Rodriguez and Ness to Finish as Laurel Park Leaders

With solely Friday’s closing day schedule left, Jaime Rodriguez and Jamie Ness will end Laurel Park’s calendar 12 months opening winter meet as lead jockeys and coaches, respectively.

Rodriguez, 32, has an 11-win benefit over five-pound apprentice Jeiron Barbosa within the rider standings, 58-47 and eight races left. Rodriguez is in first place in 4 races on Friday and Barbosa in six races.

This shall be Maryland’s first equestrian title for Rodriguez, who additionally took first place with $1.9 million in purse earnings from 209 mounts. He led the Delaware Park standings in 2021 and 2022 with a median of 124 wins.

“I adore it right here. I like winter,” mentioned Rodriguez. “The whole lot has been high quality thus far, thank goodness. I used to be in a position to preserve myself wholesome and continued to work laborious.”

A Puerto Rican native, Rodriguez has recorded two or extra wins in 18 of 40 days within the winter sport, stepping ahead with a record-breaking seven wins on March 17 in opposition to Laurel’s Chuck Baltazar (1969) and Horacio Karamanos (2002).

Half of Rodriguez’s wins had been with Ness horses, however each of his wins got here for different trainers. John Salzman Jr. He captured $100,000 Miracle Wooden for Coffeewithchris and Mavilus and $75,000 Conniver for Carlos Mancilla.

Rodriguez mentioned of Ness, “Now we have a reasonably good relationship. I belief him, and he trusts me. The whole lot we can we do as a staff and we go from there. That is how we work,” Rodriguez mentioned. “I journey quite a bit for him, however I’ll give the hassle I gave him to everybody. I am not choosy. I will give 100% of what I’ve.”

Represented by Agent John Weilbacher, that is Rodriguez’s second tour in Maryland. After attending Puerto Rico’s well-known Escuela Vocacional Hipica jockey faculty, he gained his first native victory on Might 5, 2010 at Belmont Park, East to Eden. He competed primarily in Aqueduct and Belmont earlier than dominating the standings earlier than shifting to the Finger Lakes in 2012. Rodriguez additionally frolicked within the Mahoning Valley earlier than shifting his path to the Mid-Atlantic in 2020.

Rodriguez had his greatest season ever in 2022, with career-high wins (243) and purse earnings ($7.5 million) from 982 mounts, and ranked seventh amongst North American riders in victories. Equibase earned him a 1,973 lifetime victory.

“It was a bit powerful,” Rodriguez mentioned. I used to be second within the standings there and had a superb winter there. After we acquired again to Delaware they requested me if I’d come again. I informed Parx and I’d do one other shoot in Maryland.

“The whole lot went nicely thus far,” he added. “I need to preserve engaged on it. I need to get higher and go step-by-step, not rushed. I do not need to rush. I need to study all the things I can do. I am so grateful.” for all the things and I’m very joyful.”

Ness, 48, leads Brittany Russell with a 34-28 win, heading in direction of closing day the place Ness’s horses enter two races and Russell’s three races. With $1,219 million in purse earnings, Ness is second behind Russell ($1,236 million).

This would be the sixth Maryland coaching title for Ness and the primary for the reason that historic Pimlico Racecourse’s spring 2019 meetup. Others got here to Pimlico within the spring of 2012 and 2015, and to Laurel Park within the fall of 2011 and 2012.

Frankly, we had an excellent match,” mentioned Ness. “The races went for our horses. Now we have barely higher high quality horses now. Now we have good shares. The climate was good all winter so we did not expertise too many cancellations or miss a whole lot of follow. I am actually joyful for myself, the staff, the homeowners and everybody. Everybody works laborious and good issues are taking place.”

Ness has gained two or extra races within the winter occasion eight instances, together with Rodriguez’s 4 on March 17. He and Rodriguez collectively 99 to 29.24 seconds, 18-thirds and $993.168 in purse wins.

“That helps quite a bit, too. I’ve a steady rider so I’ve all my horses. He trains all of them and he is aware of all of them,” mentioned Ness. “I knew instantly once I noticed him using, he got here and educated some horses for me and I mentioned, ‘That is my man, there he’s.’

“We have gotten alongside nicely since then. He is a really, very proficient rider and never solely is he a superb rider, he is additionally a superb particular person. He by no means complains, he is only a good boy. It looks like we get a bit higher when he rides my horses.” ,” he added. “We click on rather well collectively.”

Ness is popping out of a 2022 season the place her horses earned a career-high $10.3 million purse together with 326 wins, surpassing 300 factors for the fourth time, together with a private better of 395 in 2012. She gained in 2022 and 2021 (311) and fifth (224) in 2020 she. Ness earned her 3,900th profession win with Time to Cruise on March 22 at Parx, the place she has dominated the teaching rankings since 2020.

Earlier than receiving his coach’s license in 1999, Ness labored on the media relations workplace in Canterbury Downs, the place he gained his first race with the Blue Rocket in August. Jagger Inc. Moreover, he and his accomplice, Morris Kernan Jr., are additionally the main homeowners of Laurel’s winter meet, with 10 wins, another than Constructed Wright Stables owner-trainer fellow Norman ‘Lynn’ Money.

“I am joyful for the staff, I am joyful for the homeowners, I am joyful for all of us,” Ness mentioned. “Now we have a big employees and all people works laborious and it is good to achieve success with these guys.”

Posting time Friday 12:25 PM There shall be obligatory payouts on 20 cents Rainbow 6, 50 cents Late Decide 5 and $1 Tremendous Hello-5 bets.

Laurel will open her 21-day spring meet Saturday, April 1, and can race Thursday by means of Sunday, excluding Easter Sunday, April 9, by means of Might 7. Derby (G1) Day, 6 Might.

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