Championship leader Rico Walcott captured two of the seven added-money events while fellow Barbadian Rey Williams and Jamaican Shamaree Muir also tasted stakes success on the cash-rich, 12-race Fall Classic card at Century Mile on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Walcott won the CAN$40 000 Alberta Oaks in race five with favourite Pearl of Knowledge before returning to score in the $40 000 Beaufort Stakes in race 10 with another favourite Maskwecis.
Williams, meanwhile, paired with 17-2 chance Piper Rose to steal the feature $40 000 Alberta Fall Classic in race 12 while Muir guided 3-1 bet Light Fast Feet to victory in the $40 000 Sturgeon River Stakes in race eight.
The seven stakes races, worth a combined $280 000, took the spotlight on a huge day at the western Canada racetrack and veteran Walcott ensured he made his mark.
After missing out with favourite Zippity Zap in the $40 000 Alberta Breeders Stakes in race three, Walcott kicked off his success in the Oaks, making all the running with Pearl of Knowledge to beat the three-year-old Alberta-bred fillies by 3-¼ lengths over a mile and sixteenth.
Following a level break, Walcott sent Pearl of Knowledge to the front along the rails, carving out fractions of 23.12 seconds for the quarter-mile and 47.31 for the half, as he contested the pace with longshot Inquisitive Cat ridden by Williams.
However, the brown filly had opened up a handy lead at the quarter pole and once the race turned for home, Walcott had no challengers in the stretch run.
Walcott suffered disappointment in the Sturgeon when he finished second with favourite Bound to be Smart but rebounded in the Beaufort, getting Maskwecis up late to win by three-quarters of a length.
Up against the three-year-old Alberta-breds in another mile and sixteenth trip, Walcott raced the gelding off the pace set by the duelling Triple Power and Bare Back Jack, with Dune d’Oro stalking.
Once in the stretch, Walcott rallied Maskwecis and he responded to reel in the leaders late.
Williams provided the upset on the day’s card when he carried six-year-old mare, Piper Rose, to a narrow win over the three-year-old and upward Albera-bred fillies and mares in the Fall Classic over a mile and sixteenth.
Favourite A Ring ’n a Ring contested the pace with Crafty Engagement, with Go Mama and Little Rosalyn stalking and Piper Rose at the back of the eight-horse field.
Saveitforarainyday challenged at the quarter pole and led into the stretch but Williams brought Piper Rose with a flying run on the outside to win by three-quarters of a length.
Muir’s success, meanwhile, came in a six-furlong sprint for the two-year-old Alberta-bred fillies when he combined with bay filly Light Fast Feet to produce a 2-¼ length score in the Sturgeon.
While Barbadian Antonio Whitehall was shut out of stakes success, he still managed two wins on the day’s card, scoring in race one with 9-4 bet Tomahawk Explore in a six-furlong sprint and in race two with 11-4 chance Lucky Last Night in a 6-½ furlong trip.
CMC
