Woodbine hosts apprentice jockey challenge

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine’s Wednesday night card will feature a two-race invitational apprentice jockey challenge, with 10 apprentices from across North America competing in the event. Races 4 and 5 are the designated challenge races.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Sheena Ryan, who will participate in the challenge and leads all Woodbine apprentices with 27 victories this season. “It’s something different. I think it’s fun with new people, and it’s a whole different experience. We’ll all be racing against each other, so we’ll be comparing different things and seeing what [the other riders] have learned at different tracks.”

Four Woodbine apprentices will compete: Ryan, Nick Webb, Katy Morrison, and Erika Smilovsky.

The other notable apprentices who will participate include Santo Sanjur, fourth in the Arlington Park jockeys’ standings with 39 wins, and fellow Arlington apprentices Octavio Vergara Jr. and Silvia Zapico. Hastings Park apprentice Corrine Andros and Northlands Park apprentice Damario Bynoe also will make their way east for the event. Laura Carson rounds out the list of apprentices in the challenge.

Jockeys will be awarded 25 points for a win, 20 points for second, and 18 points for third. Points will be earned in all 10 finish positions, and the jockey with the most points after the two races will be the winner.

Mounts for the two races were assigned randomly during the draw last Friday.