Red-hot Husbands on favorite

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jockey Patrick Husbands held a hot hand at Woodbine last Saturday, winning four times on the card, including a sweep of the first three races.

Husbands, Woodbine's leading rider in 1999 and 2001, has a comfortable lead at the current meeting, with 30 wins from 131 mounts. A 28-year-old native of Barbados, Husbands rides probable favorite Jarret's Odyssey in Wednesday's fourth race, a $32,000 starter allowance for 3-year-olds and up at seven furlongs.

Jarret's Odyssey, a $32,000 claim last August, has easily won out his purchase price. He won his final 2001 outing, in a $32,000 claimer for non-winners of three, and could be reaching full bloom this year at age 6 for trainer Tino Attard.

Jarret's Odyssey finished fourth in his first start of the meeting, in a five-furlong dash for $40,000 claimers. Sambuca On Ice and Best of the Duck both exited the race and won their next start, so it wasn't surprising to see Jarret's Odyssey score for a $45,000 tag next time out in a seven-furlong race April 21, in which he earned a whopping 99 Beyer Figure.

Facing off against Jarret's Odyssey Wednesday are Wolvspa, with apprentice Chantal Sutherland aboard; Rue's Rebel, Steven Bahen; Harty Congrats, Jerry Baird; Divine Luck, Jono Jones; and Known Tender, Emile Ramsammy.

Known Tender finished third behind Jarret's Odyssey and favored Pilgrim Road on April 21, which was a vast improvement on his 10th-place finish in his March 30 yearly debut.

Known Tender could be cycling up to a peak effort on Wednesday for trainer Vito Armata.

Divine Luck struggled during a three-race winter stint on turf at Tampa Bay Downs, but put it all together when he returned from a layoff here in a recent $32,000 claimer. Competing over a sloppy track, he stalked a multi-horse speed duel in that seven-furlong race before closing four wide to win going away.

Harty Congrats had a busy fall and winter campaign at Suffolk Downs, winning twice and running 10 times from late October until early March. A 6-year-old by Dr. Adagio, Harty Congrats was sent here to trainer Arthur Silvera prior to his third-place finish in a $62,500 optional claimer on March 30.

Harty Congrats finished seventh in his only subsequent start, on April 13, which was also in a $62,500 optional claimer.