Three stakes mounts at Laurel on Saturday led to three stakes wins for Jevian Toledo, one of the mid-Atlantic's elite jockeys. The panel of racing experts voted Toledo the honor of Jockey of the Week for April 24 through April 30. The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Saturday's Springfest stakes card at Laurel included five stakes races each worth $100,000.
Riding for trainer Bruce Kravets, Toledo was aboard Nimitz Class in the Native Dancer for three-year-olds and up. Off as the favorite in the six-horse field, Nimitz Class broke sharply and raced along the rail pressed by 17-1 shot Nostalgic Run. Nimitz Class took the lead after the half and was in command around the far turn to win by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:52.11 for the mile and one-eighth on a muddy track. The Native Dancer was the fourth stakes win in a row for Nimitz Class with Toledo in the irons.
“He did it pretty easy,” said Toledo. “They were the same kind of horses that he's been running against, but he's a nice horse. You can do whatever you want with him.”
Toledo won his second consecutive stakes for leading Laurel Park trainer Kieron Magee on Classier in the Henry S. Clark Stakes. The race was originally scheduled for one mile on the turf but moved to the main track at one mile. Off as the favorite in the five-horse field, Toledo guided the five-year-old to a front-running 1-3/4-length win in 1:38.28. It was the third win in a row for Classier all with Toledo aboard.
Sandwiched in between his three stakes wins, Toledo won an Allowance Optional Claiming race for trainer Brittany Russell with Goodgirl Badhabits.
Toledo ended the day aboard Princess Kokachin for trainer John Robb in The Primonetta. Off as the favorite in the field of seven, Princess Kokachin did not disappoint her backers as she raced to the lead approaching the turn to win by one half length in 1:11.95 for the six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares three-years-old and up.
Toledo, 28, won his first career Grade 1 race on April 8 in the Carter Handicap with Doppelganger at Aqueduct for trainer Brittany Russell. Toledo is one of Russell's go-to riders. He won his 1,000th career race on July 24, 2020 at a Laurel. Toledo has led the jockey standings multiple times at Laurel and Pimlico and currently sits in second place at the Laurel meet that began April 1.
Other contenders for Jockey of the Week were Manny Franco with two stakes wins at Aqueduct, Tyler Gaffalione who won Keeneland's Spring Meet riding title, Leonel Reyes who led all jockeys in wins with nine, and Umberto Rispoli with three stakes wins at Golden Gate including the G3 San Francisco Mile.
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