?SASKATOON – Juan Crawford featured prominently when he won the CAN$25 000 Saskatchewan Derby to lead a string of Caribbean victories on last weekend’s nine-race card at Marquis Downs.
Crawford drove the 7-5 shot Cherokee’s Goal to a commanding six-length victory in the Derby to land his second stakes victory for the year in Canada. This was one of two wins on the card for the Barbadian jockey.
Jamaican Neville Stephenson landed his sixth stakes victory for the season in the CAN$7 500 second feature Graceful Klinchit Handicap. He was the most successful rider on the card with three victories.
Trinidad and Tobago jockey Naim Samaroo also won a race, and continues to lead the standings.
Second victory
In the feature, Cherokee’s Goal, a three-year-old bay colt, finished the 1 700 metres on the dirt track in a nippy one minute, 45.45 seconds for her second stakes score for the year under Crawford.
Cherokee’s Goal was away alertly, stalked the pace of Dubla Gold, and vied for the lead before taking charge and drawing off in the stretch to beat the other four horses easily.
The Derby was the eighth race on the card, and Crawford used the momentum to also win one-and-a-half lengths clear in the CAN$3 200 last race over 1 200 metres with the 7-5 favourite, Stella The Grey.
The three-year-old grey filly finished in 1 min, 16.39 secs, after taking the lead in the middle of the straight. (CMC)
