Jock Russell notches four-win day

Sheldon Russell in 2015. Photo by The Racing Biz.

From a Maryland Jockey Club release

Journeyman Sheldon Russell moved into second in the jockey standings with a four-win afternoon Saturday to give him 22 at the summer meet, six behind Victor Carrasco and one ahead of Jevian Toledo and Horacio Karamanos.

Russell took the second race with The Hardest Way ($3.20), was a back-to-back winner with Follow the Petals ($5.20) in the fourth and Sir Orinoco ($15.40) in the fifth, and rallied Clubman ($7.60) to victory in the seventh.

“I knew coming into the day that we had some live horses to run but you know how it goes. We dream of big days like this,” Russell said. “It’s lots of hard work in the mornings and I’m just glad it paid off today. To get four wins was fantastic.”

Russell was the 2-1 program favorite in the inflatable rody pony charity event to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund between the fourth and fifth races but lost his footing early in the 100-yard dash and fell face-first in the muddy main track.

“I felt like I was in front in the rody race and I went for too much of a big jump and obviously the horse never landed properly and we tumbled off,” Russell said. “It was nice to come back and win the next race.”