Six of the world’s top female riders, including Woodbine’s own Emma-Jayne Wilson, will compete in the inaugural $30,000 Pimlico Female Jockey Challenge on Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico Race Course.
The challenge is part of The People’s Pink Party, a combined effort between Pimlico and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer organization, which will help raise money and awareness in the fight against the disease.
Wilson, along with Chantal Sutherland, also well-known to Woodbine and Canadian racing fans, Rosie Napravnik, Vicky Baze, Forest Boyce and Hayley Turner will take part in the event.
Jockeys will earn points for finishing first (12 points), second (6), third (4) and fourth (3) in four races on Friday (second, fourth, sixth and eighth). The jockey with the most points at the end of the competition will take home top prize of $10,000. Other prize money is $7,000 for second, $6,000 for third, $4,000 for fourth, $2,000 for fifth and $1,000 for sixth.
In 2007, Wilson became the first female rider to win the Queen’s Plate, Canada’s most famous horse race and the first leg in the country’s Triple Crown series, aboard Mike Fox. In six years, the Ontario native has won 807 races and more than $38 million in purses.
Sutherland ranked 13th in North America with $8.8 million in earnings in 2010. Now based in California, the Manitoba native was one of the stars of the Animal Planet reality show “Jockeys.”
Fans can watch and wager on both the Friday and Saturday (Preakness Stakes) cards from Pimlico at Woodbine.
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