Jockey Ciera Pruitt (#9) scores her first lifetime win aboard longshot Mineral Rights ($41.60) in the seventh race on Tuesday for trainer Jason Homer, triggering a huge Pick 4 payoff. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia photo)
By G.S. Thompson
Two huge Pick 4 pools and a monster payoff were the highlight of the week at ASD and the latter was partly the result of new apprentice Ciera Pruitt booting home her first career winner in the seventh race on Tuesday for trainer Jason Homer.
Pruitt bided her time wide while avoiding a loose horse aboard Mineral Rights ($41.60) and came powering home to win by 1 ½-lengths over Sneaky Situation, triggering a celebration in the winner’s circle and a massive $1 Pick 4 payoff of $14,295.45. Pruitt was greeted in the winner’s circle by her beaming mother and father, trainer Lise Pruitt, and former top ASD jockey Jerry Pruitt, both of whom had proud ear-to-ear smiles.
Jockey Ciera Pruitt is congratulated by her father and mother, former top ASD jockey Jerry Pruitt, and trainer Lise Pruitt, after scoring her first lifetime win in the seventh race on Tuesday. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
Bettors flocked to the windows for the newly upped guaranteed $1 Pick 4 pool of $50,000 and poured $93,205 into the pool before the first leg of the Pick 4 in Race 4 on Tuesday, and it didn’t take long for the fireworks to begin when Double Time ($38.10) surged through a small hole at the top of the stretch under jockey Shavon Belle and held on to win by the narrowest of noses in his first start of the year for trainer Steve Thompson.
Second choice Distinctive Deb ($5.70) romped home by 6 ¾-lengths under Ronald Ali for trainer Mike Taphorn in Race 5 to keep most of the Pick 4 tickets that were still alive rolling forward and then the heart factor came out.
Double Time ($38.10) holds on inside to win the fourth race on Tuesday under jockey Shavon Belle for trainer Steve Thompson. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
Starship Chewbacca ($14.70) was probably an overlay in Race 6 based on some of his previous gutsy performances and he wore down another game rival in Blackteca to win by half a length under Damario Bynoe for trainer Will Tourangeau, setting the stage for some monster Pick 4 payouts. There were more than a few bettors that wheelbarrowed out with their $14,000-plus winnings and they were likely back along with a tidal wave of bettors on Wednesday to balloon the Pick 4 pool again to a whopping $151,435!
Once again a longshot kicked off the Pick 4 on Wednesday in Race 4, as Blue Skye Jade ($17.80) gave trainer Dewey Williams his first victory of the season at ASD under Antonio Whitehall. Trainer Jason Homer, the trainer who saddled Pruitt’s longshot winner on Tuesday, was back at it again in Race 5 on Wednesday, notching his second win of the season with another longshot, The Ronald ($33.20), who fooled just about everyone with his easy 6 ½-length victory under Neville Stephenson.
Longshot The Ronald ($33.20) on his way to an easy victory in the fifth race on Wednesday for trainer Jason Homer. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
Race 6 on Wednesday brought things back to earth when favourite Totalizer ($6.50) opened up early and made no mistakes under Sachin Parris, and it was more of the same in Race 7 when favoured Pino Bambino ($6.20) gave trainer Steve Gaskin his second win on the card under Rachaad Knights. The combination of two longshots and two favourites provided an excellent $1 Pick 4 payoff of $2,958.65. One more longshot in the mix and who knows what it might have paid with over $150,000 in the pool!
Damario Bynoe was the top jockey on the week with three wins followed by Antonio Whitehall with a pair of victories. Bynoe’s hat trick moved him into a tie at the top of the standings with Rachaad Knights, each with six wins, followed by Prayven Badrie and Sven Balroop with four wins apiece. Whitehall rounds out the top five in the standings with four victories.
Blue Skye Jade ($17.80) is led into the Winner's Circle with jockey Antonio Whitehall aboard after their victory in the fourth race on Wednesday. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
Trainers Jason Homer, Steve Gaskin and Will Tourangeau all scored doubles on the week, while Steve Keplin, Jr. and Tom Gardipy, Jr. continued their battle for top spot with one win each. Keplin leads all trainers with six wins, one more than Gardipy. Lise Pruitt sits alone in third with four victories, followed by a logjam of trainers with three wins apiece including Wendy Anderson, Jared Brown, Mike Nault and Will Tourangeau.
Racing resumes with the first Monday card of the meeting at 7:30 p.m. on June 2, and it looks like all systems go for more strong, competitive fields and giant Pick 4 pools.
Who’s ready to dive in!?!