Husbands double at Woodbine
Barbadian Patrick Husbands continued to make his presence felt in the dying stages of the Woodbine season, as he picked off two wins on Sunday’s 10-race programme at the prestigious racetrack.
The 44-year-old, a seven-time Woodbine champion, captured race three over a mile and sixteenth with 5-1 chance Giada Vegas before returning to win race nine with favourite Leavern in Malibu, going a mile and eighth.
Husbands has had yet another productive season at Canada’s premier racing oval, and currently lies fourth on 118 wins and just over CND$5 million in winnings.
FORMER CHAMPION
Brazilian Eurico Rosa da Silva is the runaway leader with 190 wins, well clear of three-time former champion Luis Contreras of Mexico on 158. Rafael Hernandez sits in third on 145 wins. Husbands kicked off his success when he steered four-year-old filly Giada Vegas to victory by a length over the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares.
Impossible Take and Sparkles’ Girl duelled to the quarter before the latter took up the running to produce splits of 51.28 seconds and one minute, 14.74 seconds.
Husbands stalked the pace with Giada Vegas, bid in the stretch and was up late to nick it from Sparkles’ Girl.
Husbands won for the second time when he brought four-year-old bay colt Leavern in Malibu off the pace to trounce the three-yearolds and upward by 41/2 lengths.
They overcame a dodgy start to race in midpack as Hollywood Critic and US Marshall disputed the pace through the quarter in 50.09 seconds.
Husbands closed the bay colt well on the backstretch and ran down the leaders in the stretch, pulling away once they hit the front.
The Woodbine season wraps up on December 10.