On Saturday, veteran Maryland jockey Sheldon Russell posted a stakes win in the James F. Lewis III during Laurel's Veterans Day card and on Sunday, he won the Thirty Eight Go Go stakes. Both wins were for Laurel Park's leading trainer and Sheldon's wife, Brittany Russell.
The panel of racing experts voted Sheldon Russell Jockey of the Week for November 3-November 9.
The weekly honor recognizes jockeys for significant riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild. Founded in 1940, the Guild represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Sheldon Russell was aboard Balboa in the James F. Lewis III Stakes for two-year-olds on Saturday. The colt was recently transferred from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's barn on the west coast to Brittany Russell's east coast stable.
Off as the even-money favorite in the field of 10, Balboa raced in second in the early going before taking command after the first quarter. As the field rounded the far turn, Balboa was in front by 3-1/2 lengths cruising home by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:11.87 for six furlongs.
"He's got good gate speed and had a good outside post," Sheldon Russell said to Laurel publicity. "He broke good enough where I could use him and cross over and just save some. When he jumped on the right lead, he really came home nicely."
On Sunday, Sheldon Russell posted his second win of the day aboard the 3-year-old filly Complexity Jane in the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes. Racing with blinkers for the first time, Complexity Jane went off as the second choice at 5-2 in the field of seven.
Breaking from the outside post, Complexity Jane stalked the pacesetter Di's Surprise through the first turn then took control at the top of the stretch to win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:46.80 for the mile and one-sixteenth contest for fillies and mares three-years-old and up.
Sheldon Russell, 38, was born in Louisiana but was raised in Newmarket, England. Following in his father's footsteps to become a jockey, he attended racing school in England before coming to the United States in 2007. He currently rides primarily in Maryland and at Colonial Downs in Virginia.
A multiple graded stakes winner, Russell won his 1,000th career race on March 7, 2015 at Aqueduct aboard Shayjolie. On July 31, 2021, Russell won his 1,500th career race aboard Hello Beautiful for Brittany Russell in the Alma North Stakes at Pimlico.
This week at Laurel, Sheldon Russell has 12 mounts of which 11 are for trainer Brittany Russell. The jockey-husband/trainer-wife duo currently boast a 30% win percentage.
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week included Dylan Davis who won the Mother Goose (G2), Jose Ortiz who won 10 races for the week and Flavien Prat who also won 10 races including the Chelsey Flower Stakes at Aqueduct.
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