Rosario sets Kentucky Downs single-meet wins record
Franklin, Ky.
Jockey Joel Rosario scored two wins Thursday at Kentucky Downs, giving him a record 13 through the first four days of the track’s six-day stand.
The previous record for wins in a single Kentucky Downs meet was 12, a mark first achieved by Rafael Bejarano in 2004 and then equaled in 2015 and 2016 by Florent Geroux.
“My agent Ron (Anderson), he told me we had a good chance here,” Rosario said. “But you never know. Sometimes you’ve got a good chance and you don’t win. So we’ve really been blessed the days we’ve been here.”
Rosario’s 12th win of the meet came Thursday in the sixth race aboard Camellia Gal in a one-mile allowance event. The 5-2 favorite was forwardly placed early on under Rosario, racing four-wide into the lane before taking over at the eighth pole and driving on for a one-length victory over Texas Shuffle.
Jockey Jose Ortiz was originally tabbed to ride Camellia Gal for trainer Mike Maker but gave up that and the rest of his remaining Kentucky Downs mounts after testing positive for COVID.
Rosario then notched win No. 13 of the meet in Thursday’s 11th race aboard trainer Wesley Ward's Castle Leoch in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds. He saved ground mid-pack before tipping out three-wide, digging in and crossing a length clear of Circle Back Jack.
The 36-year-old Dominican Republic native Rosario scored 43 wins this summer at Saratoga, including Grade 1 triumphs with Knicks Go in the Whitney Stakes, Gufo in the Sword Dancer Stakes and Jackie’s Warrior in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes. He left Saratoga after Saturday’s card, forgoing the final two days of the Spa’s meet to ride at Kentucky Downs.
That proved the right move, as Rosario tallied five wins Sunday and another five Monday, including one aboard Pixelate in the Mint Million Stakes (G3). After one victory Wednesday, Rosario notched two Thursday.
“It is different, going up and downhill,” Rosario said. “It’s a little bit different than other tracks, but some horses, they love it.”
Rosario is slated to ride nine races Saturday, with four graded stakes mounts: She’s So Special in the $600,000 Ladies Sprint (G3), Dalika in the $750,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3), Fast Boat in the $1 million Turf Sprint (G3) and County Final in the $600,000 Franklin-Simpson (G2).
After the conclusion of Kentucky Downs’ six-day meet, Rosario will return to New York to ride at Belmont Park, which begins its fall meet Sept. 16. He said he will then ride “for a couple days” at Woodbine, which hosts four Grade 1 races between its Sept. 18 and 19 cards.