ETOBICOKE, Ontario, CMC—Ace Barbadian reinsman Patrick Husbands won his first stakes race of the new season on Sunday at the Woodbine racetrack in Canada.
The 50-year-old, who will be formally inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in August, powered the even-money choice Midnight Mascot to the front late to win the CAN $125 000 Woodstock Stakes for three-year-olds by three-quarters-of-a-lengths.
“Going back to his last race [Clarendon Stakes] when I rode him last year, to this race, he was much the best last time, and [in this race] he was much the best,” Husbands said.
It was the second win, with a pair of seconds and a third, from six starts for the Ontario-bred colt, a son of Army Mule out of Midnight Embrace by Midnight Lute.
After a third and second to launch his career last season, Midnight Mascot broke his maiden last October. He was fifth in the Grey Stakes (G3) before closing his rookie season with a second in the Clarendon on December 2.
“Unfortunately, the Last time that I rode him, he should have won, but his owners did get a chance to run him back,” the Husbands added. “Through this whole race, they tried to run at the best horse, and I knew where he was sitting that it would be a matter of time of how far he would win [by].”
Adios Now, under Sahin Civaci, broke from the rail and was the quickest of all, setting the early tone in the one 200-metre sprint on the all-weather track.
Tunechi, ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson, sat just off the leader to the outside, and Husbands settled Midnight Mascot into third through an opening gallop of 23.37 seconds.
Adios Now was still in control after a half reached in 46.66 seconds, and Tunechi began to dial up the pressure to the outside as Midnight Mascot was asked to aim the front-runner.
A little more than a length back of Adios Now at the stretch call, Midnight Mascot was guided to the outside and began to reel in his stubborn foe, recording a time of one minute, 10.71 seconds.
Under Rafael Hernandez, Naptown was third, followed by Break the Spell, ridden by Skye Chemetz, Tunechi, and Countryboysurvive, under Eswan Flores.
On the same 10-race card, Trinidadian jockey Steve Jadoo grabbed an upset win by three-quarters-of-a-length aboard the 9-1 outsider Commander At Sea in the CAN $32 500 maiden, claiming second race over five furlongs on the all-weather track.
Jadoo put Commander At Sea to track the front trio four deep on the outside down the backstretch and made a bold move cruising around the embattled leader mid-point on the turn to assume command.
He got the four-year-old bay gelding to open up along the rail at the top of the lane and kept his mount to task, holding safe at the finish for a time of 59.28 secs.
and then 