VANCOUVER, British Columbia, CMC – Former Trinidad & Tobago champion apprentice Kerron Khelawan moved into the top five of the jockeys’ standings at Hastings Racecourse in Canada with a double on the seven-race card on Friday.
The 27-year-old now has 13 wins from 82 mounts since the season opened on April 30, and he is fifth in the standings, which Amadeo Perez heads with 59 wins from 163 rides.
Three compatriots of Khelawan are just outside the top five – Kimal Santo, another former T&T champion apprentice, and Brian Boodramsingh, an eight-time T&T champion jockey, are tied for sixth on 12 wins. At the same time, Ridge Balgobin has nine wins and is eighth.
Khelawan steered 6-5 favorite Majestic Street to a narrow win in the CAN $12 500, claiming the second race over six furlongs on the dirt course.
Majestic Street got away from the gate alertly and tracked the pace-setter Monte, under Perez, into the backstretch before Khelawan got the five-year-old bay horse to collar the leader entering the final turn and had him all out to fend off a late surge from a rival to win by a neck in a time of one minute, 11.75 secs.
Khelawan followed up with a 1-1/2 lengths win on the 4-1 chance Appellant in the CAN $12 000, claiming the third race over 1 700 meters on the dirt.
He put Appellant into a stalking position while saving ground through the stretch for the first time and bided his time going down the backstretch before he roused the eight-year-old, dark bay gelding entering the final turn and closed smartly to prove best in 1 min, 45.85 secs.
and then 