Husbands leads in Woodbine jockeys' race

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Patrick Husbands took full advantage of Luis Contreras’s absence last week in the race for the Woodbine riding title, winning four races from Friday through Sunday to carry a 164-159 advantage into the meet’s final week. If Husbands can preserve his lead, he would snap Contreras’s streak of three straight Woodbine riding titles.

Contreras missed the last four days of racing at Woodbine to participate in the World Super Jockey Series in Japan last weekend. Contreras finished 13th out of 16 jockeys in the four-race challenge at Tokyo Racecourse. Contreras finished the challenge with 14 points, and his best result of the weekend came in Saturday’s Marvelous Jockey Trophy, where he finished fifth with Salvador Hakui.

Meanwhile, Husbands, who was winless in six mounts Wednesday, picked up two wins Friday and added one each on Saturday and Sunday.

The 2014 season has been a successful one for Husbands, who not only leads the Woodbine jockey colony in wins but also in stakes victories, graded stakes wins, and purse earnings. Husbands also completed the Woodbine Oaks-Queen’s Plate double in the summer with Lexie Lou, his second career Queen’s Plate victory. His achievements this year make him a strong favorite for his eighth Sovereign Award as Canada’s outstanding jockey, an honor he most recently earned in 2009.