jockey of the week | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bocachica Named Jockey Of The Week After Winning Half His Races

With more wins than any other jockey last week, Arnaldo Bocachica was voted Jockey of the Week for Oct. 5 thru Oct. 11. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing industry experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Bocachica led all North American jockeys with 10 wins from 20 mounts.

The Puerto Rican native started his winning week on Thursday with five victories at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town, his home track. He continued his winning hand on Friday with two victories. Bocachica topped off his week on Saturday night by winning three stakes races during the West Virginia Breeders' Classics, the biggest night for West Virginia-bred horses. He won the West Virginia Tourism Stakes with Star of the Night ($2.40), the West Virginia Triple Crown Stakes aboard That Kenney Kid ($6.40) and the West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association Breeders' Classic Stakes with Penguin Power ($2.40). He also finished third in the West Virginia Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders' Classic with Pilot in Command all for leading trainer Jeff Runco.

In addition to a 50% win percentage, fan favorite Bocachica also hit the board with 65% of his mounts and accumulated $190,380 in purse earnings. He currently sits atop the jockey standings at Charles Town by a wide margin with 136 victories and more than $2.3 million in purses.

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Robby Albarado, Luis Saez Tied In Jockey Of The Week Voting

With two extraordinary riding performances during the week of Sept. 28 thru Oct. 4, the Jockey of the Week panel of judges could not separate the riding achievements of veteran Robby Albarado and Luis Saez. The two riders tied for votes creating two Jockeys of the Week for the first time. The panel is comprised of racing industry experts. This award is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Robby Albarado's riding skills were on full display in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes aboard the filly Swiss Skydiver. The filly was the beneficiary of a quick decision by Albarado that helped propel her to the lead leaving the backstretch. From there she fought off a seemingly relentless challenge from Kentucky Derby winner Authentic.

Commenting on his ride, Albarado said: “I had an opportunity, a split second to take advantage of the rail because Johnny (Velazquez on Authentic) was sitting off the fence there. I made a conscience decision on the backside. Do I make the move now or do I wait to see if they come to me?”

Albarado made the move and into the history books. Swiss Skydiver became just the 6th filly to win the 1-3/16-mile classic race for 3-year-olds.

“It was a genius move by Robby coming up the fence,” said Ken McPeek, the trainer of Swiss Skydiver.

Fall Stars Weekend at Keeneland featured 10 graded stakes and Luis Saez won five for four different trainers. His wins included the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades aboard Simply Ravishing for Ken McPeek, and the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity with Essential Quality for Brad Cox. Saez became the 10th jockey to sweep the Alcibiades and Breeders' Futurity in the same year. His other stakes wins included the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster with Valiance for Todd Pletcher, the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes Presented by TVG on Leinster for Rusty Arnold and the Grade 2 Bourbon Stakes with Mutasaabeq for Todd Pletcher.

Saez's weekly stats were 22-9-3-3 for a win percentage of 41 percent, an in-the-money percentage of 68 percent, and total purses of $1,182,436 for leading money-earner honors.

Albarado and Saez out-polled fellow riders Junior Alvarado who won four stakes at Belmont Park, three of which were graded, Daniel Centeno with two stakes wins at Pimlico and Jose L. Ortiz with three graded stakes wins at Belmont Park.

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Four Graded Stakes Wins Net Flavien Prat Jockey Of The Week Title

After two graded stakes victories on Saturday and two on Sunday, Flavien Prat was voted the Jockeys' Guild Jockey of the Week for Sept. 21 through Sept. 27. The award is voted on by a panel of racing industry experts. This award is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Flavien Prat, who was the leading rider from the winter/spring meet at Santa Anita, began opening weekend of the Fall Meet where he left off by dominating the southern California riding colony. Prat had mounts in nine stakes races over the weekend, taking the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes with the Peter Miller-trained Get Her Number on Saturday as well as the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship with regular mount, United, trained by Richard Mandella. On Sunday, trainer Simon Callaghan gave a leg up to Prat who guided Harvest Moon to their fourth consecutive win in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes. He ended the weekend riding Cupid's Claw, trained by Craig Dollase to win in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup.

On Sunday, Prat summed up his weekend, “It's been a great weekend I thought. Yesterday we had some good runs with the two-year-old (Get Her Number) and also United. Today Simon Callaghan's filly (Harvest Moon) ran great.”

As for Cupid's Claw, Prat continued “I give all the credit to Craig (Dollase) I thought he made a great move going long on the dirt and it worked out well. You feel fortunate when you look at the program and you have such a great bunch of horses to ride all weekend long, it's a goal for every rider, I'm living the dream.”

Prat's weekly statistics were 7 wins, 7 seconds and 4 thirds from 24 mounts for a win percentage of 29.17, an in-the-money ratio of 75 percent and total purses of $708,100 for leading money-earner honors.

Prat out-polled fellow jockeys David Cabrera with two stakes wins at Remington Park, Glenn Corbett with three stakes wins at Prairie Meadows, Juan J. Hernandez who won two stakes races at Santa Anita including his first Grade I win with Mucho Unusual in the Rodeo Drive Stakes and Luis Saez who won two stakes races at Santa Anita.

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Diego Saenz’ Trio Of Stakes Wins Earns Jockey Of The Week Title

The leading jockey by stakes wins for the week, Diego Saenz was named Jockeys' Guild Jockey of the Week for September 14 thru September 20. The award is voted on by a panel of racing industry experts. This award is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and and permanently disabled jockeys.

During the Louisiana Cup Day Stakes at Louisiana Downs, Saenz won three of the six featured races. Patiently sitting off the early pace aboard Mirabeau in the Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies, Saenz took control at the top of the stretch and crossed the wire six lengths in front.

“She gets better every time,” said Saenz.

In the Louisiana Cup Distaff, Saenz rode defending champion, Is Too to victory. Saenz set very comfortable early fractions before drawing off in 1:43.33 over the Franks Turf Course.

“She was very relaxed,” said Saenz. “They let me set the fractions and I was able to walk the dog, like they say!”

In the six furlong Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Saenz won aboard Snowball for trainer Sam Breaux. She crossed the wire in 1:12.

“She had lots of traffic in the front,” said Breaux. “But Diego got her through it and she did the rest.”

Saenz, who was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, has been riding professionally since 2004 and rides regularly on the Louisiana circuit winning numerous riding titles at Delta Downs. To date, he has won 2,286 races and over $46 million in purses.

Saenz out polled fellow riders Kyle Frey, Tyler Gaffalione, Gabriel Saez and Ricardo Santana, Jr.

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