Jockey Micah Husbands may be based at Gulfstream Park but Oaklawn Park may be his favorite track. On Saturday, Husbands earned his first career Grade I race in Oaklawn's marquee race for older fillies and mares, the Apple Blossom for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. It was the second graded race Husbands has won this year at Oaklawn after the Essex Handicap (G3) with Skippylongstocking in March also trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr.
The panel of racing experts voted Husbands Jockey of the Week for April 6-April 12.
Traveling from Gulfstream Park, Husbands was aboard the 5-year-old Claret Beret in the $1.25 million Gr. 1 Apple Blossom which featured last year's Eclipse-Award winning 3-year-old filly Nitrogen under Jose Ortiz. The Apple Blossom was part of the Oaklawn's annual Racing Festival of the South.
Coming off a win in the Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream with regular rider Husbands aboard, Claret Beret went off at odds of 8-1 breaking from post position eight in the field of nine. Claret Beret raced just off the pace of leader and longshot Blue Fire with Florent Geroux and Five G under Hall of Famer John Velazquez while heavy favorite Nitrogen raced in fourth just off the rail.
Claret Beret took the lead just past the three-eighths pole with Nitrogen in pursuit. Claret Beret was never threatened and rolled home by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:42.21 for the mile and one-sixteenth. Nitrogen finished second well ahead of the rest of the field. The Apple Blossom is a "Win and You're In" for this year's Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).
"I was loaded by the three-eighths (pole)," said Husbands to Oaklawn publicity. "I was trying to be as patient (as possible) and not move too early. I was loaded the whole way. When I asked her down the lane, she just finished off. This has always been my dream, to ride in these kind of races and I'm just thankful to be living the dream."
Husbands is a native of Barbados as is Saffie Joseph, Jr. who has been a huge supporter of the 23-year-old since he arrived at Gulfstream from Woodbine. The jockey/trainer duo has a 20% win percentage. Husbands recorded his first U.S. win on September 27, 2024 for Joseph and is the nephew of eight-time Sovereign Award winner and Canadian Hall of Fame member Patrick Husbands.
Husbands is back at his Gulfstream base this week and currently is tied in the jockey standings with four wins. He finished with 27 wins during Gulfstream's Championship meet which ended March 29.
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week include Kazushi Kimura who won the Lexington (G3) at Keeneland, Flavien Prat with three graded stakes wins at Keeneland including the Makers Mark Mile (G1) and the Jenny Wiley (G1), Luis Saez who dead heated for first in the Jenny Wiley (G1) and Hall of Famer John Velazquez who won the Limestone (G3) at Keeneland.
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