ETOBICOKE, Ontario, CMC – Barbadian jockey Keveh Nicholls had his best day in the saddle for the season on Sunday at the Woodbine racetrack in Canada.
With a remarkable display of skill, Nicholls clinched a pair of victories on the 10-race card at the prestigious Woodbine racetrack in Canada. This feat places him among the top five riders with three wins for the season, which commenced on April 27 and concluded on December 15. Currently, he stands at the 17th position in the standings, led by the talented female rider, Sofia Vives, on 17.
The Barbadian reinsman got into the frame aboard the 5-1 chance Empty Gesture that won by a neck in the CAN $32 500 maidens claiming the first race for maidens, fillies, and mares three years old and upward contested over 1 100 meters on the all-weather track.
Showing his strategic prowess, Nicholls positioned Empty Gesture to press the pace on the outside from the start. With a keen eye for the finish line, he surged ahead 500 meters from the end, engaging in a thrilling battle with the persistent Tatoosonmysoul, ridden by Jeffrey Alderson.
In a nail-biting finish, the three-year-old, dark bay filly, Empty Gesture, began to edge away from Tatoosonmysoul 100 meters from the finish, despite a wall of closing rivals, including the second-placed Daddy’s Daisy under the ace Barbadian reinsman, Patrick Husbands, Nicholls’ mount held on by a neck to finish in one minute, 05.11 seconds – a mere 2.49 off the track record.
Nicholls returned later in the program to grab a win by 2-1/2 lengths astride the 3-1 chance Wicked Django in the CAN $110 700 allowance optional claiming seventh race for three-year-olds and upward that have never won two races or three-years-old claiming price contested over 1 700 meters on the all-weather track.
Wicked Django was ridden unhurriedly by Nicholls to settle near the back on the outside in the first turn and was rated kindly loping along three deep outside horses down the backside of the track.
Nicholls got the four-year-old bay colt to start going around others three wide, pounced on the pace-setter War Strategy, under Sahin Civaci, in the upper stretch, and went by for the score in the final furlong to clock 1 min, 43.50 secs – 2.77 off the track record.
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