Barbadian bags sixth Canadian Derby

EDMONTON, Canada (CMC):

Barbadian jockey Rico Walcott clinched his sixth Canadian Derby honour in style here Saturday when he combined with 5-2 choice Great Escape to win the CAN$200,000 Grade III feature in record time at Century Mile.

The 31-year-old Walcott stalked favourite and stablemate Red Knobs for the majority of the 1-¼ mile trip before engaging at the top of the stretch and driving the three-year-old colt to a 3-½ length score in a time of two minutes, 01.35 seconds.

Red Knobs, ridden by leading rider Jorge Carreno, ran second while 11-1 chance Regal Riot with Efrain Hernandez finished third.

For Walcott, the success followed previous wins in the Derby in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018 – all coming at the now defunct Northlands Park.

Three of those victories came in partnership with trainer Robertino Diodoro, Saturday’s result giving the Canadian conditioner his fourth triumph in the event.

“Robertino didn’t give me any instructions, but I wanted to sit just off my stablemate like the way we worked the other day and I had to be patient,” Wacott said afterwards.

“It worked out just the way I thought it would.”

Only earlier this month at Assiniboia Downs, Red Knobs had beaten Great Escape in the Manitoba Derby over 1-1/8th, chasing down his stablemate in a carbon copy of Saturday’s race.

“Rico said the track at Century Mile is a little faster than it was [in the Manitoba Derby] and that Great Escape is going to like that,” said Diodoro.

Red Knobs pulled the field through fractions of 22.41 seconds for the quarter and 45.35 for the half mile, Great Escape moving well in second to open up a three-length advantage on the rest of the field.

Walcott made his bid on the turn, and the two stablemates turned for home in a heated duel before Great Escape got the better of the stretch run.