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Rosario Back From Injury On Friday; Named On Seven Asmussen Runners At Oaklawn

The favorite to land an Eclipse Award as the country's outstanding jockey of 2021 will begin his 2022 push at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

Joel Rosario is named on seven horses Friday, which will mark his first day as a regular in Hot Springs and first action since suffering a hairline fracture of a rib when he was unseated shortly after the finish of a Dec. 2 race at Aqueduct.

Rosario ($32,944,478) was eyeing a single-season North American record for purse earnings before the injury. Now healthy, Rosario's return to the saddle will fall on his 37th birthday.

“He takes care of himself like no one, probably, you've ever met,” Rosario's agent, Ron Anderson, said Saturday afternoon. “He's exceptionally fit … his lady friend is a nutritionist. She's taught him how to take care of his weight, what to eat, what not to eat. He's ready to go at all times. It will be six weeks since he fell and he had a hairline fracture. It's time to get started again.”

All seven horses Rosario is named on Friday are for Hall of Famer and perennial Oaklawn training champion Steve Asmussen. Rosario and Asmussen teamed to win the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 5 at Del Mar with unbeaten Echo Zulu. Rosario won the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) the following day aboard Knicks Go for trainer Brad Cox.

Cox (12 victories) and Asmussen (11) entered Sunday leading the 2021-2022 Oaklawn trainer standings. Coupled with Oaklawn's purse structure, the highest in the country this winter, Anderson said Oaklawn is a perfect fit for Rosario, who has enjoyed immense success in Hot Springs, particularly in 2020. Rosario wintered last year at Santa Anita, but Anderson has Hall of Famer John Velazquez there in 2022. Velazquez's major client is Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

“We have success for two guys that are 1-2 and 2-1 there,” Anderson said, referring to Oaklawn. “The winter in California's not quite the same as it used to be. Just looking for a change. So, Brad we've won for; Steve, we've won for. We've won a Breeders' Cup for both of them. It's three days a week and the purses are fantastic. It's a good place to go for a change. I have Johnny, too, and Johnny's in California, per Bob's request. Sometimes, it's just the flow of the way things feel. Johnny won the last two Kentucky Derbys for Bob. Bob would like him to come out there. Joel won the Breeders' Cups for Brad and Steve. They're kind of the kingpins at Oaklawn. The purses are big. Joel doesn't mind it there. He likes it.”

Rosario rode six days during the final weeks of Oaklawn's 2020 meeting and won 15 races, including the $150,000 Oaklawn Mile Stakes aboard Tom's d'Etat for trainer Al Stall, $100,000 Rainbow Stakes aboard Man in the Can for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, $165,000 Arkansas Breeders' Championship Stakes aboard Man in the Can and the second division of the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) aboard Nadal for Baffert.

Coupled with a double in March, including the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) aboard Nadal, Rosario finished with a spectacular 17-10-7 record from just 45 mounts and amassed $2,030,576 in purse earnings. Rosario ranked second in stakes victories at the meet (five), fourth in purse earnings and 11^th in victories – just one shy of cracking the top 10 – with an eye-popping 38 percent strike rate. Rosario added three more stakes victories at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting, including the $1 million Rebel (G2) for Baffert aboard Concert Tour.

Anderson said Rosario is booked to ride Concert Tour in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses Jan. 15 at Oaklawn, a one-mile race would mark the colt's first start for Cox. Rosario and Cox are scheduled to team up again Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park when Knicks Go makes his final career start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).

“World-class rider,” Cox said Saturday afternoon. “I mean, it's no secret about that. He's a very good all-around rider and very happy that he's going to be there during the meet. Looking forward for him teaming up with Knicks Go again in the Pegasus and go from there.”

Anderson said Rosario is scheduled to ride regularly at Oaklawn until at least early April. Rosario has 28 career Oaklawn victories, including 12 stakes, with his mounts earning $4,979,104. In addition to Nadal, Rosario won the $200,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) and $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) in 2014 aboard Close Hatches for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Close Hatches won an Eclipse Award as the country's champion older female that year.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Rosario rode his first winner in the United States in 2006. He has more than 3,000 career victories, including 15 in Breeders' Cup races and three in Triple Crown events, and his mounts have earned more than $250 million. Rosario won the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1) in 2013 in the United Arab Emirates aboard Animal Kingdom.

In addition to purse earnings, Rosario led the country in stakes victories (69) and graded stakes victories (49) in 2021, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. Rosario is seeking his first Eclipse Award.

“Look, like I tell people, he's a world-class rider,” Anderson said. “He could go anywhere in the world and be competitive. Lucky enough we come in there and we ride for Steve right away. Got some calls with Brad, got some calls with (Ron) Moquett and some other people. We'll get back with it here.”

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Pablo Morales Rides Five Winners For Second Saturday In A Row At Tampa

Don't let his looks deceive you; behind Pablo Morales's youthful appearance lurks a ruthless competitor.

“He looks so nice and polite,” said his agent, Paula Bacon, laughing because those are in fact two traits Morales possesses in abundance. “But he's actually a baby-faced sharpshooter in sheep's clothing.”

Bacon's metaphor hasn't been far off the last two Saturdays at Tampa Bay Downs. After riding five winners on Jan. 1, Morales did it again today, starting 4-for-4 before cooling off to go 5-for-8 with a second.

The performance gives Morales 23 victories at the meet, moving him into a tie for first with Antonio Gallardo. It is the third time Morales has won five races on a Tampa Bay Downs card.

“Unreal. That was awesome, what can I say?” said Morales. “I'm just as happy as I can be. This game is definitely weird, and we just have to stay after it every day. Things like this are what help me keep on going, no matter what.”

Bacon, a former jockey, said all the pieces are coming together for the 33-year-old Lima, Peru product to make a run at his first Tampa Bay Downs meet title. Morales has won seven titles at Presque Isle Downs, where he more than doubled the runner-up with 120 winners last season.

“He's been getting good mounts and he's making them count,” Bacon said. “He's riding incredibly well. He has a lot of natural physical ability, he picks things up right away and he is making smart decisions in his races.”

Bacon, who watched today's card at home, marveled at Morales's winning ride in the fifth race, a maiden claiming event at a mile on the turf for 3-year-old fillies. After keeping his mount, trainer Tim Hamm's gray filly Music Amore, in a stalking position early, Morales spotted an opening on the turn for home and steered Music Amore to the promised land, resulting in a length-and-a-half victory from Sign and Seal.

“He made a last-second decision to cut the corner turning for home, and I thought that was a really smart move,” Bacon said. “When he altered course to go inside, I thought that won the race for him.”

Morales's winning streak was halted in the seventh race on the turf, the Lambholm South Race of the Week, when he finished second aboard Pythoness by a half-length to Bleecker Street, a 4-year-old filly ridden by Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr., and trained by Chad Brown.

“Yeah, it took dang Chad Brown to get him,” Bacon said of the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer.

Morales's first victory came in the second race on Daily Briefing, a 4-year-old filly owned by Curragh Stables and trained by John P. Terranova, II. She paid $8.40 to win as the second wagering choice. Morales won the third race on Bear Creek, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Mark Hoffman and trained by Dennis Ward. He paid $10.80 to win.

After sitting out the fourth and winning on 2-1 favorite Music Amore, Morales captured the sixth race on 5-2 favorite Curlin's Thrill, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Sabal Racing Stable and Patrick Rhodes and trained by Darien Rodriguez.

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The jockey's fifth victory came in the ninth race, a come-from-behind effort by 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding Cajun Casanova, owned by Monster Racing Stables and trained by Jose H. Delgado. Cajun Casanova paid $5.80 to win as the second betting choice. “That horse just ran huge today,” Morales said. “He has been running against tough horses, but when things go his way he is a monster. He liked to run and he gives it his all.”

Bacon, who has been retired as a jockey since 2002, looks forward to teaming with Morales throughout the season in hopes of challenging for the top spot.

“We still have to work our butts off to get anyplace,” she said. “This is a very deep jockey colony, but I know Pablo is going to keep to the task.”

Morales agrees with Bacon's assessment that he is physically and mentally capable of contending. “I'm in good shape and I'm healthy, and that's the main thing. I'm going to keep on working and wait for the right opportunities, and when I do get them, thank God I'm able to prove myself, because by proving myself to the trainers and owners they'll opt to ride me. Obviously, I can't do anything without their help,” he said.

“I'm extremely thankful to all the connections. I do this for myself, my family and the people who root for me. It can be sort of a roller coaster here, but days like this put me in the fight, and hopefully I'll get in a groove of staying more busy.”

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‘Somebody Who Genuinely Loves What They Do’: Michael Wright Named Tampa’s Trainer Of The Month

Jockey Isabelle C. Wenc was grateful for the opportunity to ride Call Her Joey for trainer Michael Wright in a one-mile turf claiming race on Dec. 31 at Tampa Bay Downs. The (then)-5-year-old mare won, giving Wright his fourth consecutive victory of the meet and providing Wenc with a memorable Oldsmar oval debut.

Strange as it sounds, though, a trip to the winner's circle takes a backseat to the continuing education Wenc receives around Wright's barn, where the conditioner inspires employees through his devotion to the horses – and his insistence that everyone, including himself, be able to take a joke.

“It's fun coming to work. He loves the sport, and he has a good sense of humor,” said trainer Mike Dunslow, who works for Wright as an assistant at Tampa.

“If I were to have any kind of question, he is somebody I can go to and ask, and he doesn't even make you feel silly,” said Wenc, a 27-year-old Saskatchewan product who is working for Wright this season as an exercise rider. “It's fun coming to work because he trusts your opinion. We all butt heads occasionally, but we get along pretty well and have a main goal in mind.”

Four consecutive victories is a rarity for any trainer or jockey, but Wright seemed to take it in stride.

“When you come with the right horses, it's not difficult, I guess,” he said.

The streak started on Dec. 17 with a pair of victories, one by (then)-3-year-old gelding Decimator, owned by Colebrook Farms, in a claiming sprint and the next by 6-year-old mare Nantucket Red, also owned by Colebrook, in a one-mile allowance/optional claiming race on the turf. On Dec. 29, Wright won a claiming sprint with 5-year-old mare Distinctly Blue, who was claimed from the race.

Call Her Joey, claimed by Wright from her previous start on Nov. 5 at Woodbine, is owned by Wright's wife, Gina Wright.

A clear-cut choice as the Salt Rock Tavern Trainer of the Month for his 4-for-4 start, Wright is in the latter stages of a career that has seen him scale some peaks. In the 1990s, he trained for leading Canadian owner Bruno Schickedanz, with Wright averaging 66 winners a year from 1991-1995, primarily at Woodbine in Toronto.

Their top horse together was the Ontario-bred Scotzanna, who won a pair of Sovereign Awards in 1995 as Canada's Champion Sprinter and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. Her major victories that year included the Grade 2 Prioress Stakes at Belmont Park under jockey Robin Platts.

“She was a good horse right from the start,” Wright said of the $10,000 yearling auction purchase. “She's the best horse I've ever had.”

Wright, a Manchester, England product, moved with his family to Toronto when he was 14. He sent out his first starter in 1967 or 1968 at Woodbine and has compiled 795 victories. He began competing at Tampa Bay Downs during the 2013-2014 season. It marked a pleasant change from cold winters spent at Woodbine and Laurel in years past.

“We went on a cruise to Mexico, and when we got back I said, 'Let's stay here (Florida) for a while.' We bought a house and now my wife lives here year-round while I go back to Woodbine in the summer.”

Wright's son, Michael Wright, Jr., won a Sovereign Award in 1998 as Canada's Outstanding Trainer. Younger son Andrew helps his father throughout the summer at Woodbine, while a daughter, Natalie, works at a golf course in Maryland.

Wife Gina's brothers, Dale and Gary Capuano, are trainers, with Gary having trained 1997 Kentucky Derby runner-up Captain Bodgit.

Wright's reputation for patience results in usually getting the best efforts from his horses.

“He understands them. He takes good care of them and spots them well,” said Dunslow.

Wright also understands people. A groom, Michael Whitelaw, who has been with him for decades, says “he treats me like his son.”

Although his pace has slowed, Wright is having too much fun to contemplate retirement.

“You have to keep going, because if you stop, all of a sudden it's over,” Wright said. “I've been fortunate. I've always liked the game, and I like to be here in the mornings.”

His ongoing presence is mighty reassuring.

“It's nice to work for somebody who genuinely loves what they do,” Wenc said. “It's a fun environment to be part of.”

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After Friday’s Gate Incident, Irad Ortiz Takes Off Weekend Mounts At Gulfstream

Reigning champion jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will not ride at Gulfstream Park this weekend, taking time to recover from a sore knee caused by an incident in the starting gate prior to Friday's eighth race, the Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee posted on Twitter. The rider's agent, Steve Rushing, told McGee that Ortiz plans to return to the saddle next Wednesday, when he is named to ride in eight races on the card.

Ortiz was aboard Shea On A Mission for trainer Carlos David as the field loaded into the gate, when the 4-year-old daughter of Mission Impazible became unruly and reared. Ortiz managed to escape out the back, but he immediately appeared to be in pain. He was helped away from the gate by the assistant starters, and Shea On A Mission was scratched by the track veterinarian.

Thursday was the first day Ortiz had ridden since the Clasico del Caribe card at Camarero (Puerto Rico) on Dec. 5, 2021, owing to a 30-day suspension for his actions in a pair of races at Aqueduct.

Ortiz rode two winners from five mounts on Thursday, and two winners from seven mounts on Friday prior to his injury.

Ortiz has won the past three Eclipse Awards as North America's champion jockey. He led all riders with 336 wins in 2021 and ranked second with 1,443 starts and $29,274,435 in purse earnings. He also won a personal best 36 graded stakes, 10 of them Grade 1 races.

Following the Clasico del Caribe, Ortiz remained in Puerto Rico before returning to South Florida to work horses, primarily for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs. He was named in 10 of 11 races Saturday and another eight on Sunday.

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