EDMONTON – Rico Walcott helped Salt Flat Speed defy a pair of old shoes to show his class and win the CAN$50 000 feature Sun Sprint Championship Handicap on Saturday’s eight-race card at Northlands Park.
The young Barbadian jockey steered the 7-5 favourite to a 2 ¾-length victory over Against The Tide, under Jamaican jockey Tony Maragh, in the seventh race on the card.
Salt Flat Speed, a six-year-old, dark bay gelding, clocked one minute, 18 2/5 seconds in the 1 300-metre sprint on the dirt.
It was the fifth stakes victory for Walcott this season at Northlands, including a victory in the CAN$50 000 Journal Handicap also aboard Salt Flat Speed on June 11.
The result also kept Walcott on top of the jockeys’ standings with 79 wins – four clear of nearest rival Fernando Perez – with the season set to finish on October 10.
For Salt Flat Speed, it was his 14th win in his 35-race career and brought his total earnings to CAN $280 200.
Wearing shoes that caused some abcess problems on his hooves last year did not stop Salt Flat Speed from breaking alertly from his outside post.
Walcott moved the bay gelding to the rail early, and set him down in a stalking position behind the front-runners.
He was still full of running when Walcott attacked three wide at the quarter pole, and they sped past the leaders around the stretch turn.
Walcott had Salt Flat Speed in complete control of the race at the top of the stretch, opening a lead, and holding well to the wire.
Earlier, Maragh had a commanding 10 ¼-length victory on the 9-5 favourite Within Range in the CAN $11 400 opening race, and Kyle Carter, another Barbadian, logged a three-length win on the 6-1 chance Dakobra in the CAN$18 000 fourth race.
Maragh has 20 wins for the season and Carter 19. They are 13th and 14th respectively. (CMC)