EDMONTON, Alberta (CMC) — Caribbean jockeys, led by Barbadian Desmond Bryan and Jamaican Dane Nelson, won all but two races on Sunday’s programme at the Century Mile racetrack in Canada.

Bryan kick-started his season and led the way with a triple; reigning champion Nelson added a pair; and track newcomer Rasheed Hughes, another Barbadian, logged the other win on the eight-race card at the main racing facility in western Canada.

Nelson, a four-time Jamaica champion jockey, was the first in the frame when odds-on favourite Bootiful Rose won by 2 1/2 lengths in the CAD$14, 500 claiming second race over 1,100 metres on the dirt course.

Bootiful Rose quickly set the pace and responded to a looming threat from
Mohaymen Day, under Barbadian jockey Kyle Carter, before Nelson edged the four-year-old, chestnut filly clear and was kept on light handling to reach the wire in one minute, 05.05 seconds.

Bryan then proved his riding skills when the 26-1 rank long-shot Vantasticcanaveral won by a neck in the CAD $15,500 claiming third race, also over 1, 100 metres, on the dirt course.

Vantasticcanaveral had speed on the inside and responded to a challenge from Frostedbird, under leading jockey Jose Asencio, before the four-year-old, chestnut gelding held on after a long, hard drive for a time of one minute, 04.99 secs.

Hughes interjected to get his first win of the season with a comfortable 6 1/2-length win on the 9-1 chance Oops and Down in the CAD $25, 000 maiden special weight fourth race over 1,100 metres on the dirt course.

Oops and Down vied between the front-runners for the early lead and gained it through the turn before the three-year-old bay filly drifted out wide through the stretch under firm handling from Hughes, and drew away to clock 1:05.77.

Bryan followed up with a comfortable 9 1/4-length win aboard 7-1 chance
Bakfire Baby in the CAN$12,000 claiming fifth race over five furlongs on the dirt course.

Bakfire Baby was quickest to the turn, and the six-year-old, dark bay mare drew away in the stretch for an easy victory in 59.39 secs.

Bryan again had to dig deep to collect his fourth win of the season astride the 16-1 rank outsider The Beat that won by a half-length in the CAN $17, 500 claiming sixth race over 1,100 metres on the dirt course.

He sat The Beat mid-pack and rallied his mount on the outside of
Bare Back Jack, under Nelson, before the six-year-old bay gelding matched strides late and inched clear to finish in 1:05.45.

Nelson returned to land a two-length win on 8-5 favourite Smash Factor in the CAN $12,000 claiming eighth and final race over six furlongs on the dirt course that gave him his fourth success for the season.

Smash Factor chased the pace from the rail, moved up on the inside of
Firecracker Stand, under Asencio, and gained the lead entering the stretch before the seven-year-old bay gelding drew away and was kept to the task under light handling from Nelson to clock 1:12.76.