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Jamie Rodriguez Notches Four-Win Sunday, Clinches Meet Title

As the Heritage winter meet winds down with two racing days left on the calendar, Jamie Rodriguez enjoyed a four-win afternoon Sunday at Laurel Park and cemented his claim to the leading rider title.

In addition to his four wins on the day, Rodriguez claims 46 through the meet, 18 more than runner-up Jeiron Barbosa, and helped conditioner Jamie Ness move ahead of Brittany Russell in the race for leading trainer. All four of Sunday's wins were on Ness runners and the combo hit at a lofty 29 per cent for the meeting. Rodriguez also leads in purse earnings at more than $1.6-million.

Since starting his 2024 season, he's recorded 12 multi-win days, six of which he visited the winner's enclosure on three or more occasions. Rodriguez is the three-time defending champion at Delaware Park as well.

“I have to thank all the owners and trainers that help me,” Rodriguez said. “All the hard rides I give to Jamie Ness I'm going to give all my horses, whoever puts me on. We're going to keep working.”

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Magee, Concepcion Capture Laurel Titles

Veteran trainer Kieron Magee and five-pound apprentice jockey Axel Concepcion claimed their respective meet titles as Laurel Park closed its spring meet Sunday.

Magee, 62, entered the eight-race, closing-day program without a starter, but an 11-8 lead over Jamie Ness in the trainer standings. Hugh McMahon won twice Sunday to pass Ness for second, while Brittany Russell wound up fourth with seven wins.

“It feels great because I'm down to 25 horses. To pull off a training title with 25 horses, that takes some doing,” Magee said. “I lost a bunch of them, but they won on the way out. Everybody that got claimed, won. I was thrilled to win it with such few starts. To have a high percentage is fantastic.”

A native of Ireland who worked as an exercise rider for recently retired trainer Dale Capuano after coming to the U.S., Magee led all Maryland trainers in wins from 2014-2016 and now owns or shares a total of 10 meet titles at Laurel and Pimlico Race Course. It was his first meet title since Pimlico's 2018 spring stand.

Concepcion, who turned 18 Mar. 16, entered Sunday with 12 wins, one behind co-leaders Jevian Toledo and Jeiron Barbosa. Concepcion won the opener on I Have Courage to make it a three-way tie before riding Fancee Grace C to victory in the fifth race to earn his first riding title.

A native of Puerto Rico, where he won 21 races after attending the Escuela Vocacional Hipica jockey school and turning pro Jan. 1, Concepcion registered wins on nine of 16 racing days with doubles Apr. 1, 13, 14 and 29 prior to Sunday.

Represented by agent Tom Stift, Concepcion made his Maryland debut Feb. 24 and picked up his first winner, Shinelikeadiamond, the next day at Laurel in his fifth U.S. mount.

“I'm very confident for my work and the job Tom does for me. I don't have pressure. The wins are coming and thank God for two wins today,” Concepcion said. “I ride all my horses with confidence. Thanks to all the owners and trainers that help me. In the morning I work very hard for this, my first meet that I win. I'm very grateful. Thanks to everyone for giving me the opportunity. I'm ready for Pimlico.”

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Riders Deadheat for Laurel Title, Russell Takes Training Honors

Laurel Park's fall meet ended with a tie for leading rider between journeyman Angel Cruz and 19-year-old apprentice Jeiron Barbosa. In addition, trainer Brittany Russell topped the trainer standings for a third time this year.

It was the first riding title for Cruz, who deadheated with Barbosa with 44 wins apiece. Cruz won two races Saturday to secure the tie with Barbosa. The latter is among the contenders for champion apprentice jockey of 2022 and had won both Laurel's spring meet and Pimlico's fall meet titles. Both riders are from Puerto Rico, where they've known each other for more than a decade, and are represented by agent Tom Stift.

“Angel is the reason Jeiron became a jockey,” said Stift. “They wanted to finish 1-2 [in the standings], and it worked out even better.”

In the training ranks, Russell won 29-24 over Jamie Ness for the fall meet title. She had also wrapped up the honors at Laurel's spring meet and tied for the lead at the Preakness Meet at Pimlico. She is just the fourth female trainer to lead the meet standings in Maryland following Karen Patty, Mary Eppler, and Linda Rice.

For the entirety of 2022 in Maryland, she was second to Claudio Gonzalez, 74-73. Russell set career highs with 453 starters, 100 wins, and more than $4.3 million in earnings for 2022.

Laurel's 2023 winter meet opens New Year's Day with a nine-race card and first post at 12:25 p.m.

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Russell, Barbosa Win Laurel Spring Meet Titles

Surrounded by her family, Brittany Russell celebrated Mother's Day in style by winning with her only two starters Sunday at Laurel Park and clinching her first career training title. Russell, 32, ended the 22-day spring meet with a flourish, winning five races from nine starters over the final weekend to edge Jamie Ness, 14-13 and snap Claudio Gonzalez's streak at nine consecutive meet titles in Maryland. Gonzalez wound up third with 10 wins.

“It's a huge accomplishment. My team, just how far we've come in a short time, it's going to take me a little bit to wrap my head around it,” Russell said. “I think it's a really big deal for the barn. My crew is amazing. I'm lucky for the clients I have and the barn we've built.”

The battle for leading jockey came down to the final race of the meet when Jevian Toledo finished sixth aboard favored Scintilli and fell one win short of seven-pound apprentice Jeiron Barbosa, 20-19. It is the first riding title for Barbosa, an 18-year-old native of Puerto Rico, who had a five-win edge before missing the final three days of the spring meet serving a suspension.

Barbosa becomes only the third apprentice in a decade to lead the jockey standings at Laurel, following Yomar Ortiz (2013 winter) and Julio Correa (2019 summer). Toledo, Maryland's overall riding champion in 2015, 2017 and 2021, had three wins, three seconds and three thirds in 12 mounts during Barbosa's absence.

“I'm feeling really happy and really grateful with all the opportunities,” Barbosa said through fellow Maryland jockey and family friend Angel Cruz. “To be here my first month and be leading rider of the spring meet, it's a big accomplishment.”

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