A trophy, a jacket and a gift hamper will be all to call his own this time around. Prayven Badrie has socked away the leading jockey title at Assiniboia Downs heading into the last week of the thoroughbred season. It will be the second time he has won, but Badrie had to share the honours with Antonio Whitehall the last time (2018).
Badrie galloped to the early lead this meet and held off challenges from Damario Bynoe and Whitehall as he raced wire-to-wire. With two racing days left, Badrie has won 52 races, finishing second 36 times, with 33 thirds, earning $801,000. Bynoe was a distant second with 40 victories.
“I’ve been working real hard at it,” said Badrie, 34. “(Downs trainer) Mike Nault has been giving me the opportunities (to ride good horses) and I’m thankful for that. “So far, I won seven stakes races – two with Blazing Bo (including the $50,000 Harvey Warner Manitoba Mile for Nault), two with Commandoslastdance and two with Midnight Lady (including the $50,000 Manitoba Oaks for trainer Lee Delaronde).
” Badrie was just caught at the wire aboard Blazing Bo in a photo finish where he finished third by a nose in Tuesday’s $50,000 Gold Cup. But that horse is still his favourite. “He listens to me,” he said.
Badrie has come a long way after suffering injuries that may have had others choosing a different career. “In 2018, after I won the championship, I went to Century Downs,” he recalled. “The last race, my horse broke down in front and everybody ran over me.
I broke my left hip and I shattered my pelvis. Then, I was out for five or six months. “When I came back, first I won a race and after that, my horse broke down and I broke my collarbone and I was out for one month.
Then I recovered from that.” Jockeys may not be very big, but they sure sport a lot of intestinal fortitude. “Yeah, jockeys are tough,” Badrie said.
“Horse racing is tough ...
You work in a bank and you get shot, you’ve got to go back there because nobody gives you nothing. You’ve got to work for what you want, you know. There are obstacles in every job.
You working a taxi and a guy crashes into you, what are you gong to do? Stop driving taxi?” Badrie showed no fear in getting back into the saddle again. “No, I don’t get scared — I pray lots,” he said. “You can’t be scared unless you’re scared of life.
I’m not scared.” Badrie, who hails from Trinidad, appreciates the support he gets from his family, who watch his races online back home. He got married to assistant trainer Madison Tirk last year and he plans to take her home to meet his loving family this off-season.
“I’m taking her to my country,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”.
