Back from injury, Leonel Reyes boots home five winners at Gulfstream

Jockey Leonel Reyes rode five winners on Sunday’s program at Gulfstream Park while continuing to build momentum during the Spring/Summer Meet.

The two-time Venezuelan champion, who had missed several months due to injury, scored back-to-back wins aboard So Long Chuck ($5) in Race 2 and Thunder Ride ($6.40) in Race 3. He also scored aboard a pair of pick-up mounts, Pont Du Gard ($7.60) in Race 5 and Panarea ($3.40) in Race 8. He finished off his big day with a front-running score aboard Moon Pistol ($6) in Race 10.

Reyes broke his right wrist and his jaw in a spill at Gulfstream Park West in early November at a time when he was atop the jockey standings. The 33-year-old Reyes, who rode more than 1,400 winners in Venezuela before venturing to the U.S. in 2016, has ridden 43 winners, including a pair of recent stakes winners, during the Spring/Summer Meet to climb into a three-way tie for fifth in the standings after a slow start.

Reyes’ third and fourth winners of the day came aboard mounts that became available when leading rider Edgar Zayas took off his remaining mounts due to a sore left ankle following a gate incident in Sunday’s Race 4. Zayas’ mount, Emma Rose was declared a non-starter following a stewards’ review of the start of the maiden special weight race for fillies and mares.