TORONTO – Barbadian jockey Patrick Husbands unfurled a smooth gate-to-wire ride aboard hot favourite Conquest Tsunami to win the CAN$154 500 (BDS$287 399) Victoria Stakes at Woodbine racetrack on Saturday.
Going five furlongs for the two-year-olds, Husbands broke the Mark Casse-trained bay colt sharply to set the pace, and he was never seriously challenged as he destroyed the field by 7-3/4 lengths to win in time of 57.91 seconds.
The connections of the winner had an anxious wait afterward before the result was declared official, after the rider of the second placed Honkeytonk Man, Chantal Sutherland-Kruse, lodged an objection for interference. Stewards eventually upheld the result.
“He (Conquest Tsunami) broke hard but Chantal’s horse left a step slow, so it probably looked a little worse than it was,” Husbands said.
“He did it pretty easy. It’s amazing to sit on horses like this that make you look good.”
Going off at odds of 2-5, Conquest Tsunami sprinted through the first quarter in 22.50 seconds, with Creaky Cricket and Less Than Perfect in pursuit.
Husbands widened his advantage on the turn and once in the stretch, looked the distinct winner. The six-time Woodbine jockey took a few glances over his shoulder with a furlong to run just to confirm his advantage, before bringing the colt home under a confident hands ride.
The victory was Husbands’ sixth added-money success this season and third in two weekends at Woodbine. (CMC)
