Tampa Bay: Gallardo Building Huge Lead in Jockey Standings

Tampa Bay Downs’s two-time defending jockey champion Antonio Gallardo heads into today with what appears to be a commanding lead in his quest for a three-peat.

First post is 12:28 p.m. for the ten-race card.

Gallardo rode four winners on Wednesday, the most recent race day at the Oldsmar track.

He has 25 victories through 13 race days. That gives him a comfortable lead over Daniel Centeno who has nine wins. Fernando De La Cruz, Jose Ferrer and Ademar Santos each have eight wins.

Gallardo has nine mounts today, including five horses trained by Jamie Ness.

Through Wednesday, Gerald Bennett leads trainers with nine wins and Ness is  second with eight wins.

Also through Wednesday, Gallardo has ridden 312 winners this year. That puts him in second place in North America, behind last year’s Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano.

But a look at purses won indicates the difference  between the national Graded stakes circuit where Castellano rides and  the still decent purses at Tampa Bay Downs and at Presque Isles Downs in Erie, Pa. Those are the two  tracks where Gallardo does most  of his riding.

Castellano leads in purses won by his horses with $27,878,589. Gallardo is in 40th place with $5,354,873.

A jockey generally receives between 5 and 10 percent of a horse’s purse, and uses part of that money to pay his agent and valet.
--Jim Freer