Jamaicans win at Calder
MIAMI, Florida (CMC) — Young riding sensation Rajiv Maragh was among three Jamaican winners in Calder horse racing on Sunday afternoon.
Currently on a break from the New York circuit where he has scored over 200 wins so far this year, Maragh piloted the second favourite Lifeinthetropics to victory in the sixth race for Jamaican trainer Jose Pinchin.
The third Jamaican winner on the eight-race card was jockey Ramon Parish, who landed the third race astride the three-year-old gelding Squad Bay.
Maragh delivered a superbly timed come-from-behind ride to win the US$10,000 sixth race over a mile with the 5-2 bet Lifeinthetropics.
He kept Pinchin’s three-year-old colt off the early pace and launched his winning run on the outside entering the final turn.
Lifeinthetropics collared the favourite Ameriheart (2-1) and Pender’s Tune (12-1) in deep stretch en route to a 1 1/4-length victory in one minute, 42.77 seconds.
The win gave Pinchin his ninth success of the Tropical Calder meet. He is currently ninth in the trainers’ standings being led by Kathleen O’Connell (16), followed by Steve Dwoskin (14) and Martin Wolfson (14).
Parish easily won the third race over six furlongs with the 3-5 favourite Squad Bay.
In front from the start of the US$10,000 sprint event, Squad Bay extended his advantage over the last two furlongs and surged to an 8 3/4-length victory under Parish’s vigorous hand-ride in a time of 1:13.84.