Jockey Martin Garcia relocating from California to New York
Martin Garcia, who guided Collected to a runner-up finish in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, is taking his riding career to New York after an otherwise dismal recent run in California, the Daily Racing Form reported Monday.
Garcia has won 1,466 career races and, notably, works a number of top horses for trainer Bob Baffert. But he went just 3 of 40 at the recent Santa Anita meet, struggling to pick up quality assignments. He will begin riding Nov. 15 at Aqueduct.
“I think he will understand,” Garcia told DRF of Baffert. “Sometimes I have to do things for myself. I’ve been working many horses for him and have been riding good horses for him and have good opportunities, but I want to ride for everybody else, too.”
Garcia, who’s 33, said he’s making the move to “go to another level.” This year in all he has won on 28 of 234 starters. His mounts have earned more than $3.2 million.
He worked American Pharaoh for Baffert and was also the race day jockey for, among others, 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern, Preakness Stakes winner Lookin At Lucky and Dortmund, another top Triple Crown race contender.
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