Emma-Jayne Wilson Reaches 1,000 Wins
Champion jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson collected her 1,000th lifetime score aboard D’wildcat Gold in Sunday's first race at Woodbine.
"It's something I've been chasing,” said Wilson, who piloted Mike Fox to victory in the 2007 Queen’s Plate. “For a couple weeks I had a bit of a lull, but it's good to get the milestone and now I'm counting to 1001. Let's go!”
Wilson guided D’wildcat Gold ($8.30) to a 2 ¼-length victory for trainer Tom O’Keefe in the 5 ½ furlong race.
The 31-year-old, who won the 2005 Sovereign Award as Canada's top apprentice jockey and 2005 Eclipse Award as North America's top apprentice jockey, was thrilled to reach the milestone.
“As we started to pull away from Jermaine's (jockey Bridgmohan) horse (Perfect Balance), I had a little giggle,” said Wilson, who also won the 2006 apprentice Sovereign. “It was a little surreal and I just wanted to enjoy the moment for the last eighth of a mile. I knew she was running well and I just giggled through the last sixteenth (of a mile).”
In 2005, Wilson was one of 20 women named by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) among the most influential women in sport.
Born in Bramalea, Wilson’s first winner came with Ali Olah on August 28, 2004, at Fort Erie. She won the inaugural Pimlico Female Jockey Challenge in May of 2011, in an event that helped raise money for breast cancer awareness.
As of September 15, she has 54 stakes scores, 11 graded.