EDMONTON – Rico Walcott captured the CAN $50 000 feature Ky Alta Handicap aboard the 2-5 favourite No Hesitation, as Barbadian jockeys won five of the eight races on Saturday’s programme at Northlands Park.The Ky Alta Handicap victory was one of two for Walcott, his compatriot Quincy Welch also collected a double, and their little-known fellow Barbadian Kyle Carter also picked up a win.For Walcott and No Hesitation, it was a fairy-tale end. The young Barbadian reinsman has not ridden in two weeks, following a spill, which put him in the hospital, while the animal had barely avoided an accident last Friday morning, when exercising.Walcott raced No Hesitation three-wide early in the 1 600-metre trip and waited patiently while pace-setting Tiny Giant, under Shannon Beauregard, and Streakin’ Mohican, under Tony Maragh, duked it out.He then set No Hesitation three-wide in the third turn, and on a quick surge led after the quarter pole.
No contestFrom there, the race was a no-contest, and the three-year-old, grey colt drew off to finish in one minute, 38 1/5 seconds – and eight lengths clear.“The plan was to sit in behind the speed,” said Walcott. “At the three-eighths pole, I was just supposed to let him do his own thing.“He just towed me to the front, and I really didn’t have do anything much.”Walcott also had success in the CAN$24 000 sixth race with the three-year-old, dark bay gelding Professor Pollard over the same distance.They raced wide early, gaining ground steadily, as Reggie Dunlop, under compatriot Kyle Carter, led them into the straight, after doing much of the early running.But Walcott roused Professor Pollard, and he closed steadily to finish in 1 min, 38 4/5 secs for the two-length win.
First to winCarter was the first of the three Barbadians to win as he piloted the three-year-old, dark bay gelding I’ve Got The Code to victory by a neck in the CAN$6 800 third race over 1 200m.Carter and I’ve Got The Code led the sprint from gate to post, where after setting the early pace, he duelled with Hard To Be Humble, under Walcott, holding on to get to the line in 1 min, 15 secs.In between, Welch, a six-time champion, made his presence felt to regain the lead in the jockeys’ standings.In the CAN$10 300 fifth race, a 1 200m sprint, he guided the three-year-old, bay gelding Yankee Colonel to a 1 1/4-length victory over Cielo E Mar, under Walcott, in a time of 1 min, 13 secs.Welch’s other win came in the CAN$6 800 eighth race, with the six-year-old, bay gelding Greenwood Meadow, which won by a length over 1 300m in 1 min, 19 3/5 secs.Welch leads the standings with 39 wins from Anthony Salgado on 37, and Walcott on 25 in third. (CMC)