Stephenson leads the way

SASKATOON,  Saskatchewan (CMC):

Neville Stephenson posted his third stakes win for the season, as Caribbean jockeys won all but one of the nine races on Saturday's card at Marquis Downs.

The Jamaican jockey steered the 6-5 favourite Striking Time to a 7¹/²-length victory in the CAD $10,000 Harlequin Stakes.

Striking Time sprinted 1,200 metres on dirt in one minute, 16.52 seconds in the opening race to give Stephenson the first of four victories on the programme.

Leading jockey Naim Samaroo of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) also featured on the programme, landing a double.

Lorne Keizer, another jockey from T&T, and another Jamaican reinsman Garfield Gordon were also successful.

Taking control

Striking Time was away alertly in the featured event, and duelled with Mystical Storm, under Samaroo, before taking control of the race at the halfway mark, and drawing clear in the upper stretch to win easily.

Stephenson then returned to win the CAD $3,200 fifth race going 1,200m aboard the 3-1 chance Lornes Lassie by a neck.

Lornes Lassie, a seven-year-old, chestnut mare, rolled back the years when she emerged from an unhurried start to steadily advance, and get up in the final stride for a time of 1 min, 15.96 secs.

Stephenson added the CAD $3,200 seventh race over 1,200m astride the 3-1 chance Whipper Wind, also by a neck.

Steadily advancing

Whipper Wind, a four-year-old, chestnut filly, was also unhurried early before steadily advancing to get up late to clock 1:16.88.

Stephenson completed a memorable day with a 1¹/²-length victory on the 2-1 chance Sam's Delight in the CAD $3,900 eighth race, going 1,600m.

Sam's Delight, a six-year-old, chestnut gelding, showed he still had some fight, when he got away smartly, and drew clear in the upper stretch to post a time of 1:43.26.

Samaroo rose to the occasion, with a ¹/²-length victory on the 2-1 bet Sally Tart in the CAD $3,600 fourth race over 1,400m.

The T&T jockey also got into the frame with a five-length victory on the 3-1 shot Murrayville Slew in the CAD $3,200 ninth and final race going 1,600m.

Earlier, Gordon won the CAD $3,000 second race over 1,400m with the 3-1 chance Sly Rosetti by half-length, and Keizer followed up with a 8¹/²-length win on the 20-1 long-shot I'm Sue in the CAD $3,000 third race going 1,400m.

In this photo provided by the New York Racing Association, Majesticperfection, ridden by Jamaica-born Shaun Bridgmohan, captures The Alfred G. Vanderbilt stakes race at Saratoga Race Course on Sunday, August 8, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. - AP Photo