TT’s Ramsammy rides in California

TORONTO: Trinidad and Tobago’s two-time Sovereign Award-winning jockey Emile Ramsammy is expected to head to California and ride during the upcoming Santa Anita meet. Canada-based Ramsammy, who celebrated his 41st birthday last Thursday, rode in California for three years from 1998 to 2000 before returning to Canada, where he was leading rider at Woodbine in 1996 and 1997. “I’m looking forward to going back to sunny California. It’s about zero degrees (in Toronto) today,” Ramsammy told reporters.

Ramsammy most recently finished third in the 2003 Woodbine jockey standings behind Todd Kabel and Patrick Husbands with 123 victories and after being sidelined for more than a month following two spills. “I had a good year, but lost some business because of (the spills),” Ramsammy said. “Now’s a good time to go back to California. It seems pretty open there with all the recent retirements of (Chris) McCarron, (Eddie) Delahoussaye and (Laffit) Pincay. “If things go well enough, I’ll make it permanent. I had a good time when I was there three years ago and was a leading rider at Hollywood right before I left, so anything is possible,” said Ramsammy, who is slated to ride in Barbados on January 3 on a card honouring Patrick Husbands, the country’s most successful rider.