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Jose Lezcano Returns Thursday Following Shoulder And Knee Surgery

Jockey Jose Lezcano will be back in the saddle on Thursday at Belmont Park after recovering from shoulder and knee surgery which kept him out of action for nearly three full months.

The 36-year-old Lezcano has not ridden since January 31 at Aqueduct and has been named aboard two horses on Thursday's nine-race card for trainer Brad Cox.

The 2019 Belmont spring/summer meet leading rider will pilot graded-stakes placed Caldee for Shortleaf Stable in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming race over the Widener turf course in Race 5, as well as Anstu Stables' stakes-placed Kinenos, who is entered in a 10-furlong second-level optional claiming tilt over the inner turf in Race 8.

Agent Jason Beides said Lezcano has been working horses at Belmont for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey and Jorge Abreu.

“He's going good and working really hard,” said Beides. “He can't wait to get back and ride. It's been tough keeping him on the ground. A shoulder is a tough injury but he stays in good shape, so that's good.”

Jockeys Junior Alvarado and Pablo Fragoso, who were unseated in the eighth race on Opening Day on Thursday at Belmont, are both on the sidelines.

The 34-year-old Alvarado, who was unseated by Sport Model, was evaluated at hospital Thursday. Agent Mike Sellitto reported that all tests and scans were negative. Alvarado was discharged that evening and will visit a specialist later this week for further guidance on his expected return.

Fragoso reported that he had fractured his right wrist, incurred a mild concussion, and lost two teeth after being unseated by Sailor's Treasure. Fragoso will also seek further specialist advice this week.

Manny Franco, who was unseated by Undetectable in the same spill, was cleared by EMS immediately following and rode the winner, Kavod, in Friday's opening race at Belmont.

Dylan Davis, who broke his collarbone in a fall on March 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack, will see a specialist this week with an eye towards a mid-May return, agent Mike Migliore said. The 26-year-old rider underwent successful surgery at the end of March.

“If all goes well with the doctor, we're hoping he can be back in the middle of May after a little physical therapy,” said Migliore. “He's young and keeps himself in good shape. It's a shame he got hurt, we had good momentum going at Aqueduct.”

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Cross Country Pick 5 Pays $9,200; Logs Total Pool Of Nearly $130K

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5, showcasing live action from Belmont and Oaklawn Park, returned $9,200.25 for selecting all five winner's for the 50-cent wager. The total was pool was $129,903.

Shaftesbury started the sequence with a strong 2 3/4-length win in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race on Belmont's Widener turf course in Race 6. The Todd Pletcher trainee, off as the 5-2 favorite, had finished second in three consecutive starts before breaking through, hitting the wire in 1:41.63 under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Shaftesbury, a $675,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, paid $7.60 on a $2 win wager.

Oaklawn got in on the fun with a six-furlong main track allowance tilt for 4-year-olds and up in Race 5, as Greely and Ben edged Sevier by a neck to earn victory for trainer Karl Broberg. Ridden by David Cohen, Greeley and Ben, who went off at 3-1 and returned $8.40, completed the course in 1:10.48.

Back at Belmont, Looking At Bikinis made his 5-year-old debut a successful one for trainer Chad Brown, rewarding his even-money favoritism to post a one-length score in a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer in Race 7. Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano kept Looking At Bikinis, who competed in the 2019 Grade 1 Runhappy Travers and that year's Grade 1 Cigar Mile, forwardly placed in stalking position behind pacesetter American Power before a strong finish and a final time of 1:23.45. He paid $4.20.

At Oaklawn, Firehorn provided the sequence's biggest upset, winning a six-furlong main track sprint at 16-1 odds in Race 6. Firehorn, who returned $34, pulled away in the stretch under rider Fernando De La Cruz to win by a half-length over Sharp Art for trainer Randy Morse. The sprint for 3-year-olds and up saw Firehorn post a final time of 1:11.17.

Belmont ended the wager with the sequence's lone stakes, as Casa Creed won a blanket finish, a head in front of favorite Front Run the Fed in the $100,000 Elusive Quality in Race 8. The seven-furlong sprint was the first turf stakes of Belmont Park's 48-day spring/summer meet, and Joe Bravo piloted Casa Creed to a final time of 1:22.65. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Casa Creed paid $7.60.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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Concussion Sustained In Belmont Spill Sidelines Junior Alvarado

Jockey Junior Alvarado, one of three jockeys involved in a spill in Thursday's eighth race on opening day at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., was off all mounts this weekend and will miss several stakes engagements at Churchill Downs next week, including a possible ride aboard Caddo River in the G1 Kentucky Derby, according to a report in Daily Racing Form.

Alvarado was released from a local hospital on Thursday evening but took of mounts the following day and saw a specialist who determined the rider had suffered a concussion. He had fallen hard to the turf when his mount, Sport Model, clipped heels when in tight rounding the stretch turn. Jockey Manny Franco escaped injury when his mount, Undetectable, collided with the fallen horse. A third rider, Pablo Fragoso, was diagnosed with a wrist fracture and also lost two teeth when he was thrown to the ground after his mount, Sailor's Treasure, was unable to avoid Sport Model.

All three horses got back up and were captured by outriders. None was reported to have suffered any injuries.

According to Daily Racing Form, Alvarado was being considered as rider for Caddo River in the Kentucky Derby. He had several other stakes mounts lined up Derby week, but will not be able to fulfill any of the commitments. Alvarado is scheduled to see a doctor Thursday to learn when he may return to action.

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Contenders Record Final Kentucky Oaks Works

Several GI Kentucky Oaks-bound fillies put in their final major workouts Saturday morning leading up to Friday's Churchill Downs Classic. Leading the Churchill Downs worktab, Phoenix Thoroughbred's Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map), winner of the Mar. 27 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks in her most recent start, worked a half-mile in :49.20 under Danny Ramsey for trainer Kenny McPeek.

“She had a breeze last week in :59, which was a bullet work,” McPeek said. “So today I just went a half with her, something simple, again just a basic maintenance work. She's eating good, and like King Fury, she's doing super good, fingers crossed.”

Also at Churchill Saturday, Juddmonte Farms' Millefeuille (Curlin) worked five furlongs in :59.60 in company to produce the fastest of 29 works at the distance. Ailsa Morrison was aboard the Gulfstream Park Oaks runner-up for trainer Bill Mott.

“It looked good to me,” trainer Bill Mott said of the work that began after Millefeuille had galloped once around.

At Belmont Park, Beach Haven Thoroughbreds' Maracuja (Honor Code) worked a half-mile in :48.20 for trainer Rob Atras. After breaking her maiden at Aqueduct Feb. 21, she finished runner-up in the nine-furlong GIII Gazelle S. The grey is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs Monday.

“I was very happy with it,” Atras said. “I wasn't worried about the time but the track must have been playing fast because the work didn't look that quick to me. She did it easily down the lane and had a nice even gallop out.”

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