Nelson wins Alberta Derby Stakes at Century Mile
EDMONTON, Alberta, (CMC) — Jamaican jockey Dane Nelson won the feature CAN$50,000 Alberta Sire Stakes Derby Stakes with 8-1 choice Big Bad Intaglio but was forced to share honours on Saturday’s 10-race card at Century Mile with Barbadian Desmond Bryan who rode a double.
Going 6-½ furlongs in race seven, the 38-year-old Nelson produced a clinical ride aboard the brown colt to beat the three-year-olds by three-quarters of a length in a time of 1:18.07.
Two-to-one choice Lil Zapper led for most of the trip but faded to finish second while favourite Mudinator was a length back in third.
Nelson entered the feature after finishing out of the top three in the preceding three races but mustered a superb effort to get Big Bad Intaglio over the line first.
Lil Zapper carved out the early splits, posting 22.26 seconds for the quarter and 45.27 for the half-mile, with
Rough Customer, Kiss Me Hello and Mudinator chasing, and Big Bad Intaglio near the rear of the seven-horse field.
Mudinator challenged the leader at the three-sixteenth but Nelson roused Big Bad Intaglio at the top of the stretch to outrun his challengers.
Meanwhile, the 51-year-old Bryan found success in the day’s opener when he scored with 10-1 chance Timbers Moon
in a 350-yard dash, before returning to win race eight over six furlongs with another 10-1 bet Rumohr Reigns.
In the latter, Bryan stalked with the five-year-old gelding before engaging pacesetter
Smart Play and pulling clear, and then holding off favourite Boss Man Can and 2-1 bet
Father O’flaherty.