HRFLA Staff Report
Jockey Paco Lopez is back in South Florida and is scheduled to begin riding on Wednesday at the Gulfstream Park West meet.
Lopez led jockeys in wins last year at the GP West meet, which is held at Calder in Miami Gardens, Fla.
He has returned from Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., where he led jockeys in victories last year and this year.
Wednesday will be the 13th day of the GP West meet. which will have 40 days and extend until Nov. 28.
Lopez led GP West jockey s with 38 wins in last year’s 40-day meet.
Edgard Zayas leads this meet’s jockey standings with 19 wins. Emisael Jaramillo is second with 14, followed by Miguel Vasquez with 11 and Samy Camacho with ten.
The Monmouth Park meet closed on Sept. 24. Lopez is getting s late start at GP West because he spent part of this month riding at a Meadowlands-sponsored meet at Monmouth Park.
Lopez and Jaramillo each have six mounts on GP West’s eight-race Wednesday card. Zayas has seven GP West mounts on Wednesday.
Lopez, who turned 35 on Sunday, has been a fan favorite in South Florida since he arrived in 19568 from his native Mexico.
He won his first of several riding titles at Calder Race Course and won the Apprentice Jockey Eclipse Award. He led Gulfstream jockeys in wins in 2010.
