Woodbine: Sabourin now a jockey agent
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Ray Sabourin, who rode 1,533 winners for purses of almost $40 million before hanging up his tack in 2009, has moved into the jockey agent profession and is representing apprentice Reshawn Latchman and journeyman Sunny Singh.
“I’ve done this before, but then I was booking my own mounts,” said Sabourin.
Latchman, a 20-year-old, enjoyed success in his homeland of Barbados while following in the footsteps of his father, Rennie Latchman. Last summer, encouraging by fellow Barbadian jockeys Patrick Husbands and Jono Jones and trainer Robert Peirce, Latchman decided to try his hand at Woodbine.
“I was riding a few and galloping a lot of horses,” said Latchman. “I fell in love with the place.”
Latchman returned this spring with an eye toward a full campaign but has run into some snags due to his immigration status, and the stewards have decreed that he can only ride for foreign owners.
“We’re sorting that out,” said Sabourin. “It shouldn’t be too long now. I’ve had nothing but positive reaction about him, from everybody.”
Latchman rode his first winner here June 29, guiding Promising Rose to victory for trainer Danny Yu.
Singh, 30, has ridden five winners at Woodbine and another five at Fort Erie heading into Friday’s card here and is approaching the 250-win mark for his career.
Stormy Lord readies for stakes
Stormy Lord breezed four furlongs in 48.60 on the turf training course here Friday under regular rider Jim McAleney in preparation for Wednesday’s Ontario Jockey Club Stakes. The $100,000 Ontario Jockey, a seven-furlong turf race for Ontario-foaled 3-year-olds and upward, is an overnight stakes and will require at least five entrants to be carded.
Three stakes, all worth $150,000, will be run here next week. Saturday’s program will offer a doubleheader of the Toronto Cup, an open 1 1/8 mile turf race for 3-year-olds, and the Colin, an open six-furlong race for 2-year-olds. Ontario-foaled 2-year-old fillies will clash Sunday in the 5 1/2- furlong Shady Well.