Barbadian jockey Whitehall eyes more success

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (CMC):

Three-time champion jockey Antonio Whitehall said he was looking forward to the new racing season at Assiniboia Downs in Canada.

The 30-year-old reinsman from Barbados is one of several Caribbean jockeys back at the central Canadian racetrack exercising horses every day to secure “live” mounts for the upcoming season, which opens on Monday, May 20.

Whitehall won the riding title last year with confidence, winning at a 20 per cent clip and compiling a record of 56 wins, 43 seconds, and 54 thirds from 284 mounts for purse earnings of CAN$687,757.

He finished 15 wins clear of runner-up and fellow Barbadian Damario Bynoe, who has also returned from holidaying in Bridgetown and is exercising horses in the morning along with compatriots Renaldo Cumberbatch and Shavon Belle, as well as Chavion Chow of Jamaica, and Prayven Badrie, Sven Balroop, and Stanley Chadee Jr of Trinidad & Tobago.

“I just went back home and kicked back this winter, spent time with the family,” Whitehall said, “but it’s good to be back. Of course it’s cold, but my motto is just to keep going. When you stop, you kind of like, freeze. You just have to keep galloping to get through it.”

There are 170 horses at the track right now and this is expected to grow to more than 200 by the end of the month, which would be ahead of last year’s number.

Whitehall has been getting on horses for his usual trainers, including Wendy Anderson, Jared Brown, Shelley Brown, and Tom Gardipy, Jr, among others.

He is looking forward to this year and hoping to make a good run at his fourth title. He also relishes additional competition.

“Work hard, play hard,” he said. “Bring it on. It makes me better.”

During his trip home, Whitehall influenced Rashad Knight, an apprentice from Barbados, to make the journey to Canada, and he’s excited to see what the young rider can achieve.