Mid-Atlantic rider, Jaime Rodriguez led the nation in wins last week posting an impressive 11 victories from 25 mounts earning Jockey of the Week for June 20 through June 26. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, honors jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Riding at Delaware Park last week, Rodriguez had three multiple win days and won a total of six races for perennial leading Delaware Park trainer Jamie Ness for whom he rides first call. The duo have a 34 percent win rate. He also won races for Ben Perkins, Jr., Michael Gorham, Samuel Cronk, Antonio Machado and Victor Barboza, Jr.
A native of Puerto Rico, Rodriguez, 31, attended the renowned Escuela Vocacional Hipica jockey school. He rode at Aqueduct and Belmont Park when he moved stateside in 2010. In 2012 he moved his tack to Finger Lakes where he dominated the standings for several years while also riding at Mahoning Valley.
In 2020, Rodriguez made Delaware Park his base finishing third in the standings. In 2021, Rodriguez won his first leading rider title at Delaware Park with 114 wins. He currently leads the Delaware Park standings with 29 wins, 10 more than Carol Cedeno who has won multiple leading rider titles at Delaware Park. Rodriguez also rides at Laurel Park, Penn National and Parx.
Rodriguez won his 1,000th career race on Feb. 21, 2018 at Mahoning Valley and he has 1,777 wins lifetime through June 26. His statistics for the week were 25-11-3-2 for a 44 percent win rate, a 64 percent in-the-money rate and $208,685 in total purses.
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Tyler Gaffalione with a stakes win at Thistledown, C.J. McMahon with a 70 percent in-the-money rate, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won the Grade 3 Ohio Derby, and Joel Rosario with a win in the Grade 2 Mother Goose.
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