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Jockey Joe Ramos scored eight wins in the last two days of racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis to slip into the lead and take home the 2022 leading Thoroughbred jockey title.

Ramos scored 106 wins for the title and amassed purse earnings of more than $3 million during the 127-day racing season.

A native of Puerto Rico, Ramos was the track's leading apprentice jockey in 2019. He has been among the track's top 10 the past two seasons, moving up to fourth last year. This season, he battled for second as Marcelino Pedroza Jr. held the lead throughout most of the meet.

The past two weeks, Ramos put together a big surge that placed him one win ahead of Pedroza on closing night aboard one of his favorite horses, Matt Kwiatkowski, Jason Kaylor, and Roger D. Browning's Nobody Listens in the eighth race. The 4-year-old Indiana-bred Conveyance gelding, trained by Tim Eggleston, led gate to wire and won by 9 1/2 lengths.

“I'm so blessed,” said Ramos. “I'm blessed to be healthy enough to be here and so grateful to all the outfits that had faith in me to give me the opportunities this year. Special thanks to my agent (Kerry 'Bones' Wirth). I'm very blessed to do this and keep watching me because I'm going to keep doing it.”

Ramos remains in Indiana during the winter months to assist the Randy Klopp stable, one of his major barns at Horseshoe Indianapolis, with breaking young horses. He plans to travel back and forth to ride at Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky until racing resumes in Indiana in April 2023.

“I want to say a special thanks to all the fans who support the racetracks,” Ramos said. “Thanks to the horsemen and the people who work at the track, too. We all work very hard to keep doing what we love.”

Ramos was joined by his mother, Glory Ramos, and his agent for the winner's circle presentation by Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. The title is his second in Indiana and third overall. He also won the leading apprentice jockey title at Belterra Park in 2019.

The post ‘Keep Watching Me’: Late Surge Propels Ramos Past Pedroza For Jockey Title At Horseshoe Indianapolis appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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It's been another solid season for the partnership of Roger Spiess' Spiess Stable and Randy Klopp. The duo scored 31 wins and brought in purse earnings just shy of the $1 million mark to earn their second consecutive title for Leading Thoroughbred Owner at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The earnings tally of $979,041 for 2022 sets a new record for most purse earnings recorded by an owner of either breed in track history.

Spiess, a retired veterinarian from Swanton, Ohio, and Klopp have had a strong partnership for the past 20 years. The duo has moved their way up into third place on the list of all-time leading owners in the record books with 180 career wins and more than $4 million in purse earnings. Some of the top horses for them in 2022 include Latigo, winner of five races, including the $250,000 Governor's Stakes, Music to my Ears, winner of four races over the 127-day meet, and Ferdan, who scored his third win of the meet during closing week. Spiess, who is hands on in the selection process of purchasing racehorses and yearlings with Klopp, cited Latigo as his favorite horse this year.

“I'd have to say winning the $250,000 stakes (with Latigo) was the highlight of the year for us,” said Spiess, who is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “It's been a really great year and Randy and his crew do an outstanding job.”

Klopp also cited the win with Latigo in the Governor's Stakes as the highlight of the meet for him. He noted the great partnership he's had with Spiess for more than two decades. Spiess actually picked Latigo out of the Keeneland January All Ages Sale in 2020 when he had just turned into a yearling, purchasing the Indiana bred Jimmy Creed gelding for $8,000. He now has more than $260,000 on his card.

“Roger spends a lot of money and does a great job picking out horses,” added Klopp. “We currently have between 40 and 50 horses in our barn and have several yearlings to start with.”

Klopp and Spiess already have a lot to look forward to next season. Klopp has 20 yearlings to break and a lot of those are in partnership with Spiess. Klopp owns a farm in nearby Rushville, Ind. and stays at Horseshoe Indianapolis over the winter months, which has proven beneficial for the stable to be ready to go when racing resumes in the spring.

Overall, Klopp and Spiess partnered up for a 19 percent win clip and a top three percentage of 59.

Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing, and Rachel McLaughlin, On-Air Broadcast Manager, made the winner's circle presentation to Spiess and Klopp and Spiess' wife, Darla, during the final day of racing for 2022 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

The 20th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing concludes Wednesday, Nov. 23. Live racing will return for the 21st season in mid-April 2023, pending approval from the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

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New York rider Dylan Davis guided Miss Dracarys to her first career stakes win at Aqueduct to earn Jockey of the Week honors for Nov. 14 through Nov. 20. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, honors jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

On Sunday, regular rider Davis was aboard Miss Dracarys for Hall of Fame California trainer Neil Drysdale in the Forever Together Stakes. Hustled out of the gate, Miss Dracarys took command after an opening quarter of 24.35. She continued to maintain the advantage after six furlongs in 1:13.05. Miss Dracarys was challenged in mid-stretch by Evvie Jets under Eric Cancel but Miss Dracarys dug in, edging away for the win in 1:42.40 for the mile and one-sixteenth turf test.

“She ended up breaking well, I helped her get to the turn and found myself on the lead again, so just trying to make the last race,” said Davis. “She had kind of one pace, so I got into her at the three-eighths pole to get her run going and she's a fighter. When a horse challenges her, you saw her fight off the challenge.”

“Neil gave me instructions and thought we had to cover up and she did run well like that, but we tried something new two races back,” said Davis. “I still think she could do well covered up but she definitely has to be in the game going into that first turn.”

Davis's statistics for the week were 27-5-4-5 for a 51.8 in-the-money percentage and total purse earnings of $376,650.

Davis is the son of retired jockey Robbie Davis and is the brother of riders Jackie Davis and Katie Davis-McCarthy. He earned his first meet riding title in 2022, taking the Aqueduct 2021-2022 winter meet with 63 wins. Davis rode his 1,000th career winner aboard Heels Together at Belmont Park on May 13, 2022. He currently sits in fourth place at the Aqueduct meet.

Other contenders for Jockey of the Week were Javier Castellano with seven wins for the week, Tyler Gaffalione who was the leading rider for the week in total purse earnings, Juan J. Hernandez who won the G3 Bob Hope at Del Mar, and Brian Hernandez, Jr. who won the G3 Chilukki at Churchill Downs

The post Dylan Davis Voted Jockey Of The Week Off NYRA Stakes Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Samantha Randazzo has been named The Jockey Club steward for the New York Racing Association. She takes the place of Dr. Jennifer Durenberger who was appointed as the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Equine Safety & Welfare Director.

The appointment was announced by Stuart S. Janney III, the chairman of The Jockey Club.

“We are pleased for Dr. Durenberger in her new role with HISA,” Janney said. “Samantha's experience as a steward at Finger Lakes and her many years working in the racing industry make her the ideal person to step into the role as The Jockey Club steward for NYRA.”

Randazzo will begin her role as NYRA steward on November 25, 2022. She has been The Jockey Club steward at Finger Lakes since August 3, 2020. Prior to that, she was the alternate state steward for the Division of Pari-mutuel Waging for the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Tallahassee, Florida, and also worked in licensing and as a veterinary technician for the department.

Randazzo also worked as an entry clerk and placing judge at Colonial Downs Racetrack, New Kent, Virginia, and as a safety steward for the National Steeplechase Association, state steward for the Minnesota Racing Commission, alternate state steward for the New Jersey Racing Commission, and state steward for the Illinois Racing Board, among other positions within the industry.

Randazzo received her accreditation as a steward from the Racing Officials Accreditation Program for Thoroughbreds in 2014 and for Standardbreds in 2017. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science / History from Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, and a law degree from The University of Toledo College of Law, Toledo, Ohio.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It founded America's Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

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