Luis Saez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Fernandez Is Fifth Jockey Tied To Los Alamitos To Test Positive For COVID-19

Jockey Eduard Rojas Fernandez is the fifth jockey to ride at Los Alamitos and test positive for COVID-19 in the past month, reports the Daily Racing Form. Fernandez was off his evening mounts over the three-day racing weekend after he was notified of the positive.

Neil Bricks, Fernandez' agent, said the rider did not have acute symptoms. Fernandez posted on Twitter in Spanish that he “will be out for weeks.”

Other riders reporting COVID-19 positives this month include: Victor Espinoza, Martin Garcia, Flavien Prat, and Luis Saez, each of whom rode the Thoroughbred card at Los Alamitos on July 4.

Garcia later rode at Prairie Meadows; Saez had mounts at Belmont, Indiana Grand, and Keeneland; and Prat rode at both Del Mar and Keeneland.

Prat Tests Positive For COVID-19 After Returning From Keeneland

Leading Southern California jockey Flavien Prat was taken off mounts at Del Mar on Sunday after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day.

Prat arrived back in the San Diego area after riding six races at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday and was required to be tested under Del Mar protocols for jockeys who travel out of town. He was given a nasal swab test by Scripps Hospital in La Jolla and notified a couple of hours later he had contracted the virus, according to his agent, Derek Lawson. Track officials said Prat was at Del Mar when he was contacted by Scripps personnel but had not arrived at the jockeys' room yet.

Prat will be be sidelined a minimum of 10 days from Monday, according to track officials, meaning he could return as soon as July 24, provided he has no symptoms.

Del Mar officials said all jockeys and jockeys' room personnel will be tested prior to the next day of racing on Friday, July 17.

Prat is the fourth jockey to ride the July 4 card at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif., who since tested positive for COVID-19. On July 8, Martin Garcia was required to be tested in order to ride at Indiana Grand and came up positive. He had ridden at Ellis Park July 2, Los Alamitos July 3-4 and Prairie Meadows July 5.

On July 10, Luis Saez was taken off mounts at Keeneland after a test from the previous day was positive.

Saez flew to California to ride Uncle Chuck to victory for Bob Baffert in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby on July 4, then rode the July 5 card at Belmont Park. He was required to be tested by New York Racing Association officials prior to riding July 5 and tested negative. Saez then rode at Indiana Grand on July 8, at Keeneland on July 9, then rode the second race at Keeneland on July 10 before being notified of his positive test and removed from his remaining mounts.

Espinoza was tested after experiencing flu-like symptoms early in the week and was taken off mounts on Del Mar's opening day, July 10. He learned that evening he was positive for COVID-19.

“It is encouraging that in both cases our protocols worked,” Del Mar CEO Joe Harper said of Prat and Espinoza's positive tests. “We will continue to be vigilant to ensure the safety of the people who work here and live in our community.”

A July 2 article from the Harvard Medical School explains that testing for COVID-19 is not foolproof.

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Prat Latest Southern California Jockey to Test Positive for Coronavirus

According to his agent, Derek Lawson, top California rider Flavien Prat has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Because he left California to ride Saturday at Keeneland, Prat was required to take a test Sunday before being allowed to ride at Del Mar. The test results were positive and Prat had to take off all his mounts.

“These athletes, they know their bodies,” Lawson said. “When I picked him up at the airport, he said, ‘I think I have it.'”

Lawson said that Prat is feeling fine and will return to his home in the Los Angeles area to wait out the quarantine period.

Along with Victor Espinoza, Martin Garcia and Luis Saez, Prat becomes the fourth jockey who rode on the July 4 card at Los Alamitos to test positive. For Saez, it cost him the mount on Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) in Saturday’s GII San Diego H. He will be replaced by Abel Cedillo, but trainer Bob Baffert told the Daily Racing Form that Saez will regain the mount once his quarantine period is over.

Prat, who was the leading rider at the 2019 summer meet at Del Mar, will also lose several important mounts and Lawson was quick to blame Los Alamitos for his predicament.

“All of this transpired at Los Alamitos,” Lawson said. “They were so careful at Santa Anita and then at Los Alamitos it was like the wild, wild west. They let everything get out of hand. We only went over there to ride Bellafina and for Baffert. They didn’t do anything. It was like, ‘Come on in, everyone is welcome.’ After how well everything went at Santa Anita, what a shame.”

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Maximum Security Breezes For San Diego Handicap; Baffert Shops For Rider

In his final work before next Saturday's $150,000 Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, Eclipse Award winner and presumptive race favorite Maximum Security went five furlongs in :59.60 Saturday morning at Del Mar for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and owners Gary and Mary West of Rancho Santa Fe.

It was the second-fastest of 86 works officially timed at the distance. United, nominated to and the likely favorite for next Sunday's $200,000 Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes, went five furlongs in :58.80 for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella and owners LNJ Foxwoods.

Arriving at the north San Diego County track for the 6:30 a.m. session, with exercise rider Juan Ochoa in the irons, Maximum Security spotted workmate Dark Prince several lengths at the start and made up the difference efficiently, finishing just before a fog bank settled to obscure visibility for a while.

“He worked very nice,” Baffert said. “He looks great and I'm very happy with him. He's such a class horse. Now I have to find a jockey because my guy tested positive. That's the next deal.”

Baffert, and the rest of the racing world, learned Friday that jockey Luis Saez, aboard for the son of New Year's Day's last seven starts, had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Saez was informed of the result after riding the second race at Keeneland. Saez, Martin Garcia and Victor Espinoza had been in close proximity at Los Alamitos and now have all tested positive. Espinoza took off three scheduled mounts here on the opening day card Friday.

Also working Saturday morning for Baffert was Kentucky Derby candidate Authentic. With Ochoa aboard, the son of Into Mischief owned by Spendthrift Farm and Starlight Racing went five furlongs in :59.80, third fastest at the distance, in preparation for shipping to Monmouth Park in New Jersey for next Saturday's $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes.

“He worked well, looks very strong,” Baffert said of the colt who's only blemish in four career starts was a runner-up to Honor A.P. in the Santa Anita Derby. “I am set (for Saturday on two coasts),” Baffert said.

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