WINNIPEG, Manitoba, CMC: Two-time Assiniboia Downs champion Antonio Whitehall was a firm favorite for a third title at the central Canada racetrack when he reeled off four impressive wins on the six-race card here Wednesday.
The 29-year-old captured race one with favorite Kim’s Texas Bling, two with a 3-1 chance Drop a Caribou, and three with another favorite, Annakhozana, before clinching race six with a 4-1 bet Exchequer.
Whitehall stormed to 49 wins with the haul, now 15 clear of closest challenger, fellow Barbadian Damario Bynoe, with only two weeks left in the four-month-long season.
Jamaican Chavion Chow and Jorge Carreno are locked on 29 wins, while Trinidadians Ronald Ali (24) and Prayven Badrie (23) are in the top six.
Whitehall, champion here in 2018 and 2020, opened his account over six furlongs when he combined with the four-year-old filly Kim’s Texas Bling to edge the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares by a head.
Six-to-one chance: Our Petunia made the running early on before Whitehall rallied Kim’s Texas Bling in the stretch to get her up late.
His second win came in another six-furlong trip when he guided four-year-old gelding Drop a Caribou to another narrow victory, this time over the three-year-olds and upward.
They outsprinted Lucky Luke to gain a short lead and then had to defend it in the lane against favorite Itsthattime, ridden by Chow, before prevailing by a head.
Going a mile in race three for the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares, Whitehall produced a clinical ride to clear Annakhonana to the wire 1-¾ lengths.
Witt Nine and Streamer dueled through the half in 48.91 seconds before Whitehall brought his three-year-old filly from a stalking position to grab the lead passing the sixteenth pole.
He capped the day with another dominant ride, combining with seven-year-old gelding Exchequer to trounce the three-year-olds and upward by 1-¾ lengths, going 7-½ furlongs.
and then 