Robertino Diodoro wins 3,000th career race Saturday at Oaklawn

Saturday at Oaklawn, Robertino Diodoro became only the 37th trainer in North America to win 3,000 races after Arthurian won the afternoon's second race, a $10,000 conditioned claiming event. He won his 3,001st race shortly thereafter when Lovely Ride took the $150,000 Pippin.

Diodoro's first victory came on Aug. 2, 1995 with Manchu Prince in a starter allowance at Northlands Park. He reached his first 100-win season in 2010, when he won 109 races. His season-high win total so far was 257 in 2009, while his highest-earning year came in 2021 when his horses won a total of $7,496,024. Though none of his wins have come at the Grade 1 level, they include 13 graded stakes wins, most prominently with Keepmeinmind in the 2020 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and Lone Rock in the 2021 Brooklyn (G2).

Coming off a win in the Dec. 10 Mistletoe Stakes, Lovely Ride won her second straight stakes on Saturday. Breaking from post position three under current leading rider Cristian Torres, Lovely Ride went right for the lead and proceed to set early fractions of 23.2 and 47.4 seconds. Ice Orchid, who had tracked from second throughout the race, could not get to the winner and finished three-quarters of a length behind in the place spot. The 5-2 favorite La Da Vida (CHI) finished third after closing from sixth. The winning time was 1:44.0 for 1 1 1/16 miles over a fast track.

Lovely Ride, a 5-year-old Candy Ride (ARG) mare, improved her record to 15: 7-3-1 and has now earned $508,573 for owners John Holleman, Flying P Stable and Jerry Nafe. Her victory in the Pippin was her fourth career stakes win. She returned $8.60, $4.20 and $3.20 at odds of 3-1.

Diodoro's pair of wins Saturday at Oaklawn padded his already-strong lead in the training standings. He currently stands at 16 wins at the meet, eight more than both Ron Moquett and Chris Hartman.