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Rosario, Saez Feasting On Stakes Diet At Keeneland

On Saturday's second day of the Keeneland Spring Meet in Lexington, Ky., jockeys Joel Rosario and Luis Saez combined to win nine races on the 11-race program and continue their domination of the young season. The two riders accounted for all nine stakes.

After two days of the Spring Meet, Rosario leads jockeys with seven wins, and Saez is second with six victories.

Rosario rode five winners Saturday, including four consecutive stakes: the Commonwealth (G3) on Flagstaff, Shakertown (G2) on Bound for Nowhere, Central Bank Ashland (G1) on Malathaat and Madison (G1) on Kimari. On Friday, he captured two stakes: the Palisades Turf Sprint with Chasing Artie and the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) on Scarlett Sky.

“Thank you to everyone: Wesley Ward, Todd Pletcher, everyone else who gave me an opportunity,” said Rosario about his performance Saturday in which he rode in nine races. “It was an amazing day. I thought I had some chances to win but you never know, so it's just great to have the opportunities and be able to win.”

Rosario joins Jerry Bailey (1999) and Javier Castellano (2016) as riders with a record six stakes victories during a Spring Meet. If he wins one of the 10 stakes remaining this season, Rosario will take sole possession of the Spring Meet record.

During the 2013 Spring Meet when he won a season record 38 races, Rosario also had two five-win days. He shares the five-win mark in the Spring Meet with five other jockeys.

The Spring Meet record for wins on one day is six, an achievement for three jockeys: Craig Perret (1990), Randy Romero (1990) and Julien Leparoux (2012).

On Friday, Saez rode Twenty Carat to win the Beaumont (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select. On Saturday, he won four races topped by the Toyota Blue Grass (G2) on Essential Quality and the Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association on Jouster.

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He’ll Have A Triple: Ferrer Bags Three Winners At Tampa Bay Downs On 57th Birthday

The calendar says jockey Jose Ferrer was a year older on Wednesday. Just don't tell that to his rival jockeys or the trainers and owners who continue to benefit from his skill and passion.

Ferrer rode three winners at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla., on his 57th birthday, then performed 20 pushups in the winner's circle after weighing in following the ninth race, which he won on 3-year-old filly Princess Nina.

“Hell, no,” Ferrer replied when asked if he felt 57. “Didn't you see me doing 20 after the race?”

Undoubtedly, he will feel even younger in a couple of hours when he shares ice cream and cake with his wife Steffi and their sons, Derek and Joseph.

Ferrer captured the first race aboard Mermaid Kisses, a 4-year-old filly owned by Ridenjac Racing, Dale Howes and Asta Fico and trained by Dennis Ward. The jockey added the eighth race with Papajudgy, a 5-year-old gelding owned and trained by Kerri Raven. Papajudgy was claimed from the race for $7,000 by trainer Darien Rodriguez for new owners Acclaimed Racing Stable and Gumpster Stable.

In the ninth race on the turf, Ferrer kept Princess Nina close up early, moved to the lead rounding the turn for home and coasted to a 4 ¾-length victory from Kitten With a Whip in the 1-mile contest. That victory moved him into a tie for seventh in the 2020-2021 Tampa Bay Downs standings with 29 victories.

Kentucky Derby Day tickets going fast. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance at Tampa Bay Downs on May 1, Kentucky Derby Day, will be limited. As a result, tickets must be purchased in advance, either online or at the Customer Service window on the first floor of the Grandstand. Advance wagering on the Kentucky Derby will be available Friday, April 30.

A front-row box seat for six people in the Grandstand on May 1 is $350, with other boxes available for $250. General-admission tickets are $10 each, with seating on a first-come, first-serve basis. The gates will open at 10 a.m. and there will be a noon post time for the Tampa Bay Downs race program.

Picnic Area tickets are $10. Patrons must bring their own chairs. Kentucky Derby Picnic Area tables for six are $75. All prices include a service fee. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets early to avoid being shut out.

For details, visit www.tampabaydowns.com on the Internet or call (813) 855-4401.

Around the oval. Sosua turned in an eye-popping effort in her career debut in the second race, pulling away through the stretch of the six-furlong maiden special weight contest to a 12 ¾-length victory from Mastering Bela. Hector Diaz, Jr., was aboard Sosua. The winning 4-year-old daughter of Speightstown, out of the Unbridled's Song mare Cara Marie, stopped the timer in 1:11.51.

Sosua was a $260,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale. She is owned by Mark B. Grier and trained by Arnaud Delacour.

Another first-time starter won the third race on the turf, as 3-year-old filly Mago On My Mind, a 49-1 shot, strode clear in deep stretch under jockey Isaac Castillo to post a 2-length victory from Clap for Me. The winner, by Brethren out of the Congrats mare Ruby On My Mind, paid $101.80 to win after touring the 1-mile distance in 1:37.34.

Mago On My Mind is owned by Eduardo Murillo Ortega and trained by Antonio Machado.

Diaz, the jockey on Sosua, also won the sixth race on 3-year-old filly Will Take Roses after Sharon's Law was disqualified for interference through the stretch. Will Take Roses is owned by Angel Ubarri and trained by Victor Carrasco, Jr.

Thoroughbred racing continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:23 p.m. Following Saturday's card, Tampa Bay Downs will be closed on Easter Sunday, then pick up on Wednesday, April 7 with the 74^th day of the 2020-2021 meeting.

Otherwise, the track is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.

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Racing League Jockeys Revealed

Several big names have been added to the upcoming Racing League competition this summer. Frankie Dettori, Oisin Murphy, Jim Crowley and Hollie Doyle are all set to take part.

Dettori is part of the Newmarket team, along with fellow riders Jamie Spencer and Luke Morris, who are paired with trainers John Gosden, Sir Mark Prescott, Robert Cowell and David Simcock. Murphy, Hayley Turner and Sean Levey are riding for Andrew Balding and Richard Hannon.

Murphy said, “This is an exciting innovation and considering the prize money there should be fierce competition between the teams. I look forward to being involved.”

Turner added, “It's great that the racing industry has decided to try something a bit different. I know the jockeys and the trainers are all really excited. I think it will help to capture a non-racing audience and be a fun event all round.”

The trio of Jim Crowley, Hector Crouch and Pat Cosgrave will ride for trainers George Baker, David Menuisier, Gary Moore and Amanda Perrett. Meanwhile, Doyle, Jack Mitchell and Cieren Fallon team up with another Newmarket training team consisting of Michael Bell, Ed Dunlop, James Fanshawe and Roger Varian.

Ireland is represented by David Egan, Gavin Ryan and Dylan Browne McMonagle for O'Brien brothers Donnacha and Joseph. However, Team France is in a holding pattern, as confirmation of regulations surrounding Brexit and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is still needed before announcing their nominated jockeys.

The Racing League competition limits each jockey to 18 of the 36 races in the competition. There is also £50,000 on offer to the three jockeys that score the most points in the competition. The 12 teams will compete at six meetings of six races apiece over six consecutive Thursdays in the summer beginning at Newcastle on July 29. Points are available from first to 10th in each race, and the highest scoring team throughout the competition wins the league.

Oli Harris, the Racing League's Chief Marketing Officer, said “We're delighted that the teams have now confirmed their jockeys. The likes of Hollie, Oisin and Frankie will no doubt grab the headlines, but we are also excited to have some of the most talented up and coming jockeys in UK and Ireland on board, as well as experienced campaigners such as Paul Hanagan, Martin Dwyer and Jamie Spencer. This is an important step in painting a complete picture of the Racing League.

“We will follow this by announcing the principal naming partner of each team, before the 30 horses in each team's squad are selected in July.”

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After Close Vote, CHRB Tables Question Of Increased Penalties For Whip Violations

After hearing a variety of opinions on the question of increasing financial penalties for whip rule violations, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) voted Tuesday to put off making a decision.

The proposed rule change before the board would have required stewards to issue a minimum $500 fine for a whip rule violation and would have given them leverage to fine a rider as much as 50 percent of their earnings in a graded stakes if they finish first, second, or third and have a history of violations. The current rule language caps fines at $1,000 and a minimum suspension of three days.

The reasoning for the proposed change was that riders may see the existing fine structure as either “the cost of doing business” or a worthwhile trade off for a better finish in a prestigious race, reducing compliance in situations with higher earning potential.

Attorney Shane Gusman, representing The Jockeys' Guild in the matter, objected to the proposed rule language, saying that it made the jockeys' behavior the sole subject of criticism and said the proposed fine was unreasonably high for riders who don't earn huge checks regularly.

“The penalty revisions exacerbate what is already an unfair system in our view, which focuses on the conduct of the jockeys, rather than a more equal system that looks at the conduct in racing as a whole,” said Gusman, who points out the rule language would allow for a minimum $500 fine for even one hit over the limit. “There are other penalties under the CHRB rule structure where if there's a violation, the entire team is penalized.”

“The jockey is the one who has control of the crop, sir,” said CHRB chairman Dr. Greg Ferraro. “There's an easy way to avoid this fine and that's to not violate the rule.”

The Thoroughbred Owners of California president Greg Avioli voiced concern about “unintended consequences” of the proposed changes to the rule and urged the CHRB to hold off further rule changes until a national rule regarding the whip can be implemented.

Predictably, non-industry observers used the public comment period to point out incidents of excessive whip use — some of which took pace outside the state — and highlight the negative public perception around permissive whip rules. Industry representatives, including trainers Doug O'Neill and Jenine Sahadi, voiced opposition to the proposed rule, which they thought was unfairly harsh on riders and was designed to address public misconceptions about the use and construction of the modern whip.

There was division within the board, also.

“I'm watching the races here and I feel like all jockeys are doing a great job, riding with the crop down,” said CHRB board member and former jockey Alex Solis. “The other thing is we keep losing riders … We've lost a bunch of riders and I'm afraid we're going to lose more. People think the jockeys make so much money but they don't remember you have to pay 20 percent to your agent, 5 percent to your valet, and your taxes. California is an expensive state to live in. We're really going to add more?”

CHRB board member Oscar Gonzales said he believes California riders have made an effort to change to comply with the new rules and that the board needs to work harder to retain riders — but he is worried about the issue at big events.

“I believe that in protecting the brand of horse racing, we have to continue to innovate,” said CHRB board member Oscar Gonzales, citing the upcoming Breeders' Cup as the main impetus for this potential change.

Commissioners Gonzales, Davis, and Mitchell voted not to table the motion, while commissioners Alfieri, Ferraro, Castellanos, and Solis voted to table it.

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