jockeys - Monmouth Park

JOCKEYS
JOE BRAVO
Born: September 10, 1971
Birthplace: Long Branch, NJ
Residence: Eatontown, NJ
Monmouth County born and
raised, Bravo began riding quarter horses in Texas at the age of
13. In 1987 he took out his professional rider’s license and captured his first race the following
year at Calder aboard Daffy Doc.
Bravo is a third generation rider,
following his father, George, into
the jockey business. In 1991 Bravo became the first
rider in New Jersey history to win titles at Garden
State, Monmouth and the Meadowlands in a single
year. In 1997 he registered his first Grade 1 win
when he guided Formal Gold to victory in the Donn
Handicap. In 2004 Bravo won the biggest race of his
career, piloting Lion Heart to victory in the $1 million
Haskell Invitational. In 2007 he captured a record
13th riding title at Monmouth after riding 12 stakes
winners. In 2009, Bravo won 16 stakes at Monmouth,
including graded events in the Eatontown and Salvator Mile. He also captured the Long Branch with
the Kelly Breen-trained Atomic Rain and the John J.
Reilly with fan-favorite Joey P. Bravo won six stakes
events during the 2010 season at Monmouth Park
while finishing third in the jockey standings.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
467 81 95 60
859 148 155 110
EDDIE CASTRO
Born: April 10, 1985
Birthplace: Los Santos, Panama
Residence: Pembroke Pines, FL
Castro spent his first summer
at Monmouth Park in 2006, finishing fourth in the overall standings
after capturing 12 stakes races
including the Red Bank Stakes
with Miesque’s Approval. Later
in the year he piloted that charge
to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
$4,639,966
$7,006,551
Castro came to the U.S. from his native Panama in
2003, riding successfully in south Florida since his
arrival. He was the leading rider at the 2003/2004
Tropical-at-Calder meet and earned the Eclipse
Award as outstanding apprentice in 2003. In 2005
Castro set a new record when he rode nine winners
on the Calder card of June 4. In addition to winning
the 2007 Meadowlands riding title, Castro won five
Monmouth stakes that year, including the Molly
Pitcher with Hystericalady. In 2008, he booted home
11 stakes winners at Monmouth, topped by Presious
Passion in the United Nations. In 2009, he booted
home 14 stakes winners at Monmouth, topped by
Custom for Carlos in the Jersey Shore. Castro won
nine stakes races at Monmouth Park in 2010, topped
by Etched in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
499 66 72 72
1043 127 147 136
$3,627,146
$5,803,919
PEDRO COTTO JR.
Born: June 4, 1984
Birthplace: Puerto Rico
Residence: Tampa Bay, FL
274
495
18
37
Born: December 29, 1968
Birthplace: Edison, NJ
Residence: Monmouth Beach, NJ
At the age of 17, DeCarlo won
the 1986 Haskell aboard Wise
Times. DeCarlo led all riders in
Monmouth stakes wins in 2005,
taking 14 events, including the
Molly Pitcher and Long Branch.
The following year he piloted
Park Avenue Ball to three stakes
wins, including the Iselin. He
missed most of the 2008 racing season due to an
injury suffered at Calder in late 2007. DeCarlo captured the Pegasus Stakes at the Big M atop Atoned
in 2009. Despite missing most of 2009 due to injury
due to injury, DeCarlo rode a pair of stakes winners at
Monmouth, both for trainer Todd Pletcher. DeCarlo
spent the 2010-2011 winter in Saudi Arabia riding
first call for King Aziz.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
Cotto has been riding the
Monmouth, Meadowlands, Tampa Bay Downs circuit the past
four seasons, enjoying success
at all three tracks. He has been in
the top 10 at Monmouth and the
Meadowlands the past two years.
He began riding in his native
Puerto Rico in 2003. In 2003-2004, he rode Our Tune
to four victories, including a win in the Numbered
Account Stakes at Aqueduct. He finished in the top
10 at Monmouth and the Meadowlands during the
2008-2009 seasons. Cotto took the Charles Hesse
Handicap in 2009 atop Hermosillo. In 2010, Cotto
guided Hop Skip and Away to victory in the Colts
Neck.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
CHRISTOPHER DeCARLO
25
46
30
50
$934,981
$1,320,913
124
202
10
21
15
21
14
28
$717,320
$1,145,044
STEWART ELLIOTT
Born: March 1, 1965
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Residence: Eatontown, NJ
Elliott burst onto the national scene in 2004 winning the
Kentucky Derby and Preakness
Stakes aboard Smarty Jones
and finishing fourth nationally in
money earned. He holds the national record for most wins in a
single meet when he piloted 381
winners at Suffolk Downs in 1989. Elliott returned
to Monmouth Park in 2003, after spending several
seasons at Philly Park. He was the second leading
rider here in 1999 and 2005 and third in the standings
in 2004. Elliott captured 12 stakes at Monmouth in
2004 and seven more in 2005. He was the leading
rider at the 2004 Meadowlands meet. That year he
captured nine stakes, including graded wins in the
Oceanport, Monmouth Oaks and Sapling. In 2008,
among Elliott’s seven stakes winners was Silent
Valor, victor of the Grade 3 Sapling. In 2009, Elliott
piloted a pair of stakes winners including Mary’s
Follies in the Grade 3 Boiling Springs.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
21
4
2
5
836 149 127 131
$257,000
$5,093,198
PABLO FRAGOSO
Born: June 2, 1982
Birthplace: Mexico
Residence: Floral Park, NY
Fragoso hails from a family
of 10 brothers and three sisters.
His first career win came aboard
Acueducto on the NYRA circuit
in 2003. Over the past two years,
Fragoso has been the regular
rider of Monmouth Park turf star
Get Serious who won the Grade
3 Monmouth Stakes, Oceanport
and Red Bank in 2010.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
334
488
34
51
36
45
38
59
$2,014,886
$2,665,714
JOSE LEZCANO
Born: April 20, 1985
Birthplace: Panama
Residence: Plantation, FL
Lezcano attended the Laffit
Pincay Jr. Jockey School in his
native Panama before moving to
the U.S. in January of 2003, getting his first winner shortly thereafter at Gulfstream. He spent
his first season at Monmouth in
2005, finishing fifth in the overall
standings. He came back the following year to finish second at Monmouth before
going on to take the 2006 Meadowlands riding title.
Lezcano enjoyed a banner season in 2008, winning
riding titles at Monmouth and the Meadowlands and
capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf atop
Maram. Among his 12 stakes winner at Monmouth
in 2008 was Social Queen in the Grade 3 Eatontown.
Lezcano won three stakes in 2010 including the Jersey Derby on Haskell Day.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
75 19 12 13
1054 170 170 162
$1,092,625
$9,277,682
CHUCK C. LOPEZ
Born: August 4, 1960
Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY
Residence: Morganville, NJ
Lopez is the son of longtime
Jersey rider Carlos Lopez Sr. He
won his first race aboard Foolish
Tracy at Keystone in 1979. Later
that year, as an apprentice, he
won the Meadowlands riding title.
Lopez won his first graded stakes
when Mr. Impatience captured the
Lamplighter at Monmouth in 1994. He won his first
Monmouth Park riding title in 1998. In 2001, Lopez
won the Grade 3 Oceanport atop Key Lory and went
on to finish second in the overall standings. The
following year he captured the Sapling Stakes with
Valid Video. In 2003 Lopez piloted Gators N Bears
to win the Jersey Shore and later that year captured
his second Meadowlands riding title. Lopez rode
La Reason to victory in the 2004 Molly Pitcher. In
2006 he rode nine stakes winners at Monmouth and
watched his son, Erick, become a third generation
rider. In 2007 Lopez rode seven stakes winners at
Monmouth, including Gottcha Gold in the Salvator
and Iselin. That charge went on to finish second
in the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile that fall at
Monmouth with Lopez in the irons. Due to injury,
Lopez missed most of the 2008 Monmouth meet,
but returned to finish second in the overall Big M
standings. In 2009, Lopez captured the Lady’s Secret Stakes aboard Devil House.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
329
628
40 46
86 105
30
72
$1,861,906
$3,345,526
PACO LOPEZ
Born: October 13, 1985
Birthplace: Veracruz, Mexico
Residence: Hollywood, FL
Lopez began riding quarter
horses in his native Mexico
before coming to the United
States at age 21. On July 13,
2007, Lopez won his first race at
Calder Race Course en route to
being leading rider of the Calder
summer meet. Lopez made the
Jersey Shore his summer and fall
home for the first time in 2009 finishing seventh in the jockey standings at Monmouth
Park before winning the jockey title at the Meadowlands. Lopez took Monmouth’s Select Stakes in 2009
aboard Prince Joshua. In 2010, he won the riding
title at Gulfstream Park. Later that year, Lopez won
his first Monmouth Park riding title finishing with
113 wins. Lopez won five stakes in 2010 including
the Grade 3 Matchmaker on Haskell Day.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
611 113 94 97
1291 246 196 184
$4,984,213
$8,069,095
NAVIN MANGALEE
CARLOS H. MARQUEZ JR.
FELIX ORTIZ
A graduate of the Trinidad
and Tobago jockey school in
1999, Mangalee began his riding
career in his native Trinidad at
Santa Rosa Park where he was
the champion apprentice in his
first season of riding. That same
year he captured the Guardian
Gold Cup – the only apprentice
to accomplish that feat. In 2004, Mangalee moved
his tack to Emerald Downs, winning more than 40
races in his second season in Washington. In 2006,
Mangalee shifted to the East Coast enjoying success
at Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, finishing eighth in the overall Big M standings. In 2007,
Mangalee improved on his 2006 numbers, nearly
doubling his year-end earnings. In 2009, Mangalee
more than doubled his wins and nearly doubled his
earnings from the 2008 Monmouth Park meet.
The son of journeyman rider
Carlos Marquez Sr., Marquez
Jr. has been on the New Jersey
scene, off and on, for the past
25 years. He was the leading
apprentice at Monmouth Park in
1985 and was runner-up in the
Meadowlands standings in 1991
and 1992. He has enjoyed success riding in Chicago, Florida, Delaware and New
Jersey. Marquez once again returned to Monmouth
Park in 2008, finishing fifth in the overall standings
and winning nine stakes races, including the Grade
3 Red Bank with Buffalo Man. In 2009, Marquez, Jr.
finished third in the Monmouth standings while piloting home six stakes winners. Marquez Jr. enjoyed
another successful 2010 season at Monmouth Park,
finishing fifth in the jockey standings and riding eight
stakes winners.
Ortiz attended the El
Commandante Jockey School in
his native Puerto Rico. In 1997 he
was the leading rider at Garden
State Park. The following year,
at Garden State, he piloted Who
Did It and Run to become the
first filly to capture the Jersey
Derby. In 1996 he rode multiple
Grade 1 winner Awad in the Caesars International at
Atlantic City Race Course, now the United Nations
at Monmouth. Ortiz won a division of the 2000 New
Jersey Futurity with Lyle Lovesit and captured the
Open Mind Handicap atop Whoop’s Ah Daisy in 2004
at Monmouth. In 2008, he piloted Flirtatious Smile
to a win in the New Jersey Breeders Handicap.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
Born: November 16, 1982
Birthplace: Trinidad
Residence: Eatontown, NJ
210
304
12
22
10
19
Born: October 21, 1967
Birthplace: San Juan, PR
Residence: Matawan, NJ
22
28
$526,770
$786,630
462
705
61
82
43
64
58
88
$3,395,823
$4,193,809
Born: April 28, 1971
Birthplace: Puerto Rico
Residence: Union City, NJ
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
163
291
4
12
10
17
6
25
$312,392
$438,911
LUIS RIVERA JR.
Born: March 9, 1967
Birthplace: Rio Piedras, PR
Residence: Tinton Falls, NJ
In 1986, Rivera was the
second leading apprentice in the
nation with 158 wins. Formerly
a New England rider, Rivera
shifted his tack to the Garden
State in the early 1990s. He once
captured five races on a single
card at Suffolk Downs. In 1997, at
Hialeah, he won his 1,000th career
race. That same year he took a pair of stakes at
the Meadowlands: Rushing Man on a A Little Luck
and World Appeal atop Silver Fox. In 2004, Rivera
won Monmouth’s Wolf Hill Stakes with turf sprinter
Rudirudy.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
35
215
0
13
0
14
1
20
$49,710
$418,132
ELVIS TRUJILLO
JOSE VELEZ JR.
A graduate of the Laffit Pincay
Jr. Jockey School in 2000, Trujillo
rode in his native Panama as well
as Mexico before moving to the
U.S. in the fall of 2001. After
riding successfully in Southern
California, Chicago and Florida,
Trujillo moved his tack north to
Monmouth Park in 2003. In 2005 he captured his
first graded stakes when he guided Flying Glitter
to victory in the Grade 2 Monmouth Breeders’ Cup
Oaks. Since then Trujillo has enjoyed great success,
most notably with Maryfield, who he piloted to a
victory in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare
Sprint. Despite arriving after the meet began and
leaving early due to injury, Trujillo finished seventh
in the overall Monmouth Park standings that year.
In 2009, Trujillo was leading rider at Monmouth Park
after riding 12 stakes winners including Chirac in
the Skip Away and Iselin and Presious Passion in
the Monmouth Stakes and United Nations. Trujillo
finished second in the standings and captured seven
stakes races at Monmouth Park in 2010.
Velez began his riding career
at Atlantic City Race Course in
1980 and won his first career
race later that year at the Meadowlands. He is the son of jockey
Jose Velez Sr. He was the leading apprentice at Hialeah Park in
1982, leading rider at Gulfstream
Park that year and top jockey at Calder in 1983 and
1985. Velez was inducted into the Calder Race
Course Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1998, he won the
Meadowlands riding title. Velez captured the 2000
Meadowlands Cup aboard North East Bound and led
until the last jump with him in that year’s Breeders’
Cup Mile. Velez rode Sei Me to a runner-up performance in the $6 million Dubai World Cup in 2002.
That year he won 10 Monmouth stakes, including
the Iselin with Cat’s At Home and finished second
in the overall Monmouth standings. In 2003, Velez
won the Grade 1 United Nations aboard Balto Star
and the Grade 3 Salvator Mile atop Vinemeister. He
captured seven stakes at the 2005 Monmouth meet,
including three graded events: Red Bank Handicap
with American Freedom, Eatontown Handicap on
Smart N Classy and Iselin Breeders’ Cup atop West
Virginia. In 2006, Velez won his 3,000th career race
after piloting Careless Glances to victory at Monmouth on Aug. 10.
Born: October 7, 1983
Birthplace: Panama City, Panama
Residence: Hollywood, FL
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
Born: March 23, 1963
Birthplace: Santurce, PR
Residence: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
517 91 85 61
1015 182 144 126
$4,395,981
$7,695,264
SHANNON USKE
Born: March 1, 1986
Birthplace: Manhattan, NY
Residence: Freehold, NJ
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
Uske won her first race as
a professional jockey in 2003 at
Calder Race Course for Hall of
Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens. In
2009, Uske piloted previouslywinless Two Notch Road to a
99-1 score in Monmouth Park’s
Continental Mile.
Monmouth Park 2010
Total 2010
113
192
4
9
3
12
7
14
$352,828
$521,770
72
99
9
11
8
13
4
6
$399,910
$444,389