(Edited Gulfstream Park report)

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Edgar Prado has been making the most of his opportunities during the 2011-2012 meeting at Gulfstream Park, having already visited the winner’s circle on five more occasions than he did during the entire 2011 meeting.

The Hall of Fame jockey, who has ridden the winner’s of 6,523 races and $237 milion in purses, had somehow experienced a startling slow-down in business the past few years, particularly last year at Gulfstream when he…

Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club

LAUREL, Md. – The Navarro brothers made a triumphant return to the Maryland jockey colony this week as both Joshua and Kevin visited the Laurel Park winners’ circle Wednesday, their first day back in the jocks room.

Joshua, who has ranked near the top 10 in the local standings since arriving on the scene in August 2009, won Wednesday’s finale aboard first-time starter Firey Rockette. The 20-year-old missed more than two months…

NYRA/Aqueduct Racetrack report

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Ramon Dominguez reclaimed the lead in the Aqueduct Racetrack inner-track jockey standings by winning four races on Wednesday.

Fourth in race 1 and without a mount in race 2, Dominguez picked up his first winner in race 3 when he guided Ms. Bird Watch ($3.70) to victory and capped his own rolling $22.20 Double with a score in race 4 aboard Princess Mara ($10.60). He was second with his next mount in race…

Graham Ross
Fair Grounds

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Jockey Ramsey Zimmerman knew that coming back to Fair Grounds this winter would not be easy.

“If it was up to me, I would have crawled back to some little track where nobody knew anything about me but my wife wouldn’t let me,” said Zimmerman Sunday morning at Fair Grounds, shortly after attending mass with Jenny and their 11-month old daughter Race Hannah. “She said I was too good a rider…

Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club

LAUREL, Md. – The Maryland Jockey Club honored trainer Ferris Allen for reaching the 2,000-win plateau last month with a winners’ circle presentation following Saturday’s first race. The 60-year-old, who saddled his first winner in 1974, accomplished the milestone when he saddled From Jump Street to victory at Gulfstream Park on December 18, 2011.

“It’s terrific to get this accomplished and as you know it’s a team effort,” Allen said. “Lots…

Jenny Kellner
NYRA/Aqueduct Racetrack

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It may be the middle of winter in New York City, but for apprentice jockey Jose I. Rodriguez, being able to ride at Aqueduct Racetrack these days is a dream come true.

“When I was growing up in Puerto Rico, we used to listen to the races on the radio,” said Rodriguez, 21, shortly after winning Thursday’s fourth race aboard D’ Sauvage for his fourth victory of the inner track meet.…

Jennifer Hoyt
Oaklawn Park

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jockey Calvin Borel, a two-time leading rider at Oaklawn and a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, will return to Hot Springs beginning Saturday, Feb. 4 after starting the year riding at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.

“Calvin and I have been together 21 years and felt we owed it to each other to try Florida,” said Borel’s agent Jerry Hissam. “He called me the other night and asked…

Jon Forbes
NYRA

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Apprentice Irad Ortiz, Jr. has a long way to go if he wants to emulate famous Puerto Rican jockeys Eddie Belmonte, Angel Cordero, Jr., and John Velazquez, but winning 70 races from 630 mounts on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit in 2011 was a pretty good start.

Originally from Trujillo Alto in Puerto Rico, Ortiz is a graduate of that country’s Escuela Vocacional Hípica, a school for prospective jockeys.…

Ed Gray
Gulfstream Park      

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jose Lezcano didn’t need to wait for more than a single race to achieve success at GulfstreamPark, having won aboard his very first mount in the U.S. at the world class thoroughbred meeting in April 2004.

The Panama native has become a frequent visitor to GulfstreamPark’s winner’s circle over the years while joining the ranks of the country’s riding elite. Coming off a career 2011 campaign, during which he rode champion…

(Edited Fair Grounds report)

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Four new members have been elected to the Fair Grounds Hall of Fame: Dapper Delegate, the 1965 Louisiana Derby winner; Bobby Frankel, the only trainer to have won all four of Fair Grounds’ marquee season-ending stakes races; J.R. Smith Sr., trainer of several Fair Ground stakes winners, including 1967 Louisiana Derby hero Ask the Fare; and Al Stall Jr., conditioner of more than a dozen Fair Grounds stakes winners and twice the…