Ramsammy rides 50th winner

Mister Coop, trained by Dan Vella, returned to winning form by capturing the CAN$125,400 event by one and three-quarter lengths.

After a four-race absence from the winner’s circle, Mister Coop, who began 2005 with two consecutive victories, notched his seventh career score from 33 starts.

With Ramsammy in the irons for the first time, the Ontario-bred gelding, usually ridden from off the pace, took command after an opening quarter-mile in 23.32 seconds, then resisted a strong inside challenge from 9-2 chance Arch Hall under Barbadian jockey Patrick Husbands, to register a narrow win in a fast one minute 21.30 seconds for seven furlongs.

"Emile rode a great race. It set up perfectly," trainer Vella said.

The 6-5 favourite Barbeau Ruckus, with reigning champion jockey Todd Kabel riding, was third a further 2-1/4 lengths behind and Barbadian Jono Jones was aboard the fourth place finisher Kent Ridge (9-1).

It was the 50th win of the current Woodbine season for Ramsammy, who is lying seventh in the jockeys’ standings behind Emma-Jayne Wilson (106), Corey Fraser (101), Husbands (80), James McAleney (74), reigning champion Todd Kabel (62) and David Clark (60). There was another Caribbean win on the programme when Barbadian jockey Slade Callaghan rode the second race winner Archeress, the 4-1 second favourite.

The three-year-old filly led the US$60,000 six-furlong sprint and won by two lengths under Callaghan, with Jones second astride Bold as Ice (11-2).

Top-10 Woodbine jockeys: 1 Emma-Jayne Wilson 106 wins; 2 Corey Fraser 101; 3 Patrick Husbands 80; 4 James McAleney 74; 5 Todd Kabel 62; 6 David Clark 60; 7 Emile Ramsammy 50; 8 Constant Montpellier 42; 9 Jono Jones 41; 10 Robert Landry 36.