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Jockey Mario Pino Achieves 7,000-Win Milestone At Presque Isle Downs

Jockey Mario Pino recorded his 7,000th career victory on Wednesday at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Penn., guiding Enjoy the Music to victory for trainer S. Matthew Kintz. Pino entered Wednesday with 6,998 wins and seven mounts; the jockey won the second race aboard Gucci Gal for win number 6,999, and captured the milestone win in race four.

Pino, 60, is the 10th-leading rider in North American history, having surpassed Jorge Velazquez for that ranking in 2017. He is now 57 wins shy of the next-winningest rider, the retired Angel Cordero, Jr.

Ahead of Wednesday's card, Pino told yourerie.com he was considering retirement: “I'm a little excited and on the other hand I'm a little pressurized you know because it's coming to the last two and they always say the last one or two are the hardest ones, but yeah I'm real excited and I've had that goal for a long time.”

Born in Delaware, Pino grew up on a farm surrounded by horses. His father trained show horses for the local jumping circuit, and the farm took in client horses to board as well. Pino and his siblings were raised caring for the animals, cleaning stalls and doing all the chores necessary to keep a family farm running smoothly.

By the time he was 13 years old, Pino knew he wanted to be a jockey. He found jobs exercising Thoroughbreds at Delaware Park and later Penn National before a friend of his father took him to Belmont Park. There, he found a job working for Joe Cantey, trainer of champion Temperence Hill and multiple Grade 1 winners Majesty's Prince and Cox's Ridge.

Pino rode his first winner in January of 1979 at Bowie Race Course in Maryland, then got his next two winners in quick succession the following day. He was hooked.

Over the course of his career, Pino earned both the George Woolf (2013) and Mike Venezia Awards (2016), both of which are based on character and sportsmanship.

Other than his impeccable character, Pino may be best-known as the regular rider for Hard Spun, second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic.

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Jockey Of The Week: Dylan Davis Celebrates First Grade 1 Win At Woodbine

Jockey Dylan Davis is usually riding at Belmont Park at this time of year but he travelled to Woodbine outside Toronto, Canada and came home with his first career Grade 1 victory. The win earned Jockey of the Week honors for Davis. 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.

Riding for trainer Christophe Clement, Davis was aboard Mutamakina (GB) in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes, a 1-1/4 mile turf test for fillies and mares three-years-old and up and part of the Ladies of the Lawn series. Davis was riding Mutamakina (GB) for the third time including a win in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly in August, the second leg of the Ladies of the Lawn series. Despite the gutsy win in her last start, Mutamakina (GB) went off as the 8-1 sixth choice in the field of 10.

Mutamakina (GB) stalked a slow pace on the yielding turf, and sat off the leader, Kalifornia Queen. Those two battled for the lead into the stretch with Mutamakina (GB) taking the lead at the sixteenth pole, holding off stablemate, La Dragontea (GB) to win by a neck in 2:09.14. Kalifornia Queen finished third.

“She ran well here about a month ago,” Davis recalled. “We saw an opportunity to bring her up. Christophe did a great job getting her here. I've been breezing her, setting her up for this race. We knew she would be tough coming here.”

Davis, 27, the son of retired jockey Robbie Davis, has been riding since 2012. He tied a NYRA record with a six-win day on Feb. 18, 2018 at Aqueduct finishing in-the-money in all nine of his mounts that day. His sisters, Jacqueline and Katie are also jockeys. He currently sits in 4th place of the Belmont Park standings with 19 wins and nearly $1.4 million in purses.

Davis' weekly statistics were 22-4-2-0 and $449,894 in total purses.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week included Tyler Gaffalione with 12 wins during the week, Juan J. Hernandez who won two stakes races at Santa Anita, Flavien Prat who won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Challenge and Evin Roman who also won 12 races during the week.

The Jockey of the Week panel would also like to recognize the remarkable achievement of Arnaldo Bocachica on Oct. 9 when he set a single card Charles Town record of eight stakes wins during the West Virginia Breeders' Classic card. Bocachica now sits in a 10-way tie for second for most jockey victories in a single day.

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Irad Ortiz Suspended Three Days For Vosburgh Ride

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has been suspended three days by NYRA stewards, reports the Daily Racing Form, for “careless riding” in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes on Oct. 9 at Belmont Park.

Ortiz rode second-place finisher Firenze Fire, and while there was no official inquiry or objection, the Equibase chart indicates that Firenze Fire “angled in early under urging bumped Baby Yoda forcing that rival into Good Effort and bothering both foes.”

Ortiz will serve the days on Sunday, Oct. 24, and Oct. 28-29.

Oisin Murphy Named Britain’s Champion Jockey For Third Straight Year

Oisin Murphy was crowned Britain's Champion Jockey for the third year in a row at Ascot this weekend. The 26-year-old has racked up 153 wins since the championship started at Newmarket on May 1, two more than his closest pursuer William Buick who threw down a strong challenge in the closing weeks of the season.

Murphy, who is retained by Qatar Racing, is the third jockey this century to claim three consecutive titles, following fellow Irishmen Richard Hughes (2012-2014) and Kieren Fallon (2001-2003).

Murphy was able to bring home the championship despite serving a three-month suspension this year after testing positive for cocaine in July of 2020. He was also taken off his mounts earlier this month when he failed a breath test.

Highlights for Murphy this season have centered around star filly Alcohol Free. The duo captured the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, where Murphy was Top Jockey for the first time, before overcoming all-aged opposition in the G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Murphy said: “I am over the moon and thrilled to get it across the line. Thank you to my family and everyone – I've got a massive support group.

“The last week I've had a lot of people on my side. Frankie Dettori has been there every day making sure my spirits are up and I was riding off instinct as normal which is key.

“You need to make every ride count and I was running out of opportunities. I held it together thankfully in the end.

“I think everyone knows that I am human and quite honest. But I need to do better and I don't want any issues surrounding my career. Let's just focus on riding winners and hopefully winning another jockeys' championship.

“I'm 26-years-old so I think I will keep trying for a few more years. Horses are my life and I'm never happier than when I'm on the back of a horse. I've bought my showjumpers and they keep me busy too.

“Sheikh Fahad and Qatar Racing have a few horses to go to America for the Breeders' Cup. There are lots of international races in Hong Kong and Japan coming up so I will be busy.

“William [Buick] was getting a lot more support than I was in the last couple of weeks and the likes of Ed Walker, Hughie Morrison, Andrew Balding and Saeed bin Suroor have been amazing, so thanks to them.”

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