Double pushes Maragh to fifth

ELMONT, New York (CMC): Rajiv Maragh won twice in contrasting fashion on the nine-race, midweek programme on Wednesday at Belmont Park.

The Jamaican jockey is now fifth in the jockeys' standings on 19 wins, with Ramon Dominguez leading with 28 wins, ahead of Javier Castellano on the same number of wins, Cornelio Velasquez on 27 and Jose Lezacano with 21.

Maragh snatched the US$57,000 third race over 1,700 metres with the five-year-old, dark bay gelding, Radical Sabbatical, by a neck.

He kept the gelding well positioned on the rail, moved through to take charge in the middle of the home stretch and went all out to get up for a time of one minute, 41.14 seconds.

Maragh returned in the eighth race over 1,300m, where the seven-year-old bay horse Starforaday lived up to his name to post a 3 1/2length victory.

The young reinsman relaxed his mount down the backstretch before moving out midway on the turn to gain momentum.

Swinging five wide at the quarter pole, in pursuit of the leaders, Maragh stepped on the gas to win in a time of one minute, 17.54 secs.