Maragh goes top at Belmont with double

ELMONT, New York (CMC):

Jamaican reinsman Rajiv Maragh rode two winners yesterday to go top of the jockeys' standings at Belmont Park.

In contrasting styles, Maragh took race three with the three-year-old bay gelding Mandate and returned in the very next race to win with Deputy Empress over 1-1/8 miles.

The double took him to 16 wins for the season, alongside Jose Lezcano, who has a similar number, and one ahead of Ramon Dominguez.

In race three over 6-1/2 furlongs, Maragh broke Mandate nicely and pressed the pace set by Gimmee Getme along the backstretch before taking the lead on the turn.

Battle for the lead

Seeyouatsergios kept Mandate honest heading into the stretch and Maragh's gelding could only lead by a head. The two horses bumped in the upper stretch in their battle for the lead and raced into the deep stretch in a dead heat.

Maragh, however, produced a strong bustling ride to reach the wire by a head in one minute, 18.80 seconds. The gelding was eventually confirmed as the winner following a stewards' enquiry.

In race four, a hesitant start left Deputy Empress at the back of the pack as Trippi's Holiday took the field through its early paces.

Maragh raced the filly unhurried in traffic before swinging wide on the turn and making his bid at the quarter-pole.

Deputy Empress gained ground quickly and rushed to the front in the upper stretch, drawing away under a strong drive to win handsomely by 3-3/4 lengths.