600 ninth race by one length.
Ridden by Tyler Pizarro, the six-year-old dark bay mare was under an all-out drive in the stretch, and got by the leader in the closing stages for a time of 1:23.51, handing Griffith his second winner for the season. (CMC)
