Following Saturday's closure of the 49-day Winter/Spring Meet at Turfway Park, jockey Walter Rodriguez, trainer Wesley Ward, and owner Roy Jackson's Lael Stables were awarded with respective meet-leading titles.
Rodriguez, a five-pound apprentice, burst onto the Turfway scene in December and quickly found himself riding for some of the top connections on the backside. Represented by Cliff Collier, Rodriguez tallied 48 victories from 250 starts. Some of his most notable wins this meet were aboard Ocean Atlantique in the $125,000 Dust Commander Stakes and Opening Buzz, who was victorious in the $125,000 Wishing Well Stakes.
Collier's other rider, 2022 Winter/Spring Meet champion Gerardo Corrales, was second in the standings with 45 victories. He was followed by Fernando De La Cruz (35 wins), Luan Machado (35) and Joe Ramos (26).
Ward's 22 victories at the meet were seven more than Paulo Lobo and Bill Morey's 15.
Among Ward's biggest victories at the meet were from his trainees Eye Witness in the $250,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes, Sunday Shoes in the $125,000 Serena's Song, and Funtastic Again in the $125,000 Leonatus Stakes. Trainers Brad Cox and Mike Maker finished in a tie for fourth with 14 wins.
The race for leading owner came down to the final night at Turfway Park, and with Sunday Shoe's victory in the Serena's Song Stakes, Lael Stables moved into a three-way tie with Three Diamonds Farm and Wesley Ward for leading owner with six wins. Lael Stables won the tiebreaker with the most earnings of the three: $341,365.
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