Report: Manny Franco to stop riding amid pandemic
Coming off his win on Tiz the Law in last weekend's Florida Derby, jockey Manny Franco has decided to stop racing amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Bloodhorse reports that Franco spoke with his agent, Angel Corero Jr., and decided to remain at his home in Hempstead, N.Y., to be with his family until racing resumes at Belmont Park. That's tentatively scheduled for April 24.
Tiz the Law, who has won four of five starts, reclaimed the top spot in the most recent National Thoroughbred Racing Association rankings of the top 3-year-olds.
Franco told Bloodhorse: "I hope everything goes back to normal soon, and we'll see where he takes me. He came out of the Florida Derby well, and we'll see what's next."
Franco won the riding title at the recently shortened Aqueduct winter meet with 64 wins.
His record this year is 247: 61-35-39 with earnings of $3.5 million. Franco has 1,349 lifetime wins and got his first Breeders' Cup Championships victory last year aboard Sharing in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
RELATED: Tiz the Law reasserts himself in dominant Florida Derby win