Sutherland enjoying solid meet after four-win day
Chantal Sutherland is enjoying a rejuvenated riding career. Best known for her feats in Southern California and her native Canada, Sutherland rode four winners Saturday at Gulfstream and is now well ensconced in the top 10 at the spring-summer meet in both wins (30) and earnings ($891,487).
Sutherland capped her big day by winning the $75,000 Monroe on Key Biscayne, who rallied from well back to win the off-the-turf race by a neck. The four-win day is one shy of her personal record of five, set on Aug. 9, 2008, at Woodbine. Sutherland has won four in a day on multiple occasions.
Sutherland, 45, now has 1,113 wins and more than $54.3 million in mount earnings in a career dating to 2000. While based off-and-on in California for nine years (2008-17), she was the regular rider for Game On Dude, aboard whom she won three Grade 1 races.
In fall 2017, Sutherland left California because of lagging business, riding with modest success at Woodbine, Fair Grounds, and on the Kentucky circuit in those intervening years before regrouping last winter in Florida by working as an exercise rider for trainer Ken McPeek. She now employs Kevin Meyocks as her agent.
“Things are going great again and I’m very happy,” Sutherland said Tuesday by phone from Florida.
Key Biscayne, a 4-year-old filly, was one of three Saturday winners for trainer Juan Alvarado and his main client Arindel, the prominent breed-to-race establishment owned by Alan Cohen in Ocala. The others were 2-year-olds Clapton and Gilligan; all three were sired by Brethren. Arindel leads the owner standings at the meet with 10 wins.
◗ Two first-level sprint allowances on the main track – one open (race 7) and one for statebreds (race 9) – anchor a 10-race Friday card that starts at 2 p.m. Eastern. One starter-optional going a mile on turf (race 6) also is part of a program otherwise comprised of claiming races.
◗ Edgard Zayas has an 85-83 lead over Emisael Jaramillo atop the local jockey standings as another three-day week begins Friday.