McAleney hoping to win his first Queen’s Plate aboard River Rush
The 42-year-old British Columbia native jockey, Jim McAleney incurred fatal injuries back in October 2010, when he was ejected by his runner. The rider suffered a broken rib and a collarbone as well as lung injuries, but now he is back into the racing scene, embracing the sport like never before.
In these twists and turns of life, Jim McAleney, as a rider has been a successful one, and has gone on to notch 2,247 races, and this year he has compiled nine victories in 83 mounts, including a big victory over, Tu Endie Wei, when he guided the runner to score the Star Shoot Stakes.
However, there is one race that has eluded the veteran rider throughout his career, and that it $1 million Queen’s Plate Stakes at Woodbine.
This year, the race will get underway on 24 June, 2012, at Woodbine’s dirt track over the classic distance of 1 ¼ miles, and Jim McAleney has Stronach Stables owned, River Rush for the “Gallop for the Guineas.”
McAleney, has ridden the Reade Baker trained colt once, and together they won the Plate Trial Stakes at Woodbine’s synthetic surface on 3 June, 2012, and topped the 1 1/8 mile distance in 1 minute and 48.97 seconds as the 2 to 1 favourite.
The duo broke the track record, while defeating Incredicat in second and Classic Bryce in third.
"What I really enjoyed about the day is that it was like starting all over again," offered McAleney. "I so enjoyed the way the horse ran and I really enjoyed riding him. I had lots of horse and yet I could do anything I wanted. When I wanted to go, he went. When I wanted to wait, he waited. He was so rideable and just covering ground so effortlessly. It was just a thrill to sit on him."
Prior to the Plate Trial Stakes win, River Rush had debuted over at Gulfstream Park’s turf course in attempt to break his maiden, but failed to finish eighth over a distance of 1 mile.
He tried his luck at Woodbine, but his second attempt was much better than his first, though still lost by a whisker to Awesome Overture in second.
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