Jamaican jockeys win again at Calder
MIAMI, Florida (CMC) — Jamaican jockeys Rajiv Maragh and Ramon Parish were in winners’ row again Monday at Calder racetrack, sharing two wins on the eight-race card.
After both riders secured wins on Sunday, Maragh and Parish captured races one and six respectively on Monday afternoon to sustain their form.
Maragh scored in the US$10,600 first race for two-year-old fillies over seven furlongs, defeating another Jamaican rider Wesley Henry.
Astride the unfancied 9-to-1 bet Manakco Star, Maragh pressed the early pace and grabbed a narrow lead coming off the final turn.
When the field straightened for the homestretch, Manakco Star was bumped into by the front-running She’s a Mambo but she recovered well and fought off Henry’s mount June’s Night Out (3-1) to win by three quarters of a length in one minute, 27.45 seconds.
Parish secured his win on Monday in the US$10,000 sixth race over a mile and 70 yards aboard the favourite Strong N Silent.
A 2-1 top choice in the nine-horse field, Strong N Silent took control leaving the far turn and moved clear over the last two furlongs to win by six lengths in 1:46.30.
On Sunday, Maragh had guided the second favourite Lifeinthetropics (5-2) to victory by 1-1/4 lengths in the sixth race for Jamaican trainer Jose Pinchin and Parish took the third race by 8-3/4 lengths astride the 3-5 favourite Squad Bay.
Jamaican Shaun Bridgmohan and Oswald Pereira, of Trinidad and Tobago, also registered wins on Monday afternoon at other tracks in the USA.
Bridgmohan took the US$21,000 second race at Fair Grounds in New Orleans for the continent’s No 1 trainer Steve Asmussen with the second favourite Jumpin for Jason over 7-1/2 furlongs on turf.
Jumpin for Jason (3-1) came from behind and won by three quarters of a length in 1:36.55.
Pereira won the US$11,800 first race at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia, astride the hot 3-2 favourite Vy Vy Vy.
Under Pereira’s confident ride, Vy Vy Vy came from behind to tackle the leaders approaching the final turn and won by 2-1/2 lengths, covering the 5-1/2-furlong trip in 1:09.71.