MIAMI, Florida (CMC):
Young Jamaican riding marvel Jermaine Bridgmohan achieved an unprecedented 100 winners at a Tropical at Calder horse racing meet on Wednesday afternoon.
Bridgmohan, 18, accomplished the feat when he piloted the 4-to-5 favourite Howdy Pardner to victory in the eighth race for Jamaican trainer Kirk Ziadie.
The native of Spanish Town, Jamaica, is having a phenomenal start to his career and is poised to stretch the record even further with the meet continuing through to next Tuesday.
The Calder race track's Director of Personnel Island Joe says the apprentice has made a huge impact on racing at the track.
"We are very impressed with him and he obviously has a lot of raw ability with a sparkling career ahead of him," Joe told CMC Sport yesterday.
Personality
"And meeting him in person, I am even more impressed with his personality. I think he is going places," Joe added.
Bridgmohan only started race riding this summer in Florida and last Wednesday he smashed the previous (2002-03) record of 84 wins at a Tropical at Calder meet by the top Panamanian jockey Cornelio Velasquez.
This is one of the most impressive starts to a riding career ever seen in North American racing and Bridgmohan has quickly commanded the respect of rival jockeys.
"They respect him, they highly respect him. Obviously, he broke the record here and such a young man accomplishing such a difficult task could only warrant respect on their part," Joe stated.
Bridgmohan kicked off his double Wednesday in the US$23,030 second race over 1-1/16th miles, easily winning by 7-3/4 lengths with the favourite Funny Annie in a small three-horse field.
Bridgmohan pushed the three-year-old filly, a 4-to-5 favourite, to lead from the start and moved clear in the homestretch for an unchallenged victory in one minute 47.36 seconds.
He completed his double and the unprecedented century mark with an equally easy triumph aboard the 4-5 favourite Howdy Pardner in the US$8,500 eighth race over six furlongs for Ziadie.
Howdy Pardner contested the early lead and accelerated away from his rivals in the last two furlongs to win in 1:12.62 seconds.
Ziadie, the 38-year-old son of multiple Calder champion trainer Ralph Ziadie, remained on course for the trainersŐ title.
His win with Howdy Pardner pushed him up to 22 wins, three ahead of Bill White (19) with Emanuel Tortora lying third on 16 wins.
