Milestone victory for jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson at Woodbine Racetrack
Emma-Jayne Wilson has been a popular figure at Woodbine for two decades. On Saturday, she celebrated another milestone in her career. After a four-win day on Friday that brought her to within one, Wilson notched her 2,000th North American win when she guided home Vanity to win the seventh race, a claiming event. Wilson, 45, was named both the Canadian and North American outstanding apprentice after a sparkling debut season in 2005. She remains the only woman to win the Queen’s/King’s Plate after her 2007 win aboard Mike Fox. In 2024, she surpassed Julie Krone for highest career earnings for a female rider. The Brampton native has also won races internationally while representing Canada at several competitions. She received the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award in 2018. But this milestone is a testament to her resilience after several injuries the past few years. “I think the significance of it for me is, I mean, it wasn’t that long ago that I was in the ICU at Sunnybrook with what could have been career ending injuries,” Wilson told Woodbine Entertainment. “And I had another setback after a morning training accident, which gave me some more serious fractures in my shoulder and what not. So, 2025 was a write-off to me.” Also, in stakes action at Woodbine, Pietro Moran led My Covenant to a front-running score in the $125,000 Sophomore Stakes. In the $125,000 Ontario Damsel Stakes, Raiding Party outlasted Dixie Law in the stretch to win with Ryan Munger aboard. And Crystal Visions with Keveh Nicholls aboard won her first stakes race, taking the $150,000 Silver Creek Stakes. UNSUCCESSFUL RETURN King’s Plate winner Luster failed to fire in the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, finishing eighth in a 10-horse field. Second for much of the turf race under jockey John Velazquez, Luster could not find footing on the wet turf to challenge front-running winner Tam Tam when the field turned for home. Trainer Josie Carroll pointed the three-year-old filly to this race after deciding to skip the remainder of the Canadian Triple Crown. CROWN PREVIEW Redland Rocket Man got the better of Beau Jangles in the $350,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Driven by Jody Jamieson, the recent Little Brown Jug winner took command early and had enough to hold off the reigning horse of the year by a length. It’s likely both colts will move on to the Breeders’ Crown at Scioto Downs in Ohio. Elimination heats are next weekend with the finals on Oct. 23-24. Other Super Final winners in the three-year-old divisions were Cher Hill (filly trot), Strobe Like (colt trot) and Cant Turn You Down (filly pace). The Super Finals for two-year-olds went to Detonater Hanover (colt trot), Verily (filly trot), Totally Tyler (colt pace) and Jersey Bulldog (filly pace), who stopped the clock in 1:48 1/5, the fastest mile by a two-year-old in Mohawk history.
