Franco ties NYRA record, rides 6 winners Friday at Aqueduct

Jockey Manny Franco equaled a New York Racing Association record, riding to six wins on Friday’s nine-race card at Aqueduct.

“Unbelievable day,” said Franco, who had seven mounts Friday. “I’m just grateful to have a day like this. We started the year off on the right foot, and hopefully we can just keep going. I didn’t have all favorites, but every day I come in feeling positive, and I just want to do well. Today I really felt like I could have a big day, and I was excited about it. The horses were running for me today.”

Franco joined a select group of riders to have posted a six-win day at the Big A, including Hall of Famers Ron Turcotte, Angel Cordero Jr., Steve Cauthen, Mike Smith and Javier Castellano. Jockey Dylan Davis, NYRA’s leading rider last year, accomplished the feat Feb. 18, 2018.

“I’m so proud to be on that list,” Franco said. “When I graduated from school, I wanted to do something so everyone can remember who I was when I was riding. It’s a dream come true.”

Franco, 28, kicked off the day with an impressive maiden score by the Chad Brown-trained Uncorrelated (2-1) in the opening race, a six-furlong, maiden special weight for sophomores over the main track.

The Puerto Rico native swept races 4-6 beginning with Quick Chaos (5-1) for conditioner Jorge Abreu in a one-turn mile, maiden special weight for 3-year-old New York-breds. He followed by guiding Vallarand (6-5) to a 3 1/4-length score in a $25,000 claimer for conditioner Rob Atras and completed the mid-card Pick 3 with Baron’s Legacy (8-1), who captured a $40,000 state-bred, maiden-claiming event going 6 1/2 furlongs for trainer Horacio De Paz.

Franco earned his fifth win of the day when piloting the Christophe Clement-trained filly Kant Hurry Love (2-1) to a triumph against New York-bred winners in race 8 before securing the late double in a one-mile, optional claimer aboard Bourbon Calling (5-1) in race 9 for trainer Antonio Arriaga.

“This horse was outside the whole way, and he took me the whole way around, and he got the job done,” Franco said of the record-equaling score.