JOCKEYS DURAN, OCASIO SWITCH AGENTS
Jockeys Francisco Duran and Luis Ocasio have new agents and will begin business with their respective new clients this week.
Ocasio, who moved his tack from Pennsylvania to the Bay Area last fall, is now represented by Fernando “Shoes” Navarro. Navarro also hustles book for 2018 fall meet leading rider William Antongeorgi III. On Wednesday morning, Navarro expressed excitement about the new jockey/agent relationship.
“Luis [Ocasio] and I discussed the possibility of working together and we made it happen,” said Navarro. “I’m excited to work with him. One thing everybody knows about Luis is he has a great head on his shoulders. He is humble and does what trainers and owners ask him to do.”
“He’s a talented rider, for sure,” continued Navarro, when asked to discuss Ocasio’s ability in the saddle. “He is the type of rider that, if he gets the right opportunities, will do very, very well down the road. He is a smart rider and very strong down the lane. He can take a horse gate-to-wire or time a ride from off the pace. I’m excited to help him improve his business and hopefully see him emerge as a top rider.”
Brent Harmon, who currently represents Francisco Monroy, will now also work for veteran jockey Francisco Duran. Like Navarro, Harmon was equally as excited to represent his new rider.
“Francisco [Duran] has been a Bay Area rider for a while now. Everybody knows him,” said Harmon. “He tries hard on every horse. He rides hard to the wire. He’s good at developing young horses and getting run out of his mounts. He is a good guy, too, which makes it even better.”
DUO OF GOLDEN GATE ALLOWANCE WINNERS TO KEENELAND STAKES’ THIS WEEKEND
Iconic Keeneland Racecourse opens its gates for live racing this Thursday with an 8-race program. On Saturday, Keeneland carded 11 races, with 5 graded stakes highlighting the first Saturday of the meet. Interestingly, two winners of races at Golden Gate are entered to run in two separate stakes events on the Keeneland Saturday program: male sprinters Bay Muzik and Richiesinthehouse.
Bay Muzik, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Ari Herbertson, has not raced since an allowance victory in early January sprinting five furlongs on the Golden Gate grass. The son of City Zip has won 6 of 12 lifetime races and makes his graded stakes debut in the Grade 2 $200,000 Shakertown Stakes for older sprinters going five and a half furlongs on the Keeneland turf course.
“He’s a quick horse and we’ll see what he can do against this level of competition,” said Herbertson. “He’s been training just as well as he always has. There’s a good amount of speed signed on so we’ll see. I hope he’s in front turning for home.”
Richiesinthehouse, a 5-year-old gelding by Sidney’s Candy, is conditioned by Chicago based trainer Larry Rivelli. Richiesinthehouse raced at Golden Gate Fields over the winter and has a stellar 10 for 13 lifetime record. With that in mind, he has never raced on dirt nor faced the level of competition that he’ll find on Saturday in his respective stakes race, the Grade 3 $250,000 Commonwealth for older sprinters going seven furlongs on dirt.
“It’s an ambitious spot,” said Rivelli from his home base in Chicago. “He’s trained super on the dirt though. I think he should love the 7 furlongs and I don’t think the surface will be an issue. It’s just a matter of whether he’s good enough to defeat this level of horse. That’s a super tough group he’s up against on Saturday.”
Rivelli indicated that Richiesinthehouse, who showed brilliant speed in winning a trio of allowance races on the Golden Gate Tapeta since January, may show a new dimension at Keeneland this Saturday.
“He’s been on the lead in pretty much all of his races,” explained Rivelli. “I think he may show something new this time, though. He drew a great post, 12 of 14, so he’s outside and can put himself in a good spot. He doesn’t need to be on the lead. Maybe he’ll stalk the pace this time.”
“Honestly, I couldn’t find an excuse not to run him,” said Rivelli with a chuckle. “He’s doing so well right now. We’ve got a race for him in six weeks at Arlington going a one-turn mile and this is good spacing. At the very least, we’ll get a race into him between now and his 2019 Arlington debut and he’ll stay fit.”
Rivelli, who shipped close to 20 horses to Golden Gate Fields during the winter, has since moved his Northern California string back to Chicago where they will run in races throughout the Midwest to prepare for the 2019 Arlington Park race meet, which runs from May 3 to September 23 in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Rivelli has won the training title at Arlington the past four years.
“It was a great experience at Golden Gate,” reflected Rivelli. “[Director of Racing and Racing Secretary] Patrick Mackey and [GM and Vice President] David Duggan were fantastic and really treated me and my team well. My help really enjoyed Golden Gate. We had a lot of success-won a bunch of races-and I really loved the track.”
FINISH LINES: Abel Cedillo and Jonathan Wong continue to lead in the jockey and trainer standings at the current Golden Gate meeting…Leg D of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 5 on Friday at Golden Gate Fields; a starter allowance for 3-year-old sprinters…This Saturday, 3 major tracks have carded 11-race programs and will run a number of stakes events on their respective cards. Santa Anita Park runs 7 stakes, highlighted by the $1,000,000 Grade I Santa Anita Derby for 3-year-olds and the $600,000 Grade I Santa Anita Handicap for older horses. Aqueduct Racecourse runs the $750,000 Grade 2 Wood Memorial for 3-year-olds, along with 4 other graded stakes on their Saturday card, while Keeneland, as mentioned earlier, runs an 11-program with 5 stakes, headlined by the Grade 2 $1,000,000 Toyota Blue Grass for 3-year-olds…This Saturday, a number Golden Gate horses will be competing in stakes races on the Santa Anita program. We begin with recent Golden Gate Fields allowance winner Sneaking Out, who makes her second start off a layoff in the second race, the $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes, for California-bred fillies sprinting 7 furlongs. Drayden Van Dyke has the mount for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and owner/breeder KMN Racing…In the $200,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for California-bred colts and geldings, trainer Steve Miyadi saddles runaway Golden Gate Fields allowance winner Lieutenant Dan. Geovanni Franco will ride the son of Grazen for owner/breeder Nick Alexander. Also entered in the race is the Victor Trujillo trained Moon House, who broke his maiden at GGF two starts ago before an off-the-board finish in his most recent start on March 8, and Midnight Special, multiple allowance winner for trainer Bob Hess Sr…Trainer Frank Lucarelli conditions 3-year-old allowance victor Killarney Lass, who races in the Grade 3 $150,000 Providencia Stakes on turf for 3-year-old fillies. Edwin Maldonado rides for the first time…More Ice, third place finisher in the El Camino Real Derby, is entered to compete in the $1,000,000 Grade I Santa Anita Derby. Geovanni Franco rides for Jerry Hollendorfer, who also sends out Instagrand in the SA Derby.