TORONTO – Barbadian Patrick Husbands had an astonishing day at Woodbine on Saturday, winning the Natalma Stakes and the Summer Stakes worth CAN$200 000 each, en route to winning half of the races on the ten-race card.
The 41-year-old first partnered with 6-1 chance Conquest Harlanate to win the Natalma by a neck in a mile trip for the two-year-old fillies before returning to carry 3-1 bet Conquest Typhoon to victory by 4-1/2 lengths in the Summer, also over a mile.
With the double stakes win, both for trainer Mark Casse, Husbands took his tally to a season-leading 18 and 110 wins overall to grab sole possession of the lead in the jockeys’ championship for the first time this season.
It was the second time this season Husbands has won five races, following a similar domination of the August 31 card at the prestigious racing oval.
His stakes triumphs also ensured his place at the prominent Breeders Cup at Santa Anita in October.
In the Natalma in race six, Husbands kept Conquest Harlanate out of trouble as Green Doctor and Appeal to the Win along with Bourbon Rahfee battled for the lead.
Favourite Isabella Sings, with top American rider Corey Nakatani aboard, picked up the running in the stretch but Husbands ran them down with the bay filly, to snatch the win at the wire.
“We do a lot of work in the mornings teaching babies how to track horses and run them down,” said Husbands.
“She left there pretty sharp so I took her back. She relaxed. Then I realised Corey may be getting too far (ahead). I didn’t want to pull the trigger too early but I realised I was running out of real estate. So she fought, fought, fought and got the job done.”
There was a similar story in the Summer Stakes as Husbands raced Conquest Typhoon off the pace as 19-1 chance Samuel Dechamplain posted the early fractions, with Less Than Perfect and Imperial Dream tracking.
Once in the stretch, however, Husbands swept the bay colt past the leaders to cruise to the wire with the field in their wake.
Husbands also landed three other wins on the day’s card to complete a fabulous day in the saddle. He scored with 2-1 chance Mississippi Delta in race two over 6-1/2 furlongs for the two-year-old fillies before taking race five with 3-1 bet Runaway Pepper going seven furlongs for the three-year-old and upwards.
He won the day’s last race, making all the running with four-year-old chestnut gelding Check Em over six furlongs to beat the three-year-old and upward by three-quarter lengths. (CMC)
