Caribbeans Impacting on
Horse Racing
By Annan Boodram

Shaun Bridgemohan is one of the leading jockeys at Aqueduct racing track in New York City. Barbadian, Patrick Husbands won back-to-back jockey of the year at Woodbine in Canada. Trinidadian, Emile Ramsammy also won back-to-back Canadian jockey of the year in 1996 and 1997. Jamaican Winston Thompson was second in the jockey standings in Massachusetts. Barbadians Quincy Welch and Ricky walcott came one, two in the standings in Alberta, Canada. Guyanese trainer, Eddie Katrayan emerged as trainer of the year in Canada. Jamaican trainer, Ralph Ziadie has been doing quite well in Florida. And barbadian, Sir Michael Stoute, is undoubtedly one of the all time greats in England. In short, Caribbeans have been making an emphatic mark in horse racing circles in Europe and North America.
Twenty one year old Shaun Bridgemohan, moved with his family to Fort Lauderdale, Florida at age nine. Living near a race track, he began to take an interest in thoroughbred racing. While in high school he worked as a groom and fed horses. And in 1997 he started riding as a jockey and became the top apprentice at Guldstream, winning 12 times in 83 races.
Advised by two veteran jockeys to move to New York, Bridgemohan started racing at Aqueduct. Soon he was making a mark. And in the ensuing years he has emerged among the top jockeys.
Patrick Husbands has become a household name in racing circles in Canada. He defeated his nearest rival Todd Kabel in the Sovereign awards poll by 129 votes and relishes his accomplishments this season, having shattered his own records for purse earnings and wins in a single season.
Husbands won 177 of his 896 starts - he finished second in 140 and third in 123 races respectively - while securing earnings of $8,037,506. A jockey picks up about 10 per cent of the earnings.
Last season, Husbands won 173 races and $5.3 million. In becoming just the fourth jockey to capture back-to-back titles in the 25-year history of the Sovereign awards, Husbands has set his sights on becoming the first rider to three-peat. "It's a feat that I really want to go after next season," said Husbands who is in Barbados re-charging his batteries.
Husbands, who was granted Canadian citizenship last month, expects to celebrate in a big way next year.
Besides eyeing his third successive Rider of the Year award, Husbands plans to marry his girlfriend Simone Griffith.
"She has been with me through the difficult times when I was a long-shot riding horses nobody else wanted to mount," said Husbands. "It's only fitting that she be around to share in the favorable results."
Success in Canada did not come easy for Husbands who was destined to become a jockey having been born into a family that firmly embraced The Sport of Kings. His deceased father, Walter, was a reinsman while his brother Anthony is an outrider at Woodbine. Another brother, Simon, rides in Jamaica.
Husbands honed his skills in Barbados where in 1990 at age 16 he became the youngest rider ever to win the Cockspur Cup. Two years later, he captured the Barbados riding title at the Garrison Savannah.
The talented rider launched his Canadian career six years ago after realizing that he had won every major event in Barbados. He enjoyed a solid rookie season winning 22 races, but struggled over the next three years before enjoying a breakthrough season in 1998, capturing 92 of his 131 wins in the last four months of the season.
"I have had a fantastic run in the last two-and-a-half years," reflects Husbands, 27. "I intend to keep on working hard to achieve success and be the best I can."
Currently he is riding at Aqueduct.
Husbands' back to back titles emulated the accomplishment of Trinidadian, Emile ramsammy, who achieved the feat in 1996 and 1997. Ramsammy is perhaps the most well known of Caribbean jockeys having taken Canada by storm and established himself as a top jockey at Hollywood Park in California. Fresh from a fourth place finish -- 106 winners102 and close to $4.9 million -- at Woodbine where he returned for the 2000 season, Ramsammy too is riding at Aqueduct.
Twenty one-year-old Barbadian Quincy Welch retained his jockeys' title, 75 wins to 74, in a tight late season battle with fellow Barbadian Ricky Walcott as the two dominated racing at Northlands Park in Edmonton, Alberta in September and October. "The Barbadians' impact on the season was tremendous, and I think it's only going to get bigger," Northlands Park press officer Johnathon Huntington said on a CANASport radio programme recently. Welch fought off a strong title challenge from the 18-year-old Walcott to retain his title.
Jamaican jockey, Winston Thompson came in second to American Josiah Hampshire in Massachusetts Hampshire, champion jockey over Thompson at the state's Rockingham Park meet in September, is currently listed as seventh in the North American 2000 standings with 273 winners while Thompson is 30th.
Just a year ago, Guyanese-born Abraham (Eddie) Katrayan was content to earn a spot among the top 10 trainers at Woodbine for the second straight season. Horses trained by Katrayan earned $746,000 and won 28 races in 1999.
Heading into this season, Katrayan raised the bar with the intention of becoming the top conditioner this year. He duly achieved his objective with 56 wins and $2.5 million in earnings. "This has been a good season for me," said Katrayan who finished second in the Trainer of the Year balloting.
Though he missed out on the prestigious individual prize, Katrayan shared in two other awards. One Way Love, which finished third in the seven-furlong Grade One event at Belmont in September, was honored as the Champion Sprinter and Champion Older Male Horse. Katrayan also trained sprinter Wake at Noon which won five stake events this year and was nominated for a Sovereign award.
"I honestly believe that I have taken a big step forward this year," said Katrayan who was granted his license four years ago. "This was my biggest season ever, but I promise that it will be better next year."
Katrayan, whose father trained horses in the rural Guyanese community of Corentyne, migrated to Canada in 1975. After dabbling in the fashion industry for several years, he eventually succumbed to his love for the track and horses and acquired his license four and a half years ago.
"I love being around the track and working with horses," Katrayan told Share.
Also doing well as a trainer is Jamaican Ralph Ziadie. Zaide, who trains horses in Florida has been holding his own in races at tropical Calder and Gulfstream tracks and could very well rise to the top in the not too distant future.
But the doyen of trainers is Barbadian, Sir Michael Stoute. Sir Michael, 55, who was champion trainer last season, had just completed the most successful season ever experienced by a trainer in Britain, with prize money of almost £3m million and a further £2m won abroad.
Senior racehorse trainer for Queen Elizabeth's stables, Sir Michael was recently stopped British customs on his way to Barbados and more than $120,000 in cash that he was carrying, was seized from him. Unless he can show valid reason for taking the money out of the country it will be forfeited. He has an opportunity to do on March 14 when the case will called.
Meanwhile another Caribbean jockey will by testing his skills in North America. Trinidadian, Dale Whittaker will be riding at Belmont Park and Aqueduct racetracks for New York trainer Christina Dupps. Whittaker has been a champion jockey in Trinidad and Barbados. He has also appeared in North America where he did a short sting at Woodbine some years ago.