Four stakes wins over the Thanksgiving weekend led to Junior Alvarado named as Jockey of the Week for Nov. 23 through Nov. 29. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.
With no racing scheduled on Thanksgiving Day, Alvarado made the most of the three days of racing at Aqueduct with mounts in 10 stakes races. On Friday, Alvarado scored by a nose with City Man for trainer Christophe Clement in the Gio Ponti over a stubborn Bodecream.
“Every time Christophe Clement brings a horse over, it doesn't matter the odds, they always seem to be fighting to win the race,” Alvarado said.
Also on the Friday card, Alvarado was aboard Feel Glorious, again for Christophe Clement, winning the Forever Together by three-quarters of a length.
“I had the best filly,” said Alvarado. “Turning for home, I put her in the clear to the outside and when she switched leads, she started picking it up.”
Fresh off a successful Friday, Alvarado had the mount on Forza Di Oro for trainer Bill Mott in the Grade 3 Discovery on Saturday. Around the far turn, Alvarado guided Forza Di Oro through an opening and drew off by 3-3/4 lengths.
“When he switches leads like he did today, he gives that next gear, Alvarado said.
On Sunday, trainer Bill Mott gave a leg up to Alvarado in the Tepin aboard Lovestruck who repelled a threat by Invincible Gal to hit the wire in 1:47.14.
“We were expecting the kind of run from her that we saw today,” said Alvarado. “There's still room for her to improve.”
As the leading rider by stakes wins, Alvarado posted a 22.72 percent win rate while in-the-money on 54.54 percent of his mounts. With five wins, three seconds and four thirds from 22 mounts, his purse earnings totaled $383,602.
Alvarado out-polled Rafael Bejarano who was the leading jockey by purse earnings, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won three stakes races at Del Mar, Joel Rosario who won two stakes races at Del Mar and Tim Thornton who was the leading jockey by total wins with 10.
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