WINNIPEG – Trinidadian Stanley Chadee Jr won twice to lead a handful of Caribbean successes on the seven-race card at Assiniboia Downs in , Manitoba on Monday night.
The 31-year-old captured the day’s opener in the country’s western region with favourite Clairessence before following up in race six with another favourite Muskoka.
Chadee lies fourth in the early season standings with nine wins, four off leader Jorge Carreno, with the Jamaican pair of Neville Stephenson and Leroy Nelson tied in second on 10 wins.
Both were also successful on the day’s card. Veteran Stephenson, 53, tasted success in race two over seven furlongs with 4-1 chance Courageous, guiding the five-year-old bay gelding to a 2-½ length win over the three-year-olds and upward.
And Nelson, 41, also remained in touch with the leaders by pairing with favourite Real Grace in a gate-to-wire effort to dismiss the three-year-old and upwards by 3-½ lengths, also over seven furlongs.
Another Jamaican jockey Dwight Lewis, 49, in his first ever campaign at Assiniboia, got in on the act in a 5-½ furlong sprint in race seven when he won for Barbadian trainer Steve Gaskin, carrying 14-1 outsider Rocky Barbados to a three-quarter length, front-running victory over the three-year-olds and upwards.
However, Chadee took the plaudits, to continue his strong form after a solid season last year which saw him garner 48 wins to finish second in the standings.
His opening win was dominant, bringing the five-year-old brown mare Clairessence from a stalking position to trounce the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares by 5-¼ lengths.
Going seven furlongs, Chadee sat Clairessence off the early duel between Vallentay and Christmas Dance before bidding on the turn, putting away Vallentay in the stretch and storming to the wire.
Chadee’s second win came over six furlongs when he partnered with the five-year-old brown gelding Muskoka to thrash the three-year-old and upward maidens by 2-¼ lengths.
Five-to-one choice Exhi Kid led through the early fractions under pressure from Chadee who then challenged off the turn before carving out a clear lead in mid-stretch.
CMC