Martin shines with a triple to raise the curtain on Alberta racing

BROOKLYN, NY – Jamaican Andre Martin reeled off a triple at Century Mile to make headlines on the opening day of the new season in western Canada.

He won race five with 2-5 choice Last Endeavour, followed up in race six with 3-2 chance Cigarillo before claiming the penultimate race on the 10-race card with favorite Greek Geek.

Century Mile was scheduled to get last Sunday underway, but the card was canceled due to what was labeled as “last-minute COVID-19 protocol requirements.”

It meant last Friday’s card served as the curtain-raiser, and Martin made the most of his seven rides to make the headlines.

He opened his account aboard chestnut colt Last Endeavour, beating the three-year-old maidens by a length in a five-furlong sprint in a time of 59 seconds flat.

Favorite Major Shepard, ridden by Barbadian Desmond Bryan, posted the early fractions before fading in the late stretch under constant pressure from the Last Endeavour.

Martin’s second win also came in a five-furlong dash when he made all the running with bay filly Cigarillo to crush the three-year-old fillies by five lengths in a time of 58.69 seconds.

However, his third success was not as simple, but he still managed to carve out a half-length victory with four-year-old bay gelding Greek Geek in a five-furlong event, reaching the wire in 57.81.

Up against the three-year-olds and upward, Greek Geek stalked pacesetter Flat Out Leader from second before engaging in the lane and getting the better of the exchanges.

Century Mile and Hastings in Vancouver are the only horse racing venues currently active, with the remainder closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Assiniboia Downs, where several Barbadian and Trinidadian jockeys ply their trade, was scheduled to get underway last week. Still, authorities said “inter-provincial travel restrictions” due to COVID had prevented the planned start.

The Winnipeg oval will now raise its curtain on Monday.

Since the start of the pandemic, Canada has reported 1.3 million infections, with nearly 58 000 currently active.

There have been 25 000 deaths.