Jason Homer, Shavon Townsend Score Hat Tricks, Keplin Increases Lead in Trainer Standings

The Assiniboia Racing Club packed the winner’s circle after winning the first race on Wednesday with Bandera Azteca, conditioned by Devon Gittens. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)

By G.S. Thompson

Trainer Jason Homer and jockey Shavon Townsend were the hotties of the week with three wins apiece and Steve Keplin, Jr. kept Jerry Gourneau at bay with a natural Daily Double on Wednesday, while Gourneau had a single win on the same card. And there were also a few good trip horses to take note of.

Homer won the second and last races on Tuesday with Falsely Accused ($8.80) and Olympic Legend ($7.20), and picked up another win with Tavaline ($12.30) on Wednesday. He also had two trip horses to watch in the sixth race on Tuesday.

Homer saddled Preachers Secret ($6.50) and Judge Oliver ($15.15) to finish third and fourth respectively in the sixth race, a Maiden Special Weight, and both horses had some trouble early, but Preachers Secret was the horse that really caught our eye. Racing greenly early and dropping 12 lengths off the pace, he came flying late to be beaten only 1 ½-lengths. Judge Oliver had a poor start and advanced four-wide, also finishing well to be two lengths behind his stablemate. Both horses should be on your watch list.

Another trip horse that came through for his loyal supporters was Lucky Appeal ($16.80), who finally got out of the gate when he was supposed to for trainer Ray Gardipy and received a beautifully patient ride from Antonio Whitehall. Lucky Appeal was the second-longest priced winner of the week, behind only Highlander Honey ($34.40), who also received an excellent ride from Renaldo Cumberbatch to win the fourth race on Tuesday for trainer Fred Rawson.

Shavon Townsend was aboard both of Homer’s winners on Tuesday, and scored the hat trick with a victory in the sixth race on Wednesday aboard Bossadusu ($4.50) for trainer Steve Keplin, Jr. Keplin scored the natural Daily Double when Itwasthisbig ($3.70) won the seventh race on Wednesday. The two wins kept Keplin on top of the trainer standings with 34 wins, followed by Mike Nault (23) and Jerry Gourneau (21) who took a single with Bringonthebubbly ($3.10) in the fourth race on Wednesday. Wendy Anderson (18) and Jared Brown (17) rounded out the top five in the trainer standings.

Jockey Damario Bynoe won a pair of races to Whitehall’s single to maintain a 40-37 win lead over Whitehall in the standings, followed by Sven Balroop (33), Prayven Badrie (29), and Rachaad Knights (19). Badrie was battling for the title with the top two before being put out for the season by an injury, and it looks like Bynoe and Whitehall will battle to the very end for the title, with Whitehall seeking his fourth championship belt locally and Bynoe trying for his first.

Also of note this week was new arrival, trainer Mike Pierce, who won for the third time in four starts when he took the first race on Tuesday with Track Robber (9.00), and the super-crowded winner’s circle in the first race on Wednesday, when Bandera Azteca ($6.20) rolled home for trainer Devon Gittens under Shavon Belle, to the cheers of his 50-plus owners.

And last but certainly not least, Girls Night Out continued to rock the house on Wednesday, with ladies of all ages in fancy hats and big smiles gracing the grandstand.