Ganpath scores biggest career win at Belmont

BELMONT, New York: Trinidadian jockey Raymond Ganpath scored the biggest win of his career last Saturday as pilot of Frizette Stakes winner Society Selection at the famous Belmont race track. Ganpath, a regular exercise rider for top trainer Allen Jerkens, steered 8-1 chance Society Selection to a thrilling come-from-behind win by 1-1/4 lengths in the US$500,000 event over a mile and 16th. “I’m happy for Ganpath,” said Jerkens, who is known for using little-known riders. “I know who the great riders are, but they can’t get on them in the mornings and get a good association with them,” he added.

With a furlong remaining, it appeared that the nation’s leading money-winning rider Jerry Bailey, was poised for a win aboard Victory USA, but Society Selection, who came from the back of the pack, accelerated impressively under Ganpath in deep stretch to win, covering the distance in one minute 43.95 seconds. The 30-year-old Ganpath, whose biggest win in Trinidad and Tobago came in the 1999 Stewards Cup aboard Still Alert, has worked for Jerkens for three years. The Frizette was his first stakes victory in the United States. “She broke sharp, but (Jerkens) said to take her back because there was a lot of speed in the race,” Ganpath said. The 5-2 chance Victory USA held on for second, with Ashado (3-1) third and 2-1 favourite Daydreaming fourth.