Author: Wynn Elliott

Tampa Bay Downs Press Release Samy Camacho is the 12th jockey in track history to ride five or more winners on a single card. OLDSMAR, FL. – With four victories today, Samy Camacho is winning races at a pace that would enable him to better Antonio Gallardo’s single-season Tampa Bay Downs record of 147 set during the 2014-2015 meeting. Camacho has 46 winners through the first 27 days of the current meeting. If he maintains that rate throughout, he would finish with 155 victories. “I told Samy before the meeting that was a goal I had in mind,” said his agent, Steve Elzey. “When you get winning like he did at the end of last season (finishing second to Gallardo in the final standings with 100 victories), a lot of people are going to want you to ride their good horses.” What no one, including Elzey, could forecast was that Camacho would lead Gallardo by a 19-victory margin before the moon comes over the mountain. “I know Samy has that kind of ability,” Elzey said. “I’ve sat down and talked to him a few times this season just to make sure he keeps learning and keeps growing. The level of competition in this year’s jockey colony is unbelievably good, but I think Samy is capable of keeping this pace.” The 30-year-old Camacho’s second four-victory performance of the meeting began...

Gulfstream Park Press Release Jockeys Javier Castellano, Luis Contreras and Joel Rosario Bellevais’ victory gave Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano – the Championship Meet’s leading rider from 2012-2016 – a sweep of the two stakes, having upset favored Heart to Heart in the Tropical Turf with Doctor Mounty. The winning time was 1:41.98 over a firm course. “This is why you work hard, to have a day like this. Everything was good today,” Castellano said. “Before the race, I thought the horse might be better on the outside but the hole opened. Those kinds of things you just have to use your best judgement, and it worked out perfect.” It was the third win in four years in the Marshua’s River for both Castellano and trainer Todd Pletcher, who swept back-to-back editions of the race in 2016 and 2017. Pletcher has won an unprecedented 15 consecutive Championship Meet training titles. Share this:PrintTweetShare on TumblrLike this:Like...

Santa Anita Press Release By Ed Golden Jockey Victor Espinoza recovering from serious injuries in a training mishap at Del Mar last July. Victor Espinoza’s next workout on a Thoroughbred is on hold pending further medical evaluation, his agent, Brian Beach, said Friday morning at Santa Anita. The 46-year-old Hall of Fame jockey and Triple Crown winner worked his first horse last Saturday after an absence of more than five months recovering from serious injuries in a training mishap at Del Mar last July. “He’s gotten drastically different opinions from two different doctors,” Beach said, “so rather than choosing the one we want, we’ll seek another opinion and hopefully get that done this week and go from there. “But for right now, he won’t work any horses tomorrow, which could be a moot point since the weather might not allow works anyway if it rains tonight. We’re in a bit of holding pattern, but there was no race or horse we had been targeting. “There was a disagreement among doctors as to whether he could ride in races or just exercise horses, two different interpretations of a scan that was taken. You can’t ignore the opinion you don’t want to believe and go with the opinion you want to believe. “You’ve got to do the right thing and get an independent, third evaluation, and go from there, but Victor...

Santa Anita Press Release Veteran jockey Juan Carlos Diaz, father of 18-year-old Jean Carlos Diaz Jr. (Photo Credit: Miami Herald) Agent Tony Matos, adept at developing apprentice riders into Eclipse Award winners, hopes his magic touch continues when he brings in 18-year-old Jean Carlos Diaz Jr. from his native Puerto Rico to join Santa Anita’s ever-competitive jockey colony. Diaz, who carries a 10-pound weight allowance and tacks 106 pounds, is the son of veteran jockey Juan Carlos Diaz, Puerto Rico’s all-time leader in stakes victories and its champion rider the past 16 years. He began his career in 2000 and has compiled 4,772 victories with purse earnings of more than $40 million. “I’m really excited to have young Diaz,” said Matos, who expects him to arrive at Santa Anita on Feb. 4 with his father, and to begin riding at The Great Race Place Feb. 7 with publication of the latest condition book. Diaz is a graduate of Puerto Rico’s Escuela Vocacional Hipica which produced the sensational Ortiz brothers, Irad Jr. and Jose, in addition to fellow Puerto Rican Evin Roman,  the 2017 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding apprentice rider, represented by Matos. Share this:PrintTweetShare on TumblrLike this:Like...

Laurel Park Press Release Jockey Trevor McCarthy LAUREL, MD – Journeyman riders Horacio Karamanos, Trevor McCarthy and Jomar Torres each escaped serious injury following a three-horse spill in Friday’s sixth race at Laurel Park. All three riders were taken to the hospital for evaluation and released later that night. Karamanos was at Laurel Saturday morning and was scheduled to ride Devine Mischief in the $100,000 What a Summer Stakes. Karamanos, a winner of more than 2,100 races and $55 million in purse earnings, had one other mount Saturday, Do Share, who was scratched from the $100,000 Fire Plug Stakes. He is named in four of eight races at Laurel Sunday. “He’s doing OK,” agent Frank Douglas said. “He came out this morning and worked a couple horses and he’s riding this afternoon. He just went to the hospital to get checked out and make sure that he’s OK. He got released last night about 8 o’clock.” Maryland’s leading rider in 2014 and 2016 and coming off Laurel’s fall meet championship, McCarthy is taking off all his mounts this weekend and is hoping to return to action next week, agent Scott Silver said. McCarthy had mounts in six races Saturday at Laurel, including Cautious Giant in the Fire Plug, Rich Daddy in the $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes and Mzima Springs in the $100,000 Nellie Morse. He is named on seven horses...