CALGARY, Canada – Dane Nelson’s early season form showed little sign of wane, the Jamaican reeling off a brilliant triple on Saturday’s nine-race card to remain top of the pile at Century Downs.
Dane NelsonThe 39-year-old captured race one over 7-½ furlongs with 4-1 chance Father O’Flaherty, race three over seven furlongs with favorite Bare Back Jack before also taking race seven also over seven furlongs with another favorite Kauai Dan.
Nelson has 12 wins from 35 rides for the campaign which got underway September 9 and ends October 29, and is six clear of the Barbadian pair of Antonio Whitehall and N’Rico Prescod.
Crowned jockeys champion at Century Mile in Edmonton last month, Nelson has extended that momentum to the Century Downs season.
He notched his first win with five-year-old roan gelding Father O’Flaherty, beating the three-year-olds and upward by a head, after producing a late surge.
Favourite Theshack pulled the field through the early fractions with Dancing Willie, Credibility and Bodemonster in pursuit, before Nelson brought Father O’Flaherty off the pace to get up in time at the wire.
Nelson’s second win came when he combined with six-year-old bay gelding Bare Back Jack to collar the three-year-olds and upward by a neck.
Favorite Common Knowledge out-dueled Amusing Way to grab the lead leaving the backstretch but Nelson brought Bare Back Jack with a strong run to catch the leaders at the wire.
Nelson’s most dominant win perhaps came in the penultimate race of the afternoon when he guided three-year-old bay gelding Kauai Dan to a comfortable three-length score over the three-year-olds and upward.
Kauai Dan out-hustled Vantasticcanaveral and Finalize to the lead before controlling the remainder of the contest.
There was also success on the card for Antonio Whitehall, the Barbadian claiming race two over a mile and sixteenth with favorite Prance and race four over seven furlongs with 4-5 bet Missczech.
