Cabrera tries to maintain lead at Lone Star

Jockey David Cabrera is closing in on his first career title, but he’s not taking anything for granted as he moves into the final two weeks of the meet at Lone Star Park. Cabrera had an eight-win advantage in the standings heading into Thursday night’s card and is working to hold off a colony that includes the meet’s second-leading rider, Luis Quinonez.

“We’ll try to do our best and see if we get it,” said Cabrera, a 21-year-old native of Guanabuato, Mexico.

Cabrera, who lost his apprentice allowance May 26, has been a dominant force for much of the Lone Star meet. He leads all riders in both wins, with 59 from 319 starts, and mount earnings, with $753,015. Cabrera’s top accomplishments include winning a division of the $75,000 Texas Stallion Stakes with Thegirlinthatsong in May.

“A lot of different trainers are giving me a chance,” Cabrera said. “I have a really good agent, Travis Church. He’s been with me since I started.”

Cabrera won the first race of his career at Lone Star on May 2, 2013. He ended up 10th in the standings. After the meet ended in mid-July, Cabrera waited until the October opening of Retama Park near San Antonio to resume race riding on a regular basis and finished third in the standings. He followed the Texas circuit to Sam Houston and tied for fourth in the standings at the Houston track before returning to Lone Star.

Cabrera said at this point, he plans to return to Retama after Lone Star. The meet opens a month earlier, Sept. 5. In between seasons, Cabrera said he will compete at the Gillespie County Fair, the Class 3 track in Fredericksburg, Texas, that opens a mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses on Friday. The track will race this weekend as well as July 19-20, Aug. 9-10, and Aug. 23-24.

“That’s a fun little place,” Cabrera said. “I like that place a lot. We have a lot of fun there.”

Cabrera came to the United States when he was 14 and eventually went to work for his aunt, trainer Marti Rodriguez. Cabrera groomed horses for several years before he began working as an exercise rider, graduating to working horses under the tutelage of retired jockey Cindy Murphy, who for many years rode as Cindy Noll.

Cabrera has mounts in eight of the 10 races Friday night at Lone Star. He’s in all three allowances on the program and will be aboard leading contender Pride of Silver in a 1 1/2-mile starter allowance on grass. Lone Star will have a special early first post of 5 p.m. Central to accommodate a fireworks display after the races.

◗ The riders based at Lone Star will take on the track’s management in a softball tournament Tuesday night. The three-game series will be held at the QuickTrip Park adjacent to Lone Star. Proceeds benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

◗ Harlan’s Romance, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Shotgun Gulch, debuts in Friday night’s sixth race at Lone Star.