Reigning Eclipse Award winner Joel Rosario travelled from Kentucky Downs to Churchill Downs winning three stakes races including two graded stakes to earn the title of Jockey of the Week for September 12 through September 18. 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.
On Tuesday, Rosario was at Kentucky Downs to ride their make-up card from Sunday when races were cancelled after the first two because of inclement weather. Riding for Eclipse Award trainer Brad Cox, Rosario was aboard Adventuring in the Grade 3 AGS Ladies Marathon. Off as the second choice in the nine horse field, Adventuring took command out of the gate and held on gamely to out finish the favorite, Family Way and win by 1 1/2 lengths in 2:08.28 for 1 5/16 miles.
“Perfect trip,” said Rosario. “The filly did all the work. You can see the way she runs that if someone challenges her, she keeps moving forward.”
Wednesday was Closing Day at Kentucky Downs with a 12-race card and Rosario was aboard Reckoning Force in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile. Coming from the back of the pack in the eight-horse field, Reckoning Force swept past most of the field from the outside to win by a neck over Deer District in 1:34.03 for the mile. The win was the first at Kentucky Downs for trainer Joseph O'Brien, the son of legendary Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien.
“I was in a good spot the whole time and not too far from the leader and he kept coming with a strong finish,” said Rosario. “He seemed really professional. I took him out and he decided to go and he kept moving forward.”
Moving on to Churchill Downs, Rosario was in the irons for trainer Philip Bauer on Played Hard in the G3 Locust Grove. Rosario and Played Hard sat just off the leader, Crazy Beautiful through comfortable early fractions. Leaving the turn, Rosario asked Played Hard and she responded, kicking away from the field to post a 5 3/4 length win in 1:43.50 for the 1 1/16 miles.
“I just let her settle out of the gate,” said Rosario. “I was confident in her most of the way around there with how well she was traveling. When I asked her to go, she just really responded like I thought she would. This was the first time I've been on her but I saw her form and looked at her previous races. It looked like she was coming into this race in really good form and she showed it.”
Rosario's weekly statistics included seven wins and $1,355,611 in total purses to lead all jockeys in stakes and total purses.
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Julien Leparoux who won the G3 Pocahontas, Jose Lezcano with two stakes wins, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational and posted 11 wins to lead all riders for the week, and Jaime Rodriguez who won 10 races.
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