Prado Wins Five at Aqueduct

Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado had a banner afternoon Thursday at Aqueduct Racetrack, riding five winners from seven mounts to move into third place in the current New York Racing Association Inc., (NYRA) jockey standings with 15 wins. 

Prado’s first winner came in the third race aboard Al Gold’s Rule by Night ($6.40), who edged away late to score in a six-furlong optional claimer for 3-year-olds.  In race 5, Prado prevailed by a neck aboard Vinnies Wild Tale ($6.50), then kicked off the late Pick 3, leading gate-to-wire atop longshot Eighttofasttocatch ($29.60) in race 7, a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance.

Prado completed his sweep of the late Pick 3 – which returned $883 – with a win aboard favored Four Shore ($7.10) in race 8 and a late-surging grass victory aboard Budget ($14) in race 9.

“It feels great today,” said Prado.  “I had a little bit of a slow meet in Florida and I wanted to come back here and rebuild my business – work hard and try to be among the best, like I used to be.  I’m glad to have this opportunity back again so that I can show that I still can ride like I used to.”

The Peruvian-born Prado has won ten individual meet riding titles at NYRA’s three tracks, and in 2005 finished atop the NYRA standings for the year with 206 victories.  His most recent NYRA title came in the 2008 Belmont Fall meet, during which he rode 33 winners. 

Prado is the second jockey to ride five winners at Aqueduct this year.  On February 17, leading rider Ramon Dominguez recorded five wins on the first five races of the day’s card.

Eddie Castro holds the national record for races won on a single card, winning nine races at Calder on June 4, 2005.

“This business goes up and down, it’s a rollercoaster,” said Prado.  “You don’t know what the next day is going to give to you.  I’m very excited that we had a beautiful day today for a lot of different people and hopefully it will carry into Belmont.”