CALGARY, Alberta, CMC – Celebrated Jamaican jockey Dane Nelson continued his fine form when he extended his lead in the jockeys’ standings with a triple on Sunday’s 11-race card at the Century Downs race track in Canada.
The 39-year-old, affectionately known as “The Warrior Chief” in racing circles in his homeland, was crowned champion last month at Century Mile – a partner track to Century Downs – in the Alberta capital of Edmonton.
He now leads the Downs standings with 17 wins for the season that opened on September 9 and closes on October 29, and he is seven clear of his nearest rival, Barbadian N’Rico Prescod, who also grabbed a pair of wins on the 11-race card.
Other Caribbean winners on the race card were: Trinidad & Tobago apprentice jockey Andrew Poon and emerging Barbadian reinsman Da-Sean Gaskin.
Nelson opened the day’s racing with a 2-1/4 lengths win aboard the odds-on favorite Fast Eh in the CAN $ 10,000, claiming their first race over 700 meters on the dirt track.
He had little work to do in such a short trip, and Fast Eh saved ground while setting the pace before drawing clear during the drive to clock 39 seconds flats – the five-year-old chestnut gelding finishing 0.25 off the track record.
Nelson then booted a 4-1 bet Anna’s Image to a 2-3/4 lengths win in the CAN $9 000, claiming the fourth race over six furlongs on the dirt.
This time, Nelson had a bit of work to do early in the race when Anna’s Image dueled with Darla’s Fury under Jose Asencio during the first quarter before the three-year-old, dark bay filly shook her rival off, leaving the eighth pole and gradually drew clear to finish in one minute, 12.96 seconds.
Nelson also landed a 2-1/2 lengths win astride the 4-5 favorite Decoy in the CAN $20 000 allowance optional, claiming the penultimate race over 1 300 meters on the dirt.
Again, Nelson was made to work when Decoy dueled with Stone Carver, under Francisco Guerrero, for the lead before drawing clear late to post a time of 1:15.94 – the four-year-old bay gelding finishing 0.68 off the track record.
In between, Prescod logged a 3-3/4 lengths win on the 7-5 favorite Whiskarita in the CAN $ 10,000, claiming the third race over 1 500 meters on the dirt.
Prescod had Whiskarita save ground while setting the pace, and the seven-year-old bay mare proved there was life left in the old gal, yet when she gradually increased her advantage. No official time was posted for the race.
Prescod grabbed a three-length win on the 9-5 favorite Wild Arch in the CAN $ 12,500, claiming the seventh race over 1 300 meters on the dirt.
He held Wild Arch off the pace early and swung the six-year-old bay mare out four-wide nearing the quarter pole before taking command, entering the stretch and quickly drawing clear for a time of 1:16.98, only 1.72 off the track record.
Poon scored a victory by a neck when 3-1 chance Browning Island prevailed in a stiff drive over Smash Factor, under 2023 Assiniboia Downs champion Antonio Whitehall of Barbados, in the CAN $10 000 claiming fifth race over six furlongs on the dirt.
And, Gaskin nailed a two-length win on the 18-1 long-shot Carrera Caballo that held the lead throughout the CAN $9 000, claiming the ninth race over 1 300 meters on the dirt.
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