Two graded stakes wins, including the prestigious Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, led veteran New York jockey Jose Lezcano to be voted Jockey of the Week for Oct. 3 through Oct. 9. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, honors jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Riding for Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott at the Belmont at the Big A meet on Saturday, Lezcano was aboard Elite Power in the G2 Vosburgh Stakes, a “Win And You're In” for a berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. As the favorite in the field of five, Elite Power sat in second early making the front before a half-mile was run. Turning for home, Elite Power opened up and won as easily as the 1-2 odds suggested to post a 5 3/4-length win in 1:23.98 for seven furlongs.
“He was very comfortable the whole way around, I could go to the lead when I want,” said Lezcano.
Riding again for trainer Bill Mott, Lezcano was the pilot for the first time on the 5-year-old mare War Like Goddess taking on males for the first time in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. Breaking from post position two, War Like Goddess sat a comfortable third, two paths off the rail down the backstretch. Around the far turn, she matched strides with Bye Bye Melvin and surged clear to post an emphatic by 2 3/4-length win in 2:27.29 for the 12-furlong inner turf test.
The connections intend to run War Like Goddess against males again in the G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.
“She's a very nice mare and she does everything right,” said Lezcano. “When I asked her, she gave me her race. When you ride a horse for Billy, you've always got a chance to win this kind of race.”
Lezcano, a 37-year-old native of Chiriqui, Panama, began riding horses on father's farm before attending the Laffit Pincay, Jr. Jockey School in Panama. Lezcano moved to the United States in 2003 and made his first start on March 14, 2004 at Gulfstream Park winning his first race that same day. Lezcano has won multiple leading rider titles including Gulfstream Park, The Meadowlands, Monmouth Park and at the 2019 Belmont Park spring/summer meet. He won his 3,000th career win on May 5, 2022 at Belmont Park. He is currently in second place in the Belmont at the Big A jockey standings with 16 wins.
Weekly statistics for Lezcano included six wins and $633,688 in total purses.
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Arnaldo Bocachica who won three stakes races at Charles Town, Irad Ortiz, Jr. with four graded stakes wins, Umberto Rispoli with two graded stakes wins, and Miguel A. Vasquez who led all riders in wins with 10.
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