Author: Wynn Elliott

Paulick Report Staff Various sources reported Tuesday the passing of legendary jockey Manny Ycaza, who died in New York Monday at the age of 80. Relatives said Ycaza battled sepsis and pneumonia over the weekend and was transported to the hospital Sunday night. He died peacefully surrounded by family, relatives said. The son of a bus driver, Ycaza was born in Panama in 1938 and began riding professionally there at 14. He also rode in Mexico before coming to the U.S., where he became known as one of the first influential Latin American jockeys. In his first two years, Ycaza won back-to-back runnings of the prestigious D.C. International, and in 1963 he was hired by prominent Canadian owner E.P. Taylor to ride Canebora in the Queen’s Plate. Ycaza won that race, too. The following year, Ycaza captured the Belmont Stakes aboard Quadrangle, who thwarted Northern Dancer’s Triple Crown bid. Click Here to Read More Share this:PrintFacebookTwitterGoogleLinkedInTumblrPinterestRedditLike this:Like...

Del Mar Press Release Like millions of his countrymen, jockey Flavien Prat watched with interest on Sunday as France defeated Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup soccer final in Moscow. And, it would seem, celebrated the victory with considerably more restraint than most of them. “I watched the first half with just my girlfriend at home, then joined some friends from France at a restaurant for the second half,” Prat said Monday morning. “It was cool. It was fun. “I’m a fan of soccer for the big events like the World Cup, but not as big as some French are.” Prat, 25, born in Melun, France, has been a big presence in the Del Mar jockey standings for the last three years and has had his name atop the list for the last two. Prat won the summer meeting riding title outright in 2017 with 35 wins, six more than co-runners-up Rafael Bejarano and apprentice Evin Roman. Prat shared the 2016 summer crown with Bejarano when each recorded 38 wins. The riding colony here remains deep with Hall of Famers like Mike Smith, Gary Stevens, Victor Espinoza and Kent Desormeaux and youngsters like Evin Roman and apprentices Asa Espinoza and Heriberto Figueroa. But Prat’s goal for 2018 is to better his previous  win numbers, which would likely bring another title. “That’s always the goal, to improve on the record,”...

NYRA Press Release Ortiz, Jr. registered 60 wins with earnings of more than $5.54 million, outdistancing his brother, Jose Ortiz, and Manny Franco, who tied for second with 49 wins. The 2018 spring/summer meet was a reversal for the Ortiz brothers from a year ago, when Jose was first and Irad came in second. Teaming with Brown, Ortiz, Jr. was aboard both Fourstar Crook and A Raving Beauty for their respective graded stakes wins. The native of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico enjoyed an outstanding Belmont Stakes Day, riding Disco Partner to a win in the Grade 2 Jaipur. Earlier in the meet, the 25-year-old won the Grade 2 Ruffian on Pacific Wind on May 6. He also piloted Diversify to a win in the Grade 2 Suburban on Stars & Stripes Day, July 7. The efforts in the graded stakes were part of a successful meet that garnered Ortiz, Jr. his second title for the Belmont spring/summer and first since 2014, when he tied with Javier Castellano. Share this:PrintFacebookTwitterGoogleLinkedInTumblrPinterestRedditLike this:Like...

by Jennie Rees (Paulick Report) Corey Lanerie rode at Ellis Park Friday for the first time this summer as the four-time meet titlist resumed riding regularly following the June 22 death of his wife, Shantel. With his third mount of the day, Lanerie was back in the winner’s circle for the fourth race, with track announcer Jimmy McNerney saying, “Hide the Honey with Corey Lanerie on her back, and an angel on his.” “It feels great to be back riding, doing what I love,” Lanerie told the media before the first race. “Kind of get life moving forward again, because it’s hard. I think when I get back to riding, it will kind of get my mind freed and back to normal life. It’s going to be weird. I really don’t know what I’ll feel like out there. I actually rode last weekend, and it was pretty good. Once I get on the horse, I focus on the race and my job, whatever I have to do. I think I’ll go out there and do my job and just let it go as it is, and I think I’ll be fine.” Lanerie rode in four stakes July 7 at Arlington Park near Chicago, coming away with a pair of fourth-place finishes. Those were his first mounts since June 17.   Shantel Lanerie was undergoing treatment for Stage 1 breast cancer...