Jockey Mario Pino recorded his 7,000th career victory on October 20th at Presque Isle Downs an achievement that earned the journeyman rider Jockey of the Week for October 18 through October 24. The honor, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Riding for trainer and co-owner, S. Matthew Kintz, Pino was aboard Enjoy the Music in a claiming race for three-year-olds and up. Off as the favorite in the field of seven, he rallied from off the pace to win by three-quarters of a length for the milestone.
“It feels great,” said Pino of the winning 7,000. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Did I do it? It was really neat. It worked out really nice.”
Pino had been considering retirement once he had achieved the lofty goal of 7,000 wins and on closing day of the Presque Isle meet, Pino rode in his last race. His career statistics include 42,650 mounts with 7,001 firsts and more than $131 million in purses. His racing achievements include winning seven winners on a single day at Colonial Downs in 2002 and a six-win day at Laurel Park in 2003. He won 36 graded stakes including three Grade 1s as well as numerous riding titles.
In addition to his victories on the track, Pino has been awarded the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, and the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Award which honors riders whose career and personal character earn esteem for the individual and the sport of thoroughbred racing and is voted on by fellow jockeys. Pino is also in the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame.
Riding regularly for an incredible 44 years mainly in the Mid-Atlantic region, Pino joins an elite group of just nine other jockeys who have achieved at least 7,000 wins.
Even though he is only 57 wins away from the next winningest rider, retired jockey Angel Cordero, Jr., Pino commented: “I'm good with 7,001, and I get to walk away happy and healthy. You know what, I kinda feel satisfied with my career. I really do. I feel like I did what I could do.”
Pino out polled jockeys Junior Alvarado who won a graded stakes at Keeneland, Tyler Gaffalione who was the leading jockey by purses won, Jareth Loveberry with two stakes wins at Hawthorne and Tim Thornton who set a Delta Downs record for wins on a single card with seven as well as recording the most wins for the week with 13.
A pair of Chad Brown-trained fillies, both coming off Maiden Special Weight victories on the grass, head a field of 14 for Saturday's featured $45,000 allowance when racing resumes during the all-turf Monmouth-at-Meadowlands meet.
Saturday's six-race card will also mark the return of leading rider Paco Lopez, who has been sidelined since injuring his left shoulder in a spill on Oct. 15 at the Meadowlands.
Lopez, coming off his eighth riding title at Monmouth Park, sits atop the Meadowlands rider standings with six victories, one more than Isaac Castillo. He is listed to ride in three races, including the Brown-trained Infinite Potential in the one-mile feature race.
With 281 victories on the year, Lopez is two shy of his career best set in 2019.
A 4-year-old daughter of Invincible Spirit, Infinite Potential will look to become a two-time winner at the Monmouth-at-Meadowlands meet after breaking her maiden on Oct. 1 with a neck victory at a mile and a sixteenth on the grass.
Bred in Ireland, Infinite Potential is owned by Klaravich Stables.
Brown has also entered Bleecker Street, a 3-year-old filly who won at first asking on Aug. 21 at Monmouth Park at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. The daughter of Quality Road, owned by Peter M. Brant, has not raced since then.
Two also-eligibles are among the 14 horses entered in the feature race. Overall, 70 horses are entered for the six races.
Saturday's program is the sixth of the seven-day boutique meet, with the final live Thoroughbred card of the year in New Jersey scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30.
A young one-handed rider is breaking down boundaries, having successfully graduated from the British Racing School.
Harry Enright, 17, who rides with a prosthetic arm linked to the reins through a magnetic device, recently completed the 18 week foundation course that prepares young riders for a career in horse racing and is now working at trainer Lawney Hill's racing stables in Oxfordshire as a work rider.
Harry was born with one hand and has always had a love of horses and riding. Having first sat on a donkey at eight months old on holiday in Ireland, his parents turned to the British Racing School (BRS) in Newmarket when he decided he wanted to pursue a career in racing.
Harry said, “When I was younger I was quite into football and it got to the point where I thought I could either continue playing that, work in an office or try and make something of myself.
“I've always loved horses and decided I wanted to take that further and get into racing so I came to the British Racing School. There is Guy Disney who rides with a lower limb prosthetic but we weren't aware of anyone else who rode with a prosthetic arm.
“I started out at the British Racing School doing a nine-week course and then came back for the 18 week course with loads of riding and mucking out. Together with the BRS and Steve Cox and the team at Dorset Orthopaedic we have created a prosthetic which allows me to safely ride racehorses.
“The prosthetic is made of silicon which slides onto my arm and there is a magnet at the end which attaches to the reins. A power circuit keeps it in place and if I fall off the circuit is broken, releasing the magnet so that I don't get caught up in the reins dragged along.”
Andrew Braithwaite, Finance Director at the BRS who has been instrumental in developing the bespoke prosthetic said, “We've been working with Harry to create a prosthetic which has allowed him to ride racehorses so that not only has he been safe but all the other horses and riders with him have been safe as well.
“The key was to find a solution that didn't require the horses to adapt to the way Harry was riding. Thanks to Harry's determination and natural ability this has been achieved. It has been great to see him successfully complete the course and go on to full time employment.”
Michelle, Harry's mother said, “We are extremely proud of Harry. Behind all of this for him to inspire others like him to never give up on your dreams to really put yourself out there and keep trying. We're in the 21st century and he wants to show that anything is possible. We are so proud of him with his determination to fight for the dream that he wants.”
Having graduated, Harry is now working at Lawney Hill's racehorse yard in Oxfordshire.
He said, “Everyone has their bigger goal of where they want to be. The biggest goal for me is probably trying to be a jockey. For now, I'm just taking it step by step. My next goal was to get into the workplace and I've achieved that and now it's just continuing to move forwards towards my dreams.”
Lawney Hill said: “Harry is hard-working, cheeky and dedicated and he's determined not to let anything get in his way. We are so impressed with his riding ability and his manner with the horses and he has been a brilliant addition to our team since he has joined us.”
The team are continuing to develop and improve the prosthetic. If people would like to contribute to this process, please contact Andrew Braithwaite at the British Racing School.
Comebacking Luis Figueroa returned to the Gulfstream Park winner's circle for the first time in more than five years Thursday. The 26-year-old jockey, who quit riding in 2017, scored in his sixth mount back in Race 2 aboard Carlos Perez-trained Starship Mallomar ($7.20).
“It's good to be back,” Figueroa said. “It feels great. I'm working for Carlos Perez – they're great people – and they'll give me a shot once in a while.”
Figueroa, who began riding in 2014, is the older brother of Heriberto Figueroa, who is currently riding in New Jersey and New York.
Later on Thursday's program, jockey Marcos Meneses won on Pretty Rachel ($2.60) for the sixth consecutive race in Race 7. Armando De La Cerda-trained Pretty Rachel, who has won for three different trainers during her six-race streak, won by eight lengths while dropping from a 6 ¾-length victory in a $12,500 claiming company into a $6250 claiming race. The 3-year-old daughter of Dominus was claimed out of her victory by trainer Kent Sweezey.
