The Irishman was born in 1930, and began his career in racing at Dan Moore's yard before a few years with Charlie Rogers before returning to Moore. However, he is best known for his association with Tom Dreaper's Greenogue stable which began in 1956. Besides riding work aboard Arkle each morning for Dreaper, the jockey did capture the 1963 and 1965 Irish Grand Nationals for that trainer–with Last Link (GB) (Fortina {Fr}) and later Splash (GB) (Fortina {Fr}) among other victories. Arkle won the 1964 edition of the race, but Woods was not in the irons. He did receive a leg up on the champion in a race once, the 1962 President's Hurdle, and prevailed that day. Later in life he became a trainer. Woods's riding gene carried over to his son Frannie, who also won two editions of the Irish Grand National, in 1994 and 1996.

Jim Dreaper, who took over the training licence from his father before handing it off to his own son Tom, told the Racing Post, “Paddy was a great, cute man. He'd known when a horse was right and when a horse was wrong. He was a pivotal part of the team when there were proper horses here.”

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Jockey Jose Ortiz is named to ride eight races Saturday at Turfway Park and, after Jeff Ruby Steaks Day, fans in Kentucky will begin to see his name regularly in the program as he's slated to ride full-time this spring at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.

For many years the 2017 Eclipse Award-winning jockey has been a regular rider on the New York circuit during the spring and summer, but this will be the first time he'll remain in Kentucky. Agent Steve Rushing, who also take the calls for his Eclipse Award-winning brother Irad Ortiz, Jr., will continue to have his book in Kentucky. (In a text, Rushing said Jose Ortiz is moving permanently to Kentucky, but will ride at Saratoga in the summer before returning for Kentucky Downs, where he won the 2018 and 2019 titles.)

Among his many mounts Saturday is GIII Sam F. Davis S. runner-up Agate Road (Quality Road) in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Listed at 4-1 on the morning line odds, Agate Road was cross-entered in Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds but Pletcher said that he's, “leaning towards” running the bay at Turfway. Other notable mounts for Ortiz Saturday at Turfway include Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) in the GIII TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic and Blue Eyed George (Flameaway) in the Rushaway S.

Ortiz will make a brief return to Florida following Jeff Ruby Steaks Day, but will be back to Kentucky when Keeneland's Spring Meet begins Friday, Apr. 5.

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Maldonado, 41, was injured when he was unseated from his mount on the track. He was sent to a local hospital to be assessed and was later released.

“We have an appointment tomorrow and will know more then. But right now it sounds like it will be about two to three weeks,” Matos said.

Through Friday's action, Maldonado had recorded six victories from 15 rides thus far during the Classic Meet at Santa Anita. He is the regular rider of Spendthrift Farm's Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro), who he has piloted to wins in the Unzip Me S. back in October and the Dec. 31 Lady of Shamrock S.

Maldonado has been riding professionally since 2002. He has won 1,544 races while banking more than $53.7 million in purse earnings according to Equibase statistics. Maldonado was scheduled on four mounts for Sunday's nine-race card.

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The result was that she broke the humerus bone completely off from her shoulder. She said that her left arm snapped at the base of the shoulder and that it went up into her collarbone. She also broke her left pelvis.

Early estimates were that she would be out about three months. More than seven months later, the 47-year-old jockey has not ridden, there is no timetable for her return and she fears that she will never ride again.

“I'm working on my range of motion,” she said. “I feel like I'm at a certain point and it's not getting better right now. My doctor said it will need time. Obviously, when you're a jockey, time is not your friend. I would love to be able to ride again. That's the dream. But the reality is I really don't know.”

“I hope it doesn't come to that, that I have to retire,” she said. “I'm not in any position to ride at a top level. There's no way. It would be dangerous and I have to get to the point where I can use my left arm. I can't. My arm won't straighten and I have a three second delay from my brain to arm. It needs a lot more work. I've been working really hard at it. I dream of racing again, but I don't know.

“It's my range of motion,” she continued. “I can't get my arm above my head. My shoulder only goes to a certain point with my muscles and my range motion. I can't lift a two-pound weight above my head. I can't get my arms above my head. I practice laying down, like a swimmer, my left arm low to the side. My right arm is perfectly strong. I could hold a horse if I wanted with reins with my right arm. But my left side is awkward. Nothing is in sync. I have no control of that.”

That the accident was so avoidable continues to haunt Sutherland. She said a trainer stabled near the clubhouse turn feeds the birds during the last break during morning training and again late in the day. The geese live in the infield lake and cross the racetracks to get fed, she said. She doesn't understand why Gulfstream didn't take steps to keep the geese off of the track.

“Am I really pissed off? Yes,” she said. “I've gone through a lot of anger with this. I was alone. I never got a phone call from the trainer. Never got a text. I heard from no one. I'm still emotional about it. I went through a lot of anger and I was really depressed. I wanted to give up. I think I am pretty stable, but talking about it is too hard. I had a good five, seven years left as a jockey. It hurts a lot.”

She is currently working as an assistant trainer to Jorge Delgado and recently took out her real estate license, but that's not what Sutherland wants to do. She wants to ride again.

“It's just that right now it doesn't look good,” she said. “I am praying for a miracle.”

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Keith Asmussen, fittingly, reached the milestone on a horse trained by his father, Hern, who won the 1 1/16-mile claiming race.

“Couldn't be more excited for today and the rest of the meet,” Keith Asmussen said.

Steve Asmussen rode 63 winners in 1982-1984, according to Equibase. Asmussen turned to training after he became too heavy to ride.

Keith Asmussen, 25, launched his full-time riding career in late 2022 after earning a master's degree in professional accounting earlier in the year from the University of Texas' McCombs School of Business.

Asmussen's younger brother, Erik, 21, made his Oaklawn riding debut in Saturday's first race and finished sixth aboard What a Country for his father.

“It was awesome to get to ride with my brother,” Keith Asmussen added.

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“I'm a little heavy now, so I don't know if I'll be able to do the weight,” he said. “But I'm sure going to try. I'll ride somewhere, whether it's in New Mexico, Louisiana, wherever. I'll give it my best shot.”

Valenzuela last rode on Dec. 8, 2016 at Fair Grounds. He then tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and after surgery he still didn't feel right.

“The surgery came out ok, but there was still a lot of pain and it kept bothering me over the last four, five years,” he said.

He would try to get back on horses but the pain kept resurfacing.

“Last year, I was getting on horses for Neil Drysdale and I couldn't take the pain anymore. I couldn't tolerate it,” he said.

Knowing that he had to try something different to combat the pain, he decided to have his knee replaced, which took place in May.

He returned to the track after the operation and worked as a hotwalker for trainer Antonio Saavedra. Each day, his knee started to feel a little better.

“It feels really good. I can't believe how good it feels,” he said. “There's no pain. Before it was painful to get on any horses. It's not like I have a brand-new knee, but it's a lot better than it was.”

He took the next step and started galloping horses at Santa Anita and Del Mar. In addition to Saavedra, he said he has been working horses for several trainers, including Peter Eurton and Peter Miller.

“I'm getting a good response,” Valenzuela said. “I'm just grateful to be able to get on any horses. Most everybody has been encouraging. I'm not hearing anything negative from anybody. I'm just trying to keep it simple and moving forward. As far as the physical fitness part of it, I think it'll will take me another month to 45 days to get ready. The weight is the most important thing. When you get older it's harder to lose weight. I weigh 128 now. I am working hard and eating light meals. Usually one meal a day. Just trying to stay away from fats and saturated fats.”

Valenzuela, whose career was repeatedly interrupted by substance abuse issues, said those problems are a thing of the past and have had nothing to do with his prolonged absence from the track.

Should he make it back, he'll have to answer a lot of questions, namely can a 61-year-old who hasn't ridden in more than seven years overcome all those obstacles and be successful?

“We'll have to see,” he said. “I will give it my best shot. I feel really good. I feel like I'm in a La-Z-Boy with a remote control when I'm on a horse. I feel like I'm at home. Who knows? I might be better. Gary Stevens came back after having a knee replacement and look how good he did. I don't think the age will matter that much. I think it will be more about physical fitness and the horses I get to ride.”

While eager to ride again, Valenzuela is not taking anything for granted. Considering his age, his lengthy absence and his checkered past, he understands that some racing commissions may have reservations about re-licensing him. He said his preference is to ride in California, but if that opportunity isn't available to him he will look elsewhere.

“I've ridden all over the country but I'd love to start back in my home state in California,” he said. “That would be the ultimate. But if I can't ride in California I'll ride anywhere I can. Maybe Louisiana or New Mexico. I know I can still get a horse to the wire.”

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A steeplechase jockey who then trained from the late 1960's through 2005, Cartwright won almost 700 races and his horses earned more than $13 million. His graded-stakes winners included Mz. Zill Bear (Salutely), Castelets (King's Bishop), Miss Slewpy (Slewpy), Palliser Bay (Frosty the Snowman) and Mymet (Mehmet).

“I've been in this for 60 years and will miss it,” Cartwright said soon after he retired in 2005. “It has been a great run. I've had a really good life and enjoyed this very much. I had a lot of nice horses and had a good time.”

“Ronnie was a horsemen's horseman–very old school,” said Maryland-based breeder/owner Jay Williamson. “He did it the right way, and he had the right owners. When horses need time off, they got time off. That's tough to do in today's environment. He was an all-around good person. Everybody liked Ronnie.”

A Celebration of Life for Cartwright will be held at Laurel Park on the first floor of the clubhouse Dec. 19 at 11:30 a.m.

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“It's really cool and nice to get rewarded from all the hard work that we both put in throughout the year,” said Anderson. “We have worked with some really hard-working people here and we thank them for giving us this opportunity to ride.”

Leahey added, “It's such an achievement. McKenna and I have been riding together from the beginning. It's a great feeling to share this award with her. We thank all the barns that helped us get here.”

The tie between Leahey and Anderson is the second in the 10-year history of the award and they become the sixth and seventh female jockeys to win the award.

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Among Alvarado's top mounts currently in training are champion Northern California sprinter Top Harbor (Harbor the Gold) and recent Santa Anita stakes-winning 2-year-old Grand Slam Smile (Smiling Tiger).

Shout It Out! Jockey Frank Alvarado earns his 4,000th career victory, in Race 2 at @GGFracing!
Congratulations Frank, from the @FanDuelTV team. pic.twitter.com/IRduQ1slho

— TVG (@TVG) October 22, 2023

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Luevano was exercising a filly on the backstretch when the incident occurred. He was on the ground when assistance first arrived, while the filly ran off under her power. As of now, there have been no eyewitness accounts with any precise details on the incident. Luevano was rushed to Long Beach Memorial, where he was pronounced deceased.

The horse, a 2-year-old filly Quarter Horse named Fly From The Fire (Fly Thru the Fire), was not injured. She made five starts this year for trainer Mike Casselman and was entered in the seventh race at Los Alamitos on Saturday night. Track management has since confirmed that the filly will be scratched as a precaution.

“On behalf of the Los Alamitos Race Course family, we express our deepest condolences to Mr. Luevano's family members and friends,” said Los Alamitos Race Course spokesperson Orlando Gutierrez.

Born in the city of Luis Moya in Zacatecas, Mexico, the jockey had a total of 33 mounts during his professional riding career with most of his rides taking place in Mexico and Colorado. He was issued an exercise rider license by the California Horse Racing Board earlier this year.

Alfredo Luevano is survived by his wife, Marisela Martinez, their children, Lisbet, Alfredo Jr., Alex, Aldo, and Camila, six grandchildren and his father, Augustine. A moment of silence will be held in his memory before Sunday's Quarter Horse card at Los Alamitos.

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