Jockey Kirk Johnson shines with triple

FORT ERIE, Canada (CMC):

Jamaican jockey Kirk Johnson captured one of the two added-money races at Fort Erie as part of a superb triple on Sunday, as he made most of the headlines at the southern Ontario venue.

Riding on the eight-race programme, Johnson combined with 2-1 choice Storming Lady to win the CAN$30,000 Longrun Thoroughbred After Care Stakes in race two, before also scoring in race six with 15-1 bet Nicole’s Song and in race eight with favourite Gus’s Gamble.

Barbadian Desean Bynoe took the other added-money race in race seven when he paired with 2-1 chance Alacritous to win the $30,000 Longrun Thoroughbred Retirement Stakes.

Johnson now lies second on five wins, one behind leader Barbadian Chris Husbands and level with third placed Pierre Mailhot.

After finishing fifth in the day’s opener aboard 7-1 shot Bocelli, Johnson quickly turned his fortunes around in the day’s first feature, guiding eight-year-old mare Storming Lady to a 2½ length victory over the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares.

Going 5½ furlongs, Johnson raced Storming Lady off the pace set by Can’t Beat the Katz and Chasing Joy before taking command in the stretch to brush aside the field.

Johnson’s next success also came in a 5½ furlong sprint when he brought four-year-old bay filly Nicole’s Song from off the pace to edge the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares by a head.

In contrast, however, he clinched the day’s finale over seven furlongs in a gate-to-wire effort, piloting Gus’s Gamble to a narrow victory by a head over the three-year-old and upward maidens.

Bynoe, meanwhile, tasted success in the day’s other feature, using a front-running effort to get eight-year-old gelding Alacritous to the wire by 33/4 lengths over the three-year-old and upward colts and geldings, in a 51/2 furlong sprint.