Zayas Leads Jockeys in Gulfstream Summer Wns, Followed by Apprentice Torres and Jaramillo

By Jim Freer

(Note: Numbers in this story are from Equibase)


As the Gulfstream Park summer  meet nears its mid-point, veteran Edgard Zayas leads jockeys in wins and in purse money.


Through this past Sunday Aug.11,  Zayas (photo on home page)   has ridden 38 winners at the meet at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track.  Sunday was the 26th  day of the 55-day summer meet that is scheduled to end on Sept. 29. 


After three dark days, Gulfstream will resume  racing on Thursday with eight races and first post of 1:15 p.m.

Apprentice Cristian Torres is second in the jockey  wins standings with 32, and  Emisael Jaramillo is third with 26.  Miguel Angel Vasquez  and Jairo Rendon are tied for fourth place at 23


Zayas, a native of Puerto Rico, is a multi-meet champion at Gulfstream.  But rather than him running away with this summer’s riding  championship, we think a  tight three-way battle is more likely.

Torres, who  has a five-pound  weight allowance except in stakes races, is this season’s popular ” bug boy” with trainers.


He is anative of Puerto Rico and grew up in the Orando area. He began his career as a jockey   this  past  April  at  Gulfstream.

Jaramillo previously was a champion jockey in his native Venezuela. 


At Gulfstream, other than the championship meet, he almost always gets top rides. And he has a history of streaks of  days with multi-race wins at Gulfstream and at Gulfstream Park West (Calder), where Gulfstream holds a meet  each  October  and  November.


Among their accomplishments, Zayas led jockeys in wins at this  year’s Gulfstream spring meet and Jaramillo led in wins at  last year’s summer meet.


Through Sunday, Zayas’s summer meet mounts have won a meet-leading $1,057,303.


Torres is  second with$880,060 in purses and Jaramillo is third with $765,533.


Zayas and Jaramillo have  both won on 24 percent of their summer meet rides–highest among jockeys with  ten or more starts at  the meet.  Torres has won on 19 percent of his mounts.


Zayas has finished third or better on 93 of 161 mounts–a 58 percent clip.


Torres has been in the  money on 90 of 183 mounts (49 percent). Jaramillo has been in the money on 58 of  109 mounts (53  percent).

On Thursday’s card, Torres is named to ride on six mounts,  Jaramillo  is scheduled for  five mounts and Zayas is named on four.















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