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Laurel Park: Claudio Gonzalez Making Up For Lost Time With Perfect 5-For-5 Start

After going 33 days between starters at Laurel Park, trainer Claudio Gonzalez is more than making up for lost time.

A 16-time meet champion in Maryland who has led the state in overall wins each of the past four years, Gonzalez has won with each of his first five starters at Laurel's spring meet, delayed to an April 8 opening by an equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) quarantine.

Gonzalez's barn was among those unable to enter races, and restricted to training hours separate from the rest of the horse population.

“It's not a good feeling when we can't train them the way we want. We only had 30 minutes to train all the horses, but it was the same way for everybody in quarantine,” Gonzalez said. “I believe the horses are saying thank you now. They got a little rest and they're feeling really good.”

Leading trainer with 28 wins despite missing the final two weekends of Laurel's 2021 winter meet, which had its last three programs canceled due to the quarantine, Gonzalez won with both his starters Friday – Robert D. Bone's Bear Force Won ($4.60) in Race 1 and Magic Stable's Baptize the Boy ($4.80) in Race 4.

Gonzalez won with all three of his starters on Thursday's opening day program – Marden ($5.20) and Queen of Tomorrow ($5.60), both owned by Bone, and Chetram Bhigroog's Cause to Dream ($6.60). Prior to that, Gonzalez hadn't run a horse at Laurel since winning with two of three starters March 7.

“I feel good, especially for the owners because the owners have bills to pay no matter what, and they lose money when they don't run,” he said. “Now they're happy.”

Gonzalez went 1-for-28 running at Parx in the interim. He has won 10 of the last 11 meets at Laurel dating back to the 2018, sweeping all four Maryland meets in 2020 including the Preakness Meet at Pimlico Race Course.

Gonzalez nominated 10 horses to Laurel's April 24 Spring Stakes Spectacular program, including stakes winners Miss Leslie for the $125,000 Weber City Miss), Eastern Bay and Lebda for the $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley, Landing Zone for the $100,000 Dahlia and Completed Pass for the $100,000 King T. Leatherbury, the latter two on turf.

“The horses are ready to go and we were lucky to have the right races go, too. If we get the right races and the horses are ready, it's good. Everything happens for the better,” Gonzalez said. “If we continue like this, we're going to have some good weekends.”

Notes: Jockey Sheldon Russell and his wife, trainer Brittany Russell, teamed up for a pair of popular maiden wins Friday with 4-year-old filly Memphis Mafia ($2.80) in Race 3 and 4-year-old gelding Ratify ($3) in Race 7 … Russell completed a riding triple aboard Shane's Jewel ($4) for trainer Jamie Ness in Race 8 … Jockey Kevin Gomez notched back-to-back wins with Baptize the Boy ($4.80) in Race 4 and John the Bear ($24) in Race 5 … There will be carryovers of $5,396.14 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 and $922.76 in the $1 Super Hi-5 for Saturday's nine-race card (12:40 p.m. post). Multiple tickets with all six winners Friday returned $1,002.92.

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Tampa Stay ‘Opening Doors’ For Jockey Of The Month Hector Diaz

Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr., had been eager to ride trainer Kathleen O'Connell's 3-year-old filly Nancy Work since breezing her at Tampa Bay Downs before her start on March 7 at Gulfstream Park in a maiden claiming race.

“Some horses work fast and some don't, but you know how they do it and how they feel,” said Diaz, who made the most of his chance in Wednesday's ninth race at Tampa by riding Nancy Work to her maiden victory going a mile on the turf. “When I work a horse, I want to know how much they have galloping out after they hit the wire, and she did it easy and comfortable and came off the track happy. That's the main thing.”

Nancy Work finished last in her Gulfstream effort in a race that was taken off the turf, showing as much liking for the sloppy racetrack as a mother whose 4 and 5-year-olds just returned from frolicking in a mud puddle. Neither that effort nor a subsequent fifth-place finish here on the grass on March 19 lessened Diaz's enthusiasm for the chance to team up with her in a race for the first time.

As if sensing her pilot's confidence, Nancy Work relayed to Diaz her desire to graduate into the ranks of winners before the start.

“When I got on her, she was on the toes. I knew she was ready to run,” he said.

The come-from-behind, 3 ½-length victory from Estilo Elegante and eight others capped a three-victory performance Wednesday by Diaz, earning him the Salt Rock Tavern Jockey of the Month Award. After winning twice today, Diaz is in third place in the standings with 57 victories, and his win percentage of 19.7 is the track's second-best, behind Antonio Gallardo's 22.5.

Diaz's victories today came on 3-year-old filly Flash Town in the fourth race for owner Sabal Racing Stable and trainer Darien Rodriguez and in the sixth on the turf on 5-year-old gelding Joy City for owner Francis Paolangeli and trainer Bobby Raymond. Flash Town was claimed for $8,000 by trainer Rafael Schistl for new owner Endsley Oaks Farm.

Also on today's card, no bettor hit the late 50-cent Pick-5, creating a carryover pool of $39,302.87 into Saturday's late Pick-5. That wager will begin with the sixth race.

“It's gone better than I expected. It's tough to come to a new place and do this well,” said the 31-year-old Diaz, who is in his first season at Tampa Bay Downs. “To be in the (top three) with all the good riders here is a great accomplishment for me. I have to praise God and thank all the owners and trainers and everyone who supported me.”

Winning races is rarely easy, even when you're on the best horse. Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Maple said he nearly flew off the saddle when Secretariat unleashed his ungodly acceleration on the turn for home in the legend's final career race, the 1973 Canadian International at Woodbine in Toronto.

Along the backstretch in Wednesday's finale, Diaz and Nancy Work were inside and relaxed in mid-pack when long shot Abuela Cori made a bold move directly outside, forcing Diaz into decision mode. His knowledge of Nancy Work, the rapport they had established, simplified the rider's decisions.

“You can't get scared when you are on the rail stuck behind horses,” said Diaz, referring to the impulse to make a premature move rather than stay patient to preserve a strong finishing kick. “I just relaxed there and waited, because I didn't have any room. I think it worked out perfectly, because I put my filly on the outside nearing the quarter-mile pole and she kicked on.”

That kind of savvy decision-making, especially on the turf, has made Diaz a fan favorite here, and he says the feeling is mutual. Set to head north next week, Diaz plans to return to Oldsmar next fall and build on his solid foundation.

“I love it here,” said Diaz, who lives with his fiancée Deyanyra and 3-year-old son Andrew.

Diaz plans to depart in time to ride on the April 22 Opening Day card at Belmont Park before moving his tack to Monmouth Park for its spring-summer meeting. His agent, Shawn Klotz, said riding here for such top trainers as O'Connell, Michael Stidham, Arnaud Delacour, Christophe Clement and George Weaver can pay long-term dividends for his rider, especially at tracks with higher purse structures than Tampa Bay Downs.

“Look at all the stables that ship horses to Tampa for maiden special weight races on the turf. Stidham, Clement, Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, Graham Motion. … the list goes on and on. It's insane,” said Klotz, who is based in Seaford, New York. “Those are opportunities to ride for bigger barns, and the benefit comes when Hector goes to the bigger tracks and has earned the trust and confidence of those trainers.”

Klotz said that is why Tampa Bay Downs is an ideal place for Diaz at this stage of his career.

“I call it opening doors,” the agent said. “Getting in with some of those bigger outfits at Tampa is only going to help him in the long run.”

A strong measure of confidence, along with his talent, work ethic and analytical approach, especially after a defeat, will do the rest.

“Sometimes I'll get to the finish and think I was just second-best, but I still watch the replay and look for something I could have done different to win,” Diaz said. “I don't watch my replays when I win. I watch the ones I lose.”

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Look Who’s Back: Martin Pedroza Wins First Race In 18 Months

In Thursday's ninth and final race at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., 55-year-old jockey Martin Pedroza, riding his first race in 18 months, posted a front-running, 3¼-length victory on Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred first-time starter Cornbread Hill.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Cornbread Hill ($13.80) covered the 6 furlongs in 1:10.40.

Pedroza had stopped riding races in October of 2019 for personal reasons, according to the Daily Racing Form, including losing his “deep-seated desire to ride races.”

He had been exercise riding for Ward in Kentucky, and the trainer needed a replacement jockey in Thursday's last race.

After the victory, Ward said he was “extremely happy to see Martin back in his favorite place – the winner's circle.”

‘He’s Like A Son To Me’: Agent Moran Reflects As Paco Lopez Approaches 3,000th Win

Popular and personable jockey Paco Lopez, an Eclipse Award winner and twice the leading rider during Gulfstream Park's prestigious Championship Meet, is on the verge of reaching a career milestone.

Lopez, 35, captured the eighth-race finale aboard Kahiko ($5), his lone victory from six mounts, as live racing returned to Gulfstream Thursday. He enters Friday's nine-race program (1 p.m. post time) with 2,998 career Thoroughbred wins according to Equibase statistics, which also noted one quarter horse win in 2009 at Hialeah. Lopez is named in six races Friday and 10 of 11 races Saturday.

“Just the thought of winning 3,000 races and being with him from the start is pretty phenomenal,” Lopez's agent, Cory Moran, said. “We've been together through this and it's been amazing.

“There's riders that get to 3,000, but I just think it's amazing we did it together. I'm grateful and blessed through this journey,” he added. “The journey has had its ups and downs but Paco's a good guy and a good rider, and I think we appreciate each other.”

Lopez is one of six children that grew up in poverty in Veracruz, Mexico, leaving home at age 12 to live with one of his sisters. He was shining shoes and working in a car wash for $30 a week when a customer offered him a ranch job. Soon he was riding in quarter horse races at bush tracks with incredible success, including winning all 13 races over a single weekend.

In 2006, Lopez relocated to South Florida to further his dream of becoming a jockey, working on a ranch in West Palm Beach and riding unsanctioned quarter horse races. He began exercising Thoroughbreds at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, and launched his professional career in June 2007 at the former Calder Race Course.

“Since the first time I met him, I just thought there was something special in him. He just had those hungry eyes,” Moran said. “He was like a little boy standing there. Bill White introduced me to him. He was the leading trainer at the time and he loved him.

“He introduced us and I decided to take him the day I met him,” he added. “It's been a constant win machine from that day. He's been like a whirlwind, and it's not slowing down. He's done a lot of remarkable things.”

Lopez rode his first winner July 13, 2007, at Calder and finished with 20 for the calendar year. He won 229 races, nearly $4 million in purse earnings, a Calder meet title and the Eclipse Award as champion apprentice in his first full season of 2008.

Overall, Lopez has won 200 or more races nine times ranked in the top 10 in North America in wins five times, including third in 2019 with a career-best 283. That year he also reached a personal high of $10.9 million in purses earned.

Lopez won back-to-back Championship Meet riding titles in 2010 and 2011, and is one of only four jockeys (Javier Castellano, Irad Ortiz Jr., Luis Saez) to win 100 or more races at Gulfstream's elite winter stand. He also won the 2019 Gulfstream Park West crown and owns 11 riding championships in New Jersey, eight of them at Monmouth Park where he spends the summer and early fall.

“In the early years, when he was having success at Monmouth and he won the Championship Meet twice, there were other agents trying to get him. But, Paco stayed loyal,” Moran said. “He believed in me and I believed in him. There's been riders that have been available and I don't even call them. He's such a good rider. I don't even think about it.”

Three times in his career, Lopez has won seven races on a single card. He did it twice in 2014 at Monmouth and again March 21, 2020, at Gulfstream, each time sharing the track record. Lopez earned his 2,000^th career win Dec. 4, 2016 at Gulfstream.

Overall, Lopez has won 89 career graded-stakes, eight of them Grade 1, including his first with South Florida-based Itsmyluckyday in the 2014 Woodward as well as the 2018 Breeders' Cup Sprint aboard Roy H. Last winter, he piloted Swiss Skydiver to victory in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2); Swiss Skydiver would go on to beat males in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and be named champion 3-year-old filly.

“I've seen riders win seven [races] in a day here and there, but he's done it three times,” Moran said. “We've just had phenomenal success. He won a Breeders' Cup. He's won so many stakes from coast to coast. It's been like a whirlwind with him and his success.

“I'm just very fortunate to run into a rider like that and he turned out to be that way,” he added. “I've been an agent for a long time and I've had leading riders and stuff like that, but this is a long run with Paco. He's like family. He's like a son to me. It's been a good run.”

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