Channel Maker of History
The start of the final leg of Canada’s Triple Crown on Sunday would not be as highly contested as the finish.
Three separate inquiries following the finish of this year’s Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack could not keep jockey Rafael Hernandez out of the winner’s circle after riding the three-year-old chestnut Channel Maker to a photo-finish win in the 126th running of the $400,000 classic.
It was a tense 15 minutes, though, as two claims of foul against Hernandez required that he wait at the stewards office off-track while deliberation continued. Here, Hernandez, who now has two Breeders’ Stakes wins in a row, watches replays of the race with former jockey and current Jockey’s Benefit Association of Canada head Robert King Jr., below, as the great former jockey Sandy Hawley, right, stands outside.
Patrick Husbands, far right below, took Final Copy to within inches of claiming the win, but had to settle for second in the 1 and 1/2 mile E.P. Taylor turf course race.
