Post by Peter Gross on Aug 18, 2009 4:31:55 GMT -5
Like a fine whine
I was very pleased to see that Robert Landry won four races at Woodbine on Sunday, August 17. Landry scored in the first with Counter Move ($6.50) for trainer Dan Vella and won the third race aboard Lookinoutforangels, trained by Suzanne Drake. Landry was back in winners circle posing on Firetheexecutive ($14.10) after the 6th race. This three year-old gelding is trained by Steve Attard. And in the tenth and final race, it was Landry completing the impressive four-bagger, winning by a long nose with Awesome Action ($17.30). Making this all the more impressive is that Landry did all this winning from only five mounts on the day.
So this kicks off a thought about how so many jockeys of a certain age are performing brilliantly at Woodbine this summer. Landry, perhaps the most pleasant, self-effacing rider at the track is 46 years old and in his 29th season of racing. Earlier this year he scored his 2000th career win. In 2003, he was awarded the Avelino Gomez award for his contribution to the game. And he’s hardly the only senior citizen compiling impressive stats at the track.
On Saturday, August 15, Jim McAleney celebrated his 40th birthday by winning three times. Jimmy Mac surprised in the second with Tin Pan Alley Cat ($21.10) for trainer Ashlee Brnjas. Then he took the seventh with Korvette Kid ($11.30) which is trained by Dan Vella. McAleny completed his birthday triactor in the ninth with Brilliant Moon ($7.50) for trainer Stuart Simon. Even though, according to the math, McAleney is now embarking on his fifth decade, he is still a prominent force in the jockey standings which show him third with 67 wins from 335 rides. The leader Patrick Husbands has 97 victories and he’s no teenager. Husbands is 36 and runner-up jockey Chantal Sutherland is 33. Emile Ramsammy is quietly having another terrific season – Ramsammy had 65 wins by August 18; not bad for a 37 year-old. Eurico Rosa da Silva is fifth in the standings with 61 wins and even though he exudes the personality of a teenage boy who has just scored a date with the head cheerleader, the ebullient da Silva is 33. Richard Dos Ramos continues to keep the win rate close to 15%, in spite of his birth certificate which claims he’s 47. Steve Bahen is 43 and most of his 15 wins this year have come on high-paying horses (in the fifth race on August 15, he denied birthday boy McAleney a fourth winner, by beating him on 6-1 shot Captive Spirit). Even David Clark can still summon it up. Riding only two or three horses a day, the 55 year-old Clark has still captured 13 races this season.
The only kid making any noise this year is Tyler Pizarro. Sixth in the standings with 57 wins, Pizarro is only 22 years old. Which means, he’s got a good 20 years to get better at this game.
I was very pleased to see that Robert Landry won four races at Woodbine on Sunday, August 17. Landry scored in the first with Counter Move ($6.50) for trainer Dan Vella and won the third race aboard Lookinoutforangels, trained by Suzanne Drake. Landry was back in winners circle posing on Firetheexecutive ($14.10) after the 6th race. This three year-old gelding is trained by Steve Attard. And in the tenth and final race, it was Landry completing the impressive four-bagger, winning by a long nose with Awesome Action ($17.30). Making this all the more impressive is that Landry did all this winning from only five mounts on the day.
So this kicks off a thought about how so many jockeys of a certain age are performing brilliantly at Woodbine this summer. Landry, perhaps the most pleasant, self-effacing rider at the track is 46 years old and in his 29th season of racing. Earlier this year he scored his 2000th career win. In 2003, he was awarded the Avelino Gomez award for his contribution to the game. And he’s hardly the only senior citizen compiling impressive stats at the track.
On Saturday, August 15, Jim McAleney celebrated his 40th birthday by winning three times. Jimmy Mac surprised in the second with Tin Pan Alley Cat ($21.10) for trainer Ashlee Brnjas. Then he took the seventh with Korvette Kid ($11.30) which is trained by Dan Vella. McAleny completed his birthday triactor in the ninth with Brilliant Moon ($7.50) for trainer Stuart Simon. Even though, according to the math, McAleney is now embarking on his fifth decade, he is still a prominent force in the jockey standings which show him third with 67 wins from 335 rides. The leader Patrick Husbands has 97 victories and he’s no teenager. Husbands is 36 and runner-up jockey Chantal Sutherland is 33. Emile Ramsammy is quietly having another terrific season – Ramsammy had 65 wins by August 18; not bad for a 37 year-old. Eurico Rosa da Silva is fifth in the standings with 61 wins and even though he exudes the personality of a teenage boy who has just scored a date with the head cheerleader, the ebullient da Silva is 33. Richard Dos Ramos continues to keep the win rate close to 15%, in spite of his birth certificate which claims he’s 47. Steve Bahen is 43 and most of his 15 wins this year have come on high-paying horses (in the fifth race on August 15, he denied birthday boy McAleney a fourth winner, by beating him on 6-1 shot Captive Spirit). Even David Clark can still summon it up. Riding only two or three horses a day, the 55 year-old Clark has still captured 13 races this season.
The only kid making any noise this year is Tyler Pizarro. Sixth in the standings with 57 wins, Pizarro is only 22 years old. Which means, he’s got a good 20 years to get better at this game.