Jockey Cristian Torres has ridden the momentum of his first career riding title into a comfortable lead through the first 41 days of Oaklawn's scheduled 68-day meeting that ends May 6.
Torres, 25, is riding so well that his plans to be based this summer at Lone Star Park are now up in the air, the jockey said Saturday morning.
“With everything that is happening now, with everything going so well, we haven't made a decision yet,” Torres said. “We still haven't made a decision, but if everything keeps going the way it's going, we may make a change.”
Torres' career surge began last summer when he became the go-to rider for Robertino Diodoro and Karl Broberg, two of the winningest trainers in North American history. Torres, after an injury during the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, resurfaced last May at Lone Star Park, then rode 71 winners to capture the riding title at Remington Park.
Torres entered Sunday with a meet-high 57 victories this season at Oaklawn, 11 more than runner-up Francisco Arrieta. Torres also led all riders in purse earnings ($3,520,394) and stakes victories (five). Torres rode a career-high five winners Feb. 20 and had his third four-win day of the meeting Friday.
Torres didn't elaborate on a potential new post-Oaklawn destination, but one obvious option would be Kentucky. A handful of Oaklawn's top riders this season are normally based at Churchill Downs, Keeneland or Ellis Park the remainder of the year.
“We've got to take advantage of the momentum,” Torres said. “Everything's going well and hopefully it keeps going the way it's going.”
Torres began riding at Oaklawn in 2021 after relocating to the Midwest from Gulfstream Park, where he launched his career in 2019.
Torres, whose agent is retired trainer Cody Autrey, entered Sunday with 98 career victories at Oaklawn and 476 overall, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization.
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