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Jockey Edwin Gonzalez Captures 1,500th Career Win at Gulfstream Park

Edwin Gonzalez notched career win No. 1,500 Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla, where the veteran is enjoying considerable success while competing in his first Spring/Summer Meet.

The 29-year-old journeyman guided Surprise Factor to victory in Race 4 on Saturday's program at Gulfstream to reach the career milestone, which includes 443 wins in his native Puerto Rico.

“I'm very emotional. I cried when I passed the wire,” Gonzalez said. “It's something a lot of jockeys don't do. I came to this country by myself and have been working all these years with my family to get opportunities with trainers and owners. It's amazing. I'll keep working hard.”

Gonzalez, who had ridden the winner of Race 3 to set up his career-milestone ride in Race 4, currently ranks third in the jockey standings for the Spring/Summer Meet with 53 victories, four behind Edgard Zayas (57) and one behind Emisael Jaramillo (54) through Race 4.

Gonzalez, who ventured to the U.S. in 2013, had dominated at Penn National the past two years while winning at a 30 percent rate before venturing to Gulfstream Park, where agent Kevin Meyocks is booking his mounts.

“It was time to go. It was the right thing and the right time,” said Gonzalez, who rode five winners on the May 13 program.

Gonzalez, who has settled in Miami Gardens with his wife, Karina, and their three children, is planning on riding year-round at Gulfstream.

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Edwin Gonzalez Bags Five Winners Thursday At Gulfstream Park

Edwin Gonzalez continued to make his presence felt in the South Florida jockey colony, riding the winners of five races Thursday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The native of Puerto Rico, who won at a better-than-30-percent clip the previous two years at Penn National, has ridden 33 winners at the Spring/Summer Meet since moving his tack to South Florida.

Gonzalez won aboard Laurel Canyon in Thursday's second race, K's Running Free in the third, Karen's Cove in the fourth, Vow Me Now in the fifth and Panarea in the eighth and final race on the program.

A multiple group stakes winner in his native Puerto Rico, where he won 443 races before coming to the U.S. in 2013, Gonzalez is closing in on 1,500 career wins. He ranked 14th overall in North American wins in 2020 with 177 and 11th in 2019 with 236.

“We've been north here the last two years and it's been good,” Gonzalez said at the start of the meet in explaining his decision to ride at Gulfstream. “But we only race two days a week and I'd like to ride at a better track with some better horses. I'm looking forward to riding here during the summer. I'll keep working hard to win some races.”

He is represented by agent Kevin Meyocks.

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Gulfstream Park: Irad Ortiz Jr. Poised To Break Meet Record; Newly Arrived Edwin Gonzalez Rides On Saturday

Leading rider Irad Ortiz Jt. rode four winners on Thursday's program at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., moving to within two victories of the Championship Meet record.

Ortiz, the defending two-time Championship Meet titlist, won back-to-back aboard Ghostly Beauty ($3.60) in Race 4 and Trappezoid ($8.80) in Race 5 before scoring aboard Star Weaver ($4.40) in Race 7 and Foxxy Belle ($5.80) in Race 9.

With three days remaining in the 2020-2021 Championship Meet, Ortiz has a total of 135, two fewer than Luis Saez's record of 137, set in 2017-2018.

Ortiz has seven mounts Friday and is named to ride in 13 of 14 races Saturday, when he is scheduled to ride Todd Pletcher-trained Known Agenda in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa.

Ortiz, the defending three-time Eclipse Award champion, is also scheduled to ride in all 12 races on Sunday's program.

Gonzalez Named on 4 Horses Saturday on First Day at Gulfstream
Journeyman Edwin Gonzalez, Penn National's leading rider the last two years while winning at over a 30 percent clip, will begin his Gulfstream Park residency with four mounts on Saturday's blockbuster 14-race Curlin Florida Derby Day program.

Gonzalez has mounts in two of Saturday's 10 stakes – Frosted Grace in the $100,000 Sir Shackleton in Race 5 and Dizzy in the $100,000 Orchid (G3) in Race 13. He is also scheduled in a pair of maiden special weight events aboard 3-year-old colt Core in Race 1 and 3-year-old filly My Desdemona in Race 7. Gonzalez is named in seven of 12 races Sunday at Gulfstream, closing day of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet.

Gulfstream's 105-day spring-summer meet is scheduled to open Thursday, April 1 and run through Thursday, Sept. 30.

A multiple group stakes winner in his native Puerto Rico, where he won 443 races before coming to the U.S. in 2013, Gonzalez owns 1,445 career victories. He ranked 14th overall in North American wins in 2020 (177) and 11th in 2019 (236).

Gonzalez was second in wins during the 2017 Tampa Bay Downs meet and won six races there on March 10 of that year. He will be represented by Kevin Meyocks, who also serves as agent for Luca Panici.

Winner of the 2017 Arlington Handicap (G3) with Ghost Hunter, Gonzalez last rode March 17 at Penn National, winning two races to push his meet-leading total to 36. He also won six races Feb. 17 and five races March 4.

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Panici Sidelined

Jockey Luca Panici suffered three fractured vertebrae when he was unseated during the 10th race at Gulfstream Park Saturday and is expected to miss several weeks of riding.

“They say there's no surgery. He just needs time to heal,” said the jockey's agent Kevin Meyocks.

Panici has won 724 races since coming to the U.S. from Italy, where he rode more than 500 winners. In 2020 Panici came back from two injuries, a fracture collarbone in February and two broken ribs in April.

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