Edgard Zayas | Horse Racing Free Tips

Edgard Zayas On Injury Rehabilitation And Coming Back ‘Stronger Than Ever’

Horse racing is an incredibly dangerous sport to pursue as a professional athlete, and most jockeys can tell you a story or two about injuries that have forced them to watch from the sidelines until they were cleared to race. Multiple graded stakes-winning jockey Edgard Zayas is no exception, having sustained multiple injuries that have put him on the sidelines through the years.

The leading rider of Gulfstream Park's 2021 Fall Meet and Spring/Summer meet is a native of Puerto Rico as well as a former student of the Escuela Vocacional Hípica jockey school there. He moved to South Florida to pursue a career in racing in 2012. Over the span of his decade-long career, Zayas has won 1,930 races and $55,080,460 in earnings. He is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and is likely to not make another start until the spring.

Zayas discussed his stellar year of racing accomplishments, as well as his hopes for the future following rehabilitation from his current injury.

Question: How did you get into horse racing?

Edgard Zayas: “I used to live close to a racetrack in Puerto Rico. I used to go to that racetrack all the time with my grandfather and I really loved it. I was always into sports, but I got to a point where I was 14 or 15 years old and I was a little too small to play any sports so I decided that I really wanted to try to be a jockey. I was 17 years old when I decided to join the jockey school in Puerto Rico. It was amazing. I think they have a really good system. They teach us everything from treating a horse to riding a horse. It's awesome because at that point I had never really been involved with horses so I didn't know how to work with horses and groom them and all that. At the jockey school they teach you everything from grooming a horse and doing stalls to riding them.”

Q: How did it feel to have such a good year and bring home a leading rider title from Gulfstream after having two years in a row interfered with by injuries?

E: “It felt great. This year I was still kind of dealing with a little injury in my shoulder and I decided to get surgery because it was bugging me all year, but luckily I have support from big trainers down here in South Florida. I had a great year that would've carried on to the winter so it was a tough decision to do it [get shoulder surgery].”

Q: What does the rehabilitation process for your shoulder injury consist of?

E: “Right now I'm in a sling for four weeks. After that I'll start some therapies and whenever I get my motion and my muscles back I can start galloping horses in the morning again and then decide from there. I'm looking at probably three or four months.”

Q: Do the areas that you injured remain vulnerable to potential arthritis or re-injury now? If so, what kind of special care or precautions do you have to take now that you didn't before?

E: “Yeah absolutely. The more injuries I get, I have to take care of myself more. I'm young, but I'll start getting older little by little. There's things I like to do outside of horse racing like I used to play basketball and stuff like that, but those are things that I now have to compromise for horse racing. I have to concentrate on what I do to not get re-injured.”

Q: Did you find that having to take that much time off from racing had any impact on your mental health?

E: “Absolutely, and I've been doing really good every time I've gotten an injury, but it's really tough mentally. Hopefully I get a couple years of being healthy. That's all I can ask for.”

Q: Is it difficult to get momentum back with trainers after time away due to injuries?

E: “Luckily I've always got support when I come back and I'm able to get the ball rolling quick. Hopefully this time will be the same way. I'm going to try to come back stronger than ever, and finally I can ride confidently because this whole year I had that shoulder problem that was really bugging me. Hopefully when I come back I can come back one hundred percent and get the support and get the ball rolling for a better year.”

Q: Who is one other jockey that you look up to the most?

E: “Johnny V absolutely. Inside he's the best and outside he's the best.”

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Trainer Saffie Joseph Planning Make It Big’s Next Start

Red Oak Stable's Make It Big gave trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. good reason to start making plans along the Road to the Kentucky Derby when he captured the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., Friday night.

The Gulfstream Park-based 2-year-old son of Neolithic earned 10 qualifying points for this year's first leg of the Triple Crown with a thoroughly professional half-length victory over Osbourne as the 6-5 favorite.

“We are, obviously, very excited. He was stepping up in class, shipping for the first time and going two turns [for the first time]. He handled it all as good as you could ask for,” said Joseph, who didn't venture to Oklahoma for the Springboard Mile. “He sat in the pocket, made a move down the backside, and was gutsy enough to hold off Osbourne.”

The Florida-bred colt, who was purchased at the OBS April sale for $120,000, sat off a contested pace, made a three-wide sweep on the far turn, and prevailed over Osbourne following a stretch-long battle to remain undefeated in three starts.

“The [Feb 5] Holy Bull might come a little quick, but everything is still in play. Maybe the Fountain of Youth,” Joseph said. “We'll talk it over with the ownership group and Rick Sacco, the stable manager. He was the one that recommended after he won last time that we should try this race [Springboard Mile]. It turned out a perfect choice of race.”

Distance wouldn't seem to be a concern for the long-striding colt.

“You would think the more distance the better. That's how he trained. Up until six weeks before he made his debut, he kind of seemed he'd go long, long, long,” Joseph said. “He was lacking that early speed. When we put blinkers on him, they gave him that dynamic, showing some speed. We already knew he had the stamina. He's really turned around.”

Make It Big debuted with a front-running 8 ½-length victory at seven furlongs Oct. 8 before winning the seven-furlong Juvenile for Florida-breds by 2 ¼ lengths following an awkward break Oct. 30.

“He led the first time. The second time, he sat off [the pace]. This time, he sat between horses. He keeps getting better and better, slowly but surely. He's going in the right direction, that's what you want,” Joseph said.

Jose Ortiz rode Make It Big Friday night, filling in for Edgard Zayas, who recently underwent shoulder surgery.

“I want to give credit to Edgard. He was going there to ride him, but then the shoulder surgery came up. Edgard was going to have surgery on a Monday, and he came out to work him on Sunday,” Joseph said. “Edgard showed the class and work ethic that he has. Full credit to him. He's a big part of the team and he's a big part of this horse's success.”

Joseph also trains Triple Crown prospect White Abarrio, who captured his first two races impressively before finishing third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 27.

“He's doing well. We gave him a little freshening. He's galloping, and he's going to have his first breeze back [Sunday],” Joseph said. “He's most likely going in the Holy Bull.”

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Sugar Fix Surges Late To Take Claiming Crown Tiara Stakes

Beaten after looking like a winner at the top of the stretch last year, Big Frank Stable and Mad Dog Racing Stable's Sugar Fix came from off the pace and surged late to earn a 1 ¼-length victory in the $95,000 Claiming Crown Tiara.

It was the second straight victory for jockey Edgard Zayas and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who also teamed up with Face of Victory in the $75,000 Express. The winning time was 1:40.19 for about 1 1/16 miles on a firm turf course.

“The race before, I told Edgard to be aggressive. This race I said, 'patience,' and he executed,” Joseph said. “Like most of the Claiming Crown races, you know your horse is doing well but like I was telling the owner, you can run third or fourth having run your race. Thankfully she ran her best today.”

Centsless Drama was quickest from the gate and led though a quarter-mile in :22.91, pressed by fellow longshot Act Like Artie. Zayas settled Sugar Fix in fourth, where they still were after a half in :47.26. They tipped outside and moved into a contending position on the turn, reeled in the leaders, and slingshot past for her 10th career victory.

Passion Plus got up for second, with Whimsical Muse third and 8-5 favorite Kahiko fourth.

Sugar Fix, a bay 4-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach, hadn't raced since finishing fourth in a one-mile, 70-yard allowance Sept. 8 at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., a race she won last year heading into the Claiming Crown. In the 2020 Tiara, she took a 1 ½-length lead into the stretch but couldn't hold it and wound up second to Queens Embrace.

“Last year, she got a good trip, she just got beat. This year, I think she actually went into the race better,” Joseph said. “Last year, she won her prep at Kentucky Downs, and then kind of lost her way. I don't think she was at her best. This year, she got beat out there and then we couldn't get a race to go so she had a good freshening. I thought today she ran a good race. It was a tough race. You never know if you're going to win.”

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Zayas Guides Face Of Victory To Winner’s Circle In Claiming Crown Express

Under a heads-up ride by Edgard Zayas, Mercy Man Racing's Face of Victory ($11) captured Saturday's $75,000 Express, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up that have run for a claiming price of $8000 or less in 2020-2021.

A split-second decision at the 3/8ths pole was the key to the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained 5-year-old gelding's upset victory over heavily favored Kalu, who broke sharply to take the early lead. Face of Victory, who broke from the rail post position and was ridden aggressively by Zayas, slipped inside the favorite on the backstretch. Gulfstream's Fall Meet titlist quickly thought better of an inside challenge, easing up on his mount long enough to be able to guide him off the rail to make an outside challenge in the stretch. Face of Victory kicked on through the stretch to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths.

“Saffie gave me a lot of confidence in the paddock. He said, 'Take it to [Kalu]. His only weakness is at the end where he tends to stop a little bit. He said, 'Take it to him early if you can. Make him earn his money,'” Zayas said. “At the three-eighths pole, the other horse started to make his move early. At that point, I gave my horse a little breather and took him outside. He came running at the end.”

Face of Victory, who was claimed for $10,000 in August, ran six furlongs in 1:10.52 to upset Kalu, who held on to second by a head over third-place finisher Aequor.

Zayas and Joseph came right back to win the $95,000 Tiara in the following race with Sugar Fix.

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