Nelson takes feature, Bryan notches double

EDMONTON, Alberta (CMC):

Jamaican jockey Dane Nelson won the feature CAN$50,000 Alberta Sire Stakes Derby Stakes with 8-1 choice Big Bad Intaglio, but was forced to share honours on Saturday’s 10-race card at the Century Mile track with Barbadian Desmond Bryan who rode a double.

Going 6-½ furlongs in race seven, the 38-year-old Nelson produced a clinical ride aboard the brown colt to beat the three-year-olds by three-quarters of a length in a time of one minute, 18.07 seconds.

Two-to-one choice Lil Zapper led for most of the trip, but faded to finish second, while favourite Mudinator was a length back in third.

Nelson entered the feature after finishing out of the top-three in the preceding three races, but mustered a superb effort to get Big Bad Intaglio over the line first.

Lil Zapper carved out the early splits, posting 22.26 seconds for the quarter and 45.27 for the half-mile, with Rough Customer, Kiss Me Hello and Mudinator chasing, and Big Bad Intaglio near the rear of the seven-horse field.

Mudinator challenged the leader at the three-sixteenth, but Nelson roused Big Bad Intaglio at the top of the stretch to outrun his challengers.

Meanwhile, the 51-year-old Bryan found success in the day’s opener when he scored with 10-1 chance Timbers Moon in a 350-yard dash, before returning to win race eight over six furlongs with another 10-1 bet Rumohr Reigns.

In the latter, Bryan stalked with the five-year-old gelding before engaging pacesetter Smart Play and pulling clear, and then holding off favourite Boss Man Can and 2-1 bet Father O’Flaherty.