Husbands wins 14th stakes race

TORONTO, Canada:  Barbadian Patrick Husbands, Canada’s most outstanding jockey for the past four years, rode his 14th stakes win of the current Woodbine season when he captured the Carotene Stakes on Monday.

Husbands fought off other top jockeys Emile Ramsammy, of Trinidad and Tobago, and Steve Bahen, in a stirring three-horse finish to land the (CAN)$168,000 event aboard second favourite Classic Stamp, at odds of 7-2. Ramsammy, lying third in the jockeys’ standings, moved closer to the 100-mark when he won twice on the 10-race programme. Classic Stamp out-battled 10-1 chance Kabul (Ramsammy) and Miss Crissy (Bahen) to win the Carotene by a head, covering the 1-1/8th mile event on turf in one minute 47.17 seconds for Husbands’ second stakes win in three days. On Saturday, Husbands had captured the (CAN)$250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes aboard 13-1 outsider Master William. Kabul had taken a brief lead in mid-stretch before being joined by Classic Stamp on the outside and Miss Crissy on the rail.

In a drive to the wire, Classic Stamp took over 70 yards out and edged Kabul at the finish. Miss Crissy wound up third, just a neck further behind, while the 8-5 favourite Alpha Saphire was fourth, five lengths in arrears of the winner. Husbands now has 122 wins this season, and remains 12 victories behind leader Todd Kabel in the jockeys’ race, as Kabel won the Ontario Derby on Monday by 6-3/4 lengths aboard 4-5 favourite Mobil. “He’s got a lot of class and I just look forward to riding him next year,” said Kabel, celebrating his 26th stakes win of the season as he continues to edge closer to Avelino Gomez’ 1966 record of  32. Ramsammy secured his double with Big Cheque (2-1) in the second race and Duet (3-2) in the seventh to move to 94 wins this season. Jockeys standings: 1. T Kabel 134 wins; 2. P Husbands 122; 3. E Ramsammy     94; 4. James McAleney 90; 5. David Clark 76; 6. Jono Jones 65; 7. Connie Montpellier 60; 8. Steven Bahen 50; 9. Julia Brimo and Dino Luciani 44.