“I am new here,” the 37-year-old jockey said through an interpreter. “I am not expecting to ride the best horses. I will try my best. But I know I am starting from the bottom. I think I will build my business little by little.”

He doesn't have much to lose. If things don't work out, he can always go back to Turkey. But that's not what he wants. He wants to prove to people that he belongs here and can compete against what is, even in the winter, a very good riding colony at Aqueduct. He's hoping to make New York his new home base.

Kocakaya, who began his career in 2006, got the idea of riding in the U.S. when he came here to visit trainers Ilkay and Mertkan Kantarmaci, brothers who also emigrated from Turkey to New York. He has also ridden in Macau, Dubai, France and Germany.

“I made the decision to come here because I like how the racing is here,” he said. “I think that it's as good as anywhere in the world.”

He said he also wanted his children, who are six and 12, to have the chance to get an education in the U.S.

“I always wanted to raise my kids in a different country and I chose here,” he said. “That has nothing to do with Turkey. I just wanted them to see other parts of the world.”

Kocakaya spent a few weeks here last winter and failed to win a race in from 10 mounts. He returned in December and has gone 1-for-7 since. His win came on Jan 4. with Bustin Shout (Bustin Stones), who is trained by Rudy Rodriguez. Rodriguez's son, Rudy Jr., is Kocakaya's agent. It is believed that he became the first Turkish-born jockey to win a race in the U.S.
“I won around 3,000 races when you include other countries I rode in,” he said. “But I'm new here. No one knows me and I don't get many chances. So I was happy to win that race and am still excited about it. It was a special win.”

It is Rodriguez's job to find him mounts. He will get some from his father and will ride for the Kantarmaci brothers. He also picked up a mount from John Kimmel.
“It has been tough, especially because we're here in New York, one of the premier jockey colonies in country,” Rodriguez Jr. said. “It's definitely not easy. People have been very kind to him. They want him to work horses in the morning. I do understand there are some issues, including him still learning English. He's trying. He's taking English courses. I think he's starting to gain people's trust.”

Over the last five years, Kocakaya has averaged 246 winners a year in Turkey, tops among all riders.

There's very little chance he'll reach those numbers here in the U.S. But his goals are far more modest. He just wants to be given a chance.

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What is needed is to look at the Stewards box. Stewards involved should be interviewed, past decisions reviewed and what we need is industry-wide implementation to improve the process. Possibly a fourth person “in the booth” might help when a foul occurs. Evaluation of current requirements, education, improved training, age requirements, cognitive skills, etc.

Whatever blame rests 100% with the stewards in this case!

–Jerry Bilinski DVM, former New York Racing Chairman

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In a roughly run race, there was an incident at the quarter-pole where Big Torpedo (Big Brown) and Solo's Fury (Solomini) both checked sharply. Big Torpedo finished fourth and Solo's Fury was last of 12. A strong case can be made that Antonio of Venice (Laoban), the race winner with Manny Franco aboard, came off the rail and started a chain reaction that caused the other two horses to steady. When the incident took place, Brick Ambush sat five wide and outside of the horses who were bothered. He never came in contact with another horse, changed paths or did anything else that would seem to warrant a disqualification.

Another possibility is that the stewards mistook Brick Ambush for the 11 horse, Solo's Fury, who does appear to come over and bother horses at the quarter pole, while Brick Ambush appears to be clear of the trouble at that point. Both jockeys were wearing white and green silks with green caps and were next to one another.

Second-place money in the Great White Way is $100,000. Brick Ambush was placed last.

“We are going to appeal it because I'm not really sure what happened,” Reeves said. “We were never involved in the conversation. It's been amazing, the number of people who have reached out or are making comments, people saying that's the worst thing they've ever seen in 40 years of watching races. I feel like I got robbed, like I got mugged. We have to appeal this. I want to see how they came to their conclusion that we had anything to do with it. I watched the slow motion and had it stop and start. I have some questions for them.”

Reeves said he did not even realize that his horse had been taken down until getting a call from his trainer, Danny Gargan. He then called the stewards, asking for an explanation

“I called to talk to the stewards,” he said. “I wanted to ask them why they took my horse down. I called three times. They hung up on me the first two times. The third time they said call us tomorrow morning. Needless to say, I was pretty upset.”

The Daily Racing Form's David Grening asked New York Gaming Commission steward Braulio Baeza Jr. to comment on the reason for the disqualification and was told “the outside horse [Brick Ambush] caused the pressure.” Grening wrote that the stewards declined to comment further.

According to reporting in the Daily Racing Form, a second owner has filed an appeal objecting to the stewards' decisions. Thomas Albrecht, the managing partner of the group that owns Big Torpedo, has filed an appeal of the stewards decision not to disqualify Antonio of Venice from first place.

A stewards' inquiry was posted shortly after the horses crossed the wire. Javier Castellano, who rode Big Torpedo told reporters that he claimed foul, but the stewards said that foul claim was never relayed to them. It took the stewards about 10 minutes to review the inquiry, but even after they reached their decision there was more cause for confusion. For about a minute after the inquiry sign was removed, the order of finish still read 1-12-3-7, which was the order the horses crossed the finish line. The numbers were then changed to 1-3-7-6 and the race was declared official.

The NYRA website features a “Stewards' Decision” page in which the stewards provide an explanation of what happened and the reason for their decision following an inquiry or an objection. For the Great White Way, here is what they wrote: “Steward's inquiry. At the 1/4 pole #12 Brick Ambush (Junior Alvarado) came in, causing a chain reaction. The #11 Solo's Fury (Jose Lezcano) pushes down into the #7 The Big Torpedo (Javier Castellano). After reviewing the video and speaking with the riders, the stewards disqualified the #12 Brick Ambush for interference and place him behind the #11 Solo's Fury. Official order of finish: 1-3-7-6.”

On Sunday evening, Junior Alvarado, the rider of Brick Ambush, was given a three-day suspension by the stewards.

The disqualification caused a firestorm on X, with the vast majority questioning the stewards call, which seemed so obviously wrong.

Among those who took to X was Mike Repole, who wrote, “yesterday's ninth race was one of the worst stewards' calls I have ever seen. This is a public video, evidence of the (New York) stewards' incompetence. This hurts gamblers, fans, and the integrity of the sport. The owners, trainers, jockeys, track employees, etc., have to deal with the incompetence of the (New York) stewards, that is not seen in public.”

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“She's doing everything we ask her. We're just lucky they picked us and give us the opportunity,” said Rodriguez. “We just have to keep her happy and she's a runner. I think the trainer before [Ronald Spatz] did a very good job.”

Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) looks to add yet another accomplishment to her sensational sire's constantly improving resume. Winner of the GII Adirondack S. at this venue last year, the gray enters off back-to-back stakes triumphs at Churchill Downs.

A pair of native New Yorkers are also worth a look here in Test fourth-place finisher and Bouwerie S. winner Sterling Silver (Cupid) and track-and-trip, NY-bred union Avenue H. winner Bank On Anna (Central Banker). Also worth a look is Smash Ticket (Midnight Lute), who wired an optional claimer going six panels at the Spa July 20, good for an 89 Beyer Speedy Figure, and ran a field best Beyer of 92 in her previous start at Lone Star.

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One could start listing off famous Kentucky-breds and run out of daylight before the list ended; such is the privilege of the Bluegrass state. However, Florida lays claim to its own slices of history, and most notably, perhaps, would be their impact not just on pedigrees but on track annuals as well. Horses like 'The Good Doctor', Dr. Fager; the unfortunately infamous Foolish Pleasure; Triple Crown hero Affirmed; 14-length Belmont winner Conquistador Cielo; the feisty Gate Dancer; sire of sires Fappiano, and his son Unbridled, without whom we have no Empire Maker, no Unbridled's Song, no Tapit; fan-favorite, Derby hero Silver Charm; big, grey Skip Away; and Afleet Alex, brought to his knees in the Preakness only to regain his footing and win by daylight. These are but a select few examples, which serve as a reminder of the long-ranging impact on Kentucky breeding programs.

A modern version of events is playing out now in part through Hot Peppers (Khozan), who looks to add her name to that illustrious collection of 'influencers', if you will. She's a testament to the dedication of breeders like Brent and Crystal Fernung, who together own and operate Journeyman Stallions. The former experienced great early success in the stallion management sphere; Congrats and Wildcat Heir both beginning their careers under his discerning eye. And that gaze shifted to Todd Pletcher's newest buzz horse Khozan (by Distorted Humor) in 2015, whose limitless potential was cut short by a training injury, but who showed enough promise early to warrant a shot as a sire.

“I like brilliance,” Brent Fernung said, cut and dry, in a phone interview Monday. “I don't care how pretty a horse is, how much pedigree he has; if he doesn't prove that he has that extraordinary talent, you're at a big disadvantage. [Khozan] showed brilliance in his first start.”

While there was the concession of there being a possibility of hidden abilities no one could quite bring out, Fernung admits it's usually an exception to the rule, and not the rule. In Khozan's case, he fell well into the model Journeyman Stallions looked for in a sire prospect. Running a monster 102 Beyer on debut, a seven furlong dash where he started from the 14 hole, and then demolishing an allowance field by almost 13 lengths at a mile, he'd set himself up as the early favorite for the Florida Derby off two career starts.

Brilliance check marked, the focus shifted to his pedigree, of which there was plenty. As a half-brother to the fabulous Royal Delta (Empire Maker), millionaire Delta Prince (Street Cry {Ire}), and GISW Crown Queen (Smart Strike), and with no less than six sires hailing from his female line, there was every reason to believe the potential was there. Complete with a $1 million price tag as a 2-year-old in training purchase by Al Shaqab Racing, Khozan was hard not to like.

“If he went on, and stayed sound until after the Florida Derby, and he's a Grade I-winner, with that pedigree and everything, it would have been hard to find him at Journeyman Stud. It would've made him too expensive for us.”

Since then, he's more than proven the early faith was well-placed. Khozan has been Florida's leading sire since 2020 and to date has 24 black-type horses from 170 starters. Better news are that his best, and largest crops, are set to arrive this coming spring, while many in his earlier seasons are still competing successfully as 5-year-olds.

When it came to Hot Peppers, the mating was done in the hopes that her dam might produce a foal with a bit more to her than the prior offspring.

“I was a little hesitant to breed A.P. Indy-line mares back to Khozan because it's a little close. He's out of an A.P. Indy mare,” recounts Fernung. “I had [the dam] here, bred her to different stallions, and was unsatisfied with the first couple foals she gave me. Or I wouldn't say unsatisfied, but they just weren't Hot Peppers.”

The mare, Friends Pro (Friend Lake), went to his rising star, and in turn produced a 'cookie cutter image of a female Khozan' with the most appealing qualities immediately visible. While not a large filly, Hot Peppers had a beautiful balance to her as a yearling, and a big, nice walk to match. Friends Pro was correct with a good size, but she lacked the aesthetic appeal her Khozan filly received from her sire, and it showed when the pair went through their respective rings. Friends Pro sold for $1,000 to Rebecca Cawvey at OBSWIN in 2020, but Hot Peppers garnered a kinder reception. As Fernung put it: “Nick De Meric bought her off me, and he buys nice horses, there's no question.”

That nice $40,000 OBS October yearling in 2020 would drop the hammer eight months later at OBS June as a 2-year-old in training, and head the way of Ronald Spatz for $16,000. While not entirely sure, the suspected reason for the low price, one which bestows many horses the title of 'the one that got away' and one every consigner knows: the veterinary findings. Despite the low interest at the training sale, it was hard not to be enthusiastic for a good friend.

“[Ronnie Spatz] called me after he got her because he was excited about her, and then called me after she broke her maiden by a pole. He did a good job of preparing the filly for the races.”

It was a long way back to second in Hot Peppers' maiden-breaking win | Ryan Thompson

The ability to resist the temptation to jump Hot Peppers immediately into stakes company is what Fernung believes helped develop her into the racehorse we see sauntering across our screens. Those same talents which ultimately attracted the attention of Michael Dubb, and resulted in her private purchase after the 14 1/4-length tour de force, are now paying fruitful dividends for her new owners.

After her troubled seventh in the Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies S., Hot Peppers moved to the barn of Rudy Rodriguez in New York and two months later looked like herself again, blitzing Belmont's Jersey Girl by almost seven lengths in a hand ride. She kicked on to a game score in the GIII Victory Ride in July and with that effort, stamped her ticket for the Spa, where the big girls came to strut their stuff.

And there she was, the Florida filly with a heart as big as her talent, at the head of the field in the GI Test S. at America's summer playground. She led until the final yards, where Chi Town Lady came from dead last to play spoiler, but the impression was made. The blue-collar filly from the Sunshine state had run an incredible race on track conditions she'd never experienced before, against a favorite on a four race win streak, and muscling her way through contact in the stretch.

And perhaps, she even had to fight a bit of that Saratoga curse, by proximity.

Hot Peppers' efforts will likely have consequences beyond her own sphere of influence. The doors will also open wider for Khozan and Journeyman Stud, who now have concrete proof that their stallion can throw runners on par with the best. Brilliance begets brilliance, and developing sires with those qualities is as entrenched in Ocala as it is in Lexington. If you're in need of a stallion, but don't have a bottomless budget, ask Florida for some pointers. They know a little something about breeding the giant, and the giant slayer.

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Sales History: $175,000 2yo OBSAPR, $160,000 yrlg KEESEP. O-Michael Dubb & Balley Morris; B-Frank DeSavino (KY); T-Rudy Rodriguez.

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Away cleanly from her outside draw, Bella Sofia pressed in a well-held second through splits of :22.67 and :45.68 with Frank's Rockette drafting from the pocket. Bella Sofia took over at the top of the lane, but Frank's Rockette split horses and immediately came to tackle the favorite. The pair traded jabs from there, with Bella Sofia finding slightly more than her more seasoned foe when it mattered.

“I knew I had it,” said winning rider Luis Saez. “She was coming off the layoff and I didn't want to take too much from her. We knew she's a Grade I winner and a great filly. She did what she was supposed to do. I was a little worried about the layoff, but she proved that she can come back and she's tough.

A double-digit debut winner here some 53 weeks ago, Bella Sofia settled for second in the Jersey Girl S. a month later before dominating future MGSW Glass Ceiling (Constitution) in a first-level allowance in July. She crushed by 4 1/2 lengths in Saratoga's GI Test S. Aug. 7, prompting Medallion Racing and Parkland Thoroughbreds to buy in before Bella Sofia added the GII Gallant Bloom H. over track and trip Sept. 26. She had been off since finishing fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint Nov. 6, but had been showing off her speed in the mornings of late.

“She's a very gutsy filly,” winning conditioner Rudy Rodriguez said. “She's been doing very good in the morning. She's been galloping out seven-eighths to a mile the two times she worked before her last work, so I knew she was fit. She's a special filly. It's good when they dig in like that.”

As for what might be in the cards going forward, co-owner Vincent Scuderi said, “I was a little worried about the break between three and four if she'd come back okay, but Rudy said she's back on her game, she put weight back on. We now have to make a campaign, so hopefully we'll be able to run in the [Aug. 28 GI Ballerina [S. at Saratoga]. The Breeders' Cup is the ultimate goal… We were going to go in the [June 10] GII Bed O' Roses, but Rudy said she was ready so we ran her now. We want to space her out and we have big goals for her going forward.”

Saturday, Belmont Park
VAGRANCY H.-GIII, $145,500, Belmont, 5-14, 4yo/up, f/m,
6 1/2f, 1:16.02, ft.
1–BELLA SOFIA, 123, f, 4, by Awesome Patriot
     1st Dam: Love Contract (MSP, $202,040), by Consolidator
     2nd Dam: Option Contract, by Forty Niner
     3rd Dam: Infinite, by Majestic Light
($20,000 2yo '20 OBSOPN). O-Imperio, Michael, Medallion
Racing, Soares, Sofia, Scuderi, Vincent S. and Parkland
Thoroughbreds; B-Two Tone Farms (KY); T-Rudy R. Rodriguez;
J-Luis Saez. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 7-5-1-0, $675,100.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Frank's Rockette, 120, m, 5, Into Mischief–Rocket
Twentyone, by Indian Charlie. O-Frank Fletcher Racing
Operations, Inc.; B-Frank Fletcher (KY); T-William I. Mott.
$30,000.
3–Assertive Style, 117, f, 4, Nyquist–Sca Doodle, by Scat Daddy.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($130,000 RNA
Ylg '19 KEESEP; $95,000 RNA 3yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Flying P
Stable; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Thomas Morley. $18,000.
Margins: NO, 9 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 3.05, 20.70.
Also Ran: Kept Waiting, Miss Brazil. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
The only 2-year-old by her now Chilean-based sire to sell in 2020 when she fetched $20,000, the :10 2/5 OBSJUN breezer is the stakes-winning full-brother to Classic winner Oxbow (Awesome Again)'s lone Northern Hemisphere graded winner (to go with two Chilean Group winners, including one at the highest level).

Bella Sofia is one of four graded winners out of mares by the Storm Cat stallion Consolidator. Her dam was just a $3,000 yearling who was claimed for $25,000 ahead of a pair of stakes placings. Love Contract RNA'd for $4,000 at the 2019 Keeneland January sale. Her last reported produce is a 2-year-old colt named War Empire (V. E. Day).

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Opening her account with an eye-popping 11 1/4-length rout going six furlongs over this track last May, the $20,000 OBS June bargain buy was second in the Jersey Girl S. a month later before cruising to a 6 1/2-length allowance victory here July 11. Pressing the pace in the Test Aug. 7 at Saratoga, the dark bay ran away to a dazzling 4 1/4-length score and followed that up with another easy, open-length triumph in the track-and-trip GII Gallant Bloom H. She couldn't quite carry that momentum into the Breeders' Cup, retreating to fourth in the GI Filly & Mare Sprint, but returns with a trio of bullet works over this track for trainer Rudy Rodriguez and drew advantageously in the outermost stall.

“We're just trying to get her back and see if she is the same filly as last year,” Rodriguez told the NYRA notes team. “We thought the key was to get her started back here at Belmont. She's been training very good. She looks bigger and stronger, so we just hope she's at least the same as–and hopefully a little better than–last year.”

Miss Brazil (Palace Malice) looks to spring the upset in her second start as a 4-year-old. A facile winner of the Ruthless S. last February at Aqueduct, the $170,000 Keeneland September purchase added stakes placings in the Busher Invitational S. and Jersey Girl before closing her sophomore campaign with a disappointing fifth in the GIII Victory Ride S. The Tony Dutrow pupil returned off a nine-plus month layoff with an allowance/optional claiming success Apr. 22 at Aqueduct.

Rounding out the field are six-time stakes winner Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief), last-out GIII Distaff H. runner-up Kept Waiting (Broken Vow) and longshot Assertive Style (Nyquist), who was claimed by Flying P Stable and Tom Morley for $80,000 out of a runner-up finish sprinting on the Fair Grounds turf Mar. 25.

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Davis, who is represented by agent Mike Migliore, finished nine wins ahead of runner-up Trevor McCarthy and 10 wins clear of third-place Kendrick Carmouche.

“It's incredible. I'm grateful and honored. I've worked very hard for this,” said Davis. “I'm grateful I can have this success and get one of the titles. My agent Mike works very hard behind the scenes to get me the mounts. Thanks to the owners and the trainers and everyone on the backside, especially the horses. The horses are the main thing–they are running for me and putting up performances.”

The 27-year-old native of Manhasset, NY achieved three four-win days Jan. 23, Feb. 26 and Mar. 26, and completed the meet with a record of 301-63-58-36 for total purse earnings of $3,411,574.

Rodriguez won his second consecutive Big A winter meet title and 13th overall training title at NYRA, sending out 33 winners, eight wins more than second-place trainer Rob Atras and 13 ahead of third-place finisher Chad Brown. He earned top trainer honors at last year's Big A winter meet with 36 winners and has taken home a total of 11 titles at Aqueduct.

“It's unbelievable,” said an emotional Rodriguez. “All the credit goes to the people in the barn. Most of the people that work with me here have been with us since day one.”

Rodriguez started 151 horses for a record of 33-22-20 and $1,506,693 in earnings. His runners posted a win rate of 21.85% and a 49.67 in-the-money percentage.

Rodriguez said each of his wins this meet were memorable.

“They're all very special,” Rodriguez said. “It's a lot of hard work dealing with the winter cold.”

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables posted a 21-10-2-3 record with total purse earnings of $623,160. It was a three-way tie for second between Windylea Farm [38-8-8-2, $331,058], Repole Stable [31-8-4-2, $292,161] and Michael Dubb [33-8-4-2, $458,427].

Live racing continues Thursday at the Big A, Opening Day of the 15-day spring meet that runs through Apr. 24.

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