Joel Rosario, the reigning Eclipse Award winner as Outstanding Jockey, started the highly anticipated Saratoga meet off exceptionally well with three graded stakes wins including the Grade 1 Diana to earn Jockey of the Week honors. 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 Friday, trainer Christophe Clement gave a leg up to Rosario on City Man in the G3 Forbidden Apple for 4-year-olds and up. City Man broke from post position nine and was sent to the rail by Rosario, settling in seventh. As the field approached the far turn, Rosario moved City Man to the outside taking command at the eighth pole to win by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:33.76 for one mile on the inner turf. Rosario has now been aboard City Man for four of the horse's five stakes victories.
“I was very comfortable,” said Rosario. “For a second, I was between horses passing the three-eighths, but he was handling everything fine. He put in a good run today.”
On Saturday, Rosario was aboard In Italian, the lightly regarded of four-time Eclipse-Award winner Chad Brown's quartet of entries in the G1 Diana for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. She proved to be the best, posting a wire-to-wire win in 1:45.06 setting a new track record for the 1 1/8-mile turf event.
“It looked like she was going very easy,” said Rosario who was riding In Italian for the first time. “It looked like she was enjoying everything and it was very easy for her. She was able to turn loose going for home and just took off again.”
Rosario continued his winning ways on Sunday aboard Big Invasion in the G3 Quick Call again for trainer Christophe Clement. Off as the favorite in the field of six, Big Invasion raced in fifth behind a hot early pace before making his move around the far turn to power home a 2 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:00.80 for the 5 1/2 furlong turf test for 3-year-olds.
“He broke very well and it looked like it was a little speed in front and we set up nice in behind them,” said Rosario. “He did great. Turning for home, I was just a passenger on the best horse in the race.”
Rosario sits atop the Saratoga jockey standings with seven wins and $780,738 in total purses.
Other contenders for Jockey of the Week were Javier Castellano with two stakes wins, Stewart Elliott also with two stakes victories, Florent Geroux with two graded stakes wins and Horacio Karamanos with a stakes win and eight total wins for the week.
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