KINGSTON, Jamaica - Local rider Robert Halledeen entered the winners’ enclosure for the first occasion in the United States yesterday (July 11, 2022) at the Thistledown race track, Ohio.
Halledeen, known as “Hardball” by local racing fans, won the Thistledown fourth atop Turning Pages for trainer James Jackson. The Thistledown fourth was an event on the dirt over six furlongs for US$5,000 claimers. Turning Pages paid US$3.60 to win, US$2.40 to place and US$2.20 to show.
Halledeen, who started to ride in the US two weeks ago, had two mounts on the eight-race offering. He finished third on his first ride on the day, Guccissimo, for trainer Ricardo Bailey.
“It’s not easy to win a race anywhere in horse racing world, so for me to be here at the middle of the meet when everything got rolling months ago and to get a ride like that from the connection speaks volume for my brand. It means the horse racing people here at Thistledown see the talent, so it is a great feeling to win the hardest one which is the first one. I thank God and all Halledeen supporters and again the connections.
“I won’t be celebrating as I have already put that first win behind me and I am now fully focussed on the future of winning many more races and putting Halledeen and Jamaica in the winners’ circle regularly. A special thanks also to my agent, John Morant, known as “JJ“, Halledeen said.
On the home front, Halledeen is fifth on the jockeys’ table with 24 winners from 159 rides.
