Samy Camacho doesn't want to look too far ahead. For now, his sights are set on staying strong and healthy and winning the Tampa Bay Downs jockeys title for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
But with a substantial lead from Pablo Morales in the standings approaching the midway point of the meet (51-32 through Sunday's action), the 34-year-old Venezuelan is already thinking about adding more hardware to his trophy case in the summer.
“I went to Monmouth Park for the first time last year and finished (tied for) third, but I didn't win for anybody from New Jersey,” Camacho said. “The Jersey-bred program is very important up there, so I'm trying to open my lead here as much as I can because Gulfstream starts their (spring-summer meet) in April, and I'd like to try to win a title there this year.
“But if (Morales) gets closer, I'll stay here and go to Monmouth, because I don't want to let him beat me.”
Camacho failed to win Sunday, a day after riding three winners and finishing third in both stakes races: on Marketsegmentation for trainer Chad Brown in the Endeavour (G3) and on Golden Alchemist for Brown in the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3).
Under the direction of his agent, Mike Moran, Camacho has ridden the most horses at the meet – 218 – and his fitness and ability, along with Moran's knack for finding quality mounts, has him well ahead of the rest of the Oldsmar colony with a 23.4 win percentage.
“I keep learning something new every day, and I think that is why I'm doing better and winning more races,” Camacho said.
Morales, meanwhile, continues to close in on 2,500 career victories, moving within four Sunday by winning two races on the turf. He captured the fourth race aboard Original for owner Eric Fein and trainer John P. Terranova II and added the ninth and final race on Slime Queen, a 6-year-old mare owned by Charles D. Nielson and trained by Jon Arnett.
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