Penelope P. Miller
Tampa Bay Downs

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Jesse Garcia, who swept the early Daily Double on Saturday Feb. 20 for a payoff of $111.40 for a $2 wager, has been named the Hilton Garden Inn Jockey of the Month.  Additionally, Garcia took a trip to the Winner’s Circle on Wednesday, February 24 aboard Pi Pops Angel; in her last four starts here, Garcia has piloted the Florida-bred filly home in the money in all but one trip. Over the course of the Tampa Bay Downs meet through February 24, Garcia has piloted home 12 winners, 8 second place finishers and 8 third place finishers out of 95 starts for a total of 30% in-the-money finishes. 

Born on September 1, 1959 in North Hollywood, CA, Garcia began riding at California fairs. Garcia was leading rider at the Northern California fairs while he held his apprentice license. He scored his first win in 1980 at Del Mar Racetrack in Southern California.

Since then, Garcia has had many career milestones, including winning five races on one card both at Tampa Bay Downs and at Keeneland.  Garcia has been named leading rider at both Ellis Park and Tampa Bay Downs, and names his favorite moment at Tampa Bay Downs as winning the riding title in 1998 with 63 wins for the season. 

Garcia says that his favorite mount in his career is Nicandro, a horse who belonged to one of his friends.  Jesse Garcia had known Nicandro since he was young, and Garcia went on to ride him to victory in the 2005 Sophomore Turf in the Stakes record time of 1:41.73.

When he’s not in the irons, Jesse Jimenez Garcia enjoys going to the beach, and is a swimming enthusiast. 

Finish Lines… FlameStone Grill Trainer of the Month Jamie Ness teamed up with owner Midwest Thoroughbreds for their second two wins on Wednesday’s card. The duo took their first trip to the Winner’s Circle with Flashy Dancer, a three-year-old Langfuhr colt bred in Florida by Stride Rite Racing Stable and booted home by Edgar Perez. Ness and Midwest Thoroughbreds struck again with Sweeten With Gold, this time with jockey Inez Karlsson in the irons.