Paco Lopez, Joel Rosario and Sheldon Russell each had a week which impressed the members of the panel of racing experts leading to a three-way tie for Jockey of the Week June 12 through June 18. The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1,050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Paco Lopez, Monmouth Park's leading rider, had a sensational week riding between Parx and Monmouth Park posting 13 wins for the week to lead all jockeys. Riding at Parx on Monday, his four mounts led to four wins for four different trainers including J. Kent Sweezey, J. Guadalupe Guerrero, James Noble and Joseph Taylor. On Tuesday at Parx, Lopez rode one winner for trainer Richard Vega and on Wednesday at Parx, Lopez won one race for trainer Jacinto Solis.
Back home at Monmouth on Friday, Lopez won two races one each for trainers Eddie Owens, Jr. and Juan Avila. On Saturday, Lopez added a win for trainer Kelly Breen before Sunday's card where he won four races one each for trainers Patrick McBurney, John Servis and two for Kelly Breen. At the end of the week, Lopez's 13 wins were for 11 different trainers.
Joel Rosario made the trip to Monmouth Park on Saturday for Haskell Preview Day. Riding for Eclipse Award trainer, Brad Cox, Rosario was aboard Salute the Stars in the Pegasus Stakes for three-year-olds. Off as the second favorite in the field of six, Salute the Stars was slow out of the gate and shuffled back settling in fourth. Picking up the pace on the final turn, Salute the Stars closed with determination to catch the favorite Kingsbarns just before the wire to win in 1:43.87 for the 1 1/16 miles.
Rosario's second stakes winner on the card was Catnip for trainer Mike Stidham in the Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes for three-year-olds and up. Off at odds of 6-1, Catnip broke from post six and raced in second before being shuffled back just before the far turn. Entering the stretch Catnip went outside and with a furious late charge won by half-length in 1:47.40 for the 1 1/8 mile trip.
At Laurel Park on Saturday, Sheldon Russell made it a family affair winning the Stormy Blues Stakes for his wife, Brittany Russell who is Laurel Park's leading trainer. Sheldon Russell ended the week with six wins from 13 mounts.
Other contenders for Jockey of the Week were Hector I. Berrios who won the G3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won two stakes races including the G3 Bed o' Roses and posted five wins on Saturday.
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