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The Buffalo News/Wednesday, May 24, 1995
Griffith sizzles at Fort, for openers
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FORT ERIE
jockey Christopher Griffith has leaped out of
the season's starting gate at a record-setting pace.
The 25-year-old native of Barbados had a career-best five-winner
day Monday to solidify his position atop the rider standing with
15 winners in 12 days. Doug Gibbons and Martin
Ramirez are tied for second place with nine each.
When Constant Montpellier set the Fort Erie
record of 142 winners in 104 days, he didn't get his 15th winner
until the 16th day of the season.
Griffith was the No.2 rider at Fort Erie in 1994 with 71
winners, 15 behind the retired Jorge Pizzaro.
This is Griffith's sixth year in the saddle and
fifth in Canada.
He said the toughest win of the day was his last, aboard the Ralph
Biamonte-trained Castle Anner in the
ninth race. The 6-year-old gelding opened a big lead at the top
of the stretch, but hung in the drive and just held on to win by
a head.
" He didn't cooperate with a winning attitude, " Griffith
said.
" You've got to have the horses and my agent ( Rick
Somerville ) is doing a really good job. A lot of things
come into play, " he said. " I've started out great, so
it's not impossible ( to win the title )."
Three of Griffith's winners have come aboard Orange
Lasso, the meet's only three-time winner so far. The
5-year-old gelding trained by Dan Poliziani for
owner John Kopra has won 6 and 6 1/2 furlongs on
the dirt and 7 furlongs on the turf. His turf win on Monday was
the second victory in five grass starts for the Kentucky-bred son
of Tasso and a mare named Gin and Juice.