Da Silva takes control of jockey race

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The jockey and trainer races are heating up at the halfway point of the 133-day Woodbine meet.

Even though he missed the first few weeks of the meet due to a suspension, Eurico Da Silva recently blew by Rafael Hernandez to take the lead in the rider standings by a 107-100 margin through last Sunday. Patrick Husbands ranks third with 60 wins. Rounding out the top five are Gary Boulanger with 56 and Luis Contreras with 52.

Da Silva also leads in the number of stakes victories with 13. His 400 mounts have banked about $5 million, which ranks him first in that category as well. Boulanger and Husbands are tied for second with eight stakes scores apiece. Hernandez has five stakes wins and about $4.1 million in earnings.

Kazushi Kimura, from Japan, is the leading apprentice with 17 wins. He is seven wins ahead of another capable Japanese native, Daisuke Fukumoto. Among the top 20 jockeys, Kimura has the highest return on investment, a profitable $2.77. Jerome Lermyte, who won Saturday’s Breeders’ Stakes on Neepawa, has a $2.33 ROI. One rider who’s been picking up steam is Ademar Santos, who has won with five of has last 20 Woodbine mounts.

Norm McKnight ended Mark Casse’s 10-year domination of the trainer standings last year by landing the title with a five-win day on the final card of the meet, and they’re duking it out again this year. McKnight’s sharp winter-raced runners enabled him to open up an early lead before Casse assumed command later in the spring, thanks in part to a numbers advantage. Casse is currently ahead by a 65-61 margin and is the runaway leader in earnings, with $4.4 million. Both are showing a small flat-bet profit.

Robert Tiller is a distant third with 26 training tallies. Completing the top five are Kevin Attard (21) and Sid Attard (20).

After a tardy start, Mike Maker has been on a roll of late, with his stock under the guidance of assistant trainer Nolan Ramsey. He has clicked with four of his last five local starters, a streak that began when Daring Duchess took the Aug. 11 Flaming Page Stakes. His 11 wins put him at 11th in the standings.

Bruno Schickedanz is the top owner with 32 victories from 103 starters. Gary Barber leads in earnings with $1.5 million, which was bolstered considerably by the $600,000 that Wonder Gadot collected in her Queen’s Plate triumph.

Wonder Gadot leads all horses with $700,000 in earnings. Danzig Rainbow, Milwaukee Magic, Sanity, and reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd are tied with the most wins, four each.

◗ Friday’s eight-race card is made up of six claimers and two maiden special weight sprints for 2-year-olds. A dozen babies were entered in the sixth, including the promising first-timer Nashtrick.