Ajax Downs, June 16, 2021 - Now that's the way to start a career.
Rachael Isaacs, 27, began her jockey career at Ajax Downs on the opening day of the 2021 Quarter Horse season Wednesday and won with three of her five scheduled mounts. Isaacs, who lives in Uxbridge, has been riding horses since she was seven years old and has been a pony rider at Ajax and an exercise rider for Thoroughbreds at Woodbine.
She made a decision this year to try to be a jockey and in the second mount of her career, she won on Milena Kwiecien's Favorite Pearl, trained by Jason Pascoe in race 2, paying $8.90 to win. Isaacs followed up with two wins for Big Dog Racing and Carol McIntyre, 5 to 1 shot Virtuosi in race 4 and She's a Flyin Bok, a 6 to 1 chance in race 6. Her fifth mount, Silken Siri, was a late scratch from race seven.
"This feels pretty surreal, I'm so happy," said Isaacs. "I think I am really blessed that I know the track and the people and I was lucky to be put on some good mounts."
Isaacs rode without a whip as per the rules of racing for a jockey's first day but you could hear her hooting and hollering at her horses through the stretch.
In addition to Isaac's remarkable feat, opening day at Ajax featured the first leg of the $20,260 Sprint Series at 110 yards. Craig Spada's five-year-old mare Jess a Sweet Suprize posted an 8 to 1 upset in her season debut under Cory Spataro, edging Arctic Fame by a nose. Multiple Ajax champion Country Boy 123 was interfered with at the start and finished fifth but was placed fourth through the disqualification of third-place finisher Night Fishin. The time for the 110-yards was 6.959 for a sharp 94 Speed Index.
Jess a Sweet Suprize was the 2020 top older mare and she has won five of 22 races and almost $70,000 in purses.
Racing continues without spectators at Ajax Wednesday, June 23 with a 1:30 p.m. first race post time. The races are streamed live on the Ajax Downs Facebook page and on
www.ajaxdowns.com. Follow Ajax Downs on Twitter and Instagram @AjaxDowns.com.
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