Carmouche disappointed being taken off Integration

Opportunities to ride in Grade 1 races don’t come often enough for jockey Kendrick Carmouche, which is why he was disappointed to lose the mount on the undefeated Integration for Saturday’s $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park.

“I work hard every day. I put in the time to be the best jockey I can be and ride the horses I get the best I can,” Carmouche said. “I don’t see where they’re giving me a full opportunity. I’m great, like those guys. I came from small tracks to make it in New York. When you talk about Irad [Ortiz Jr.], Jose [Ortiz], Tyler Gaffalione, Joel [Rosario], I want to have my shot like those guys got their shot. I want to ride good horses. I don’t want to ride just regular horses every day of the week.”

Carmouche, who rode Integration to graded stakes victories in the Virginia Derby and Hill Prince, is being replaced Saturday by Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Integration to victory in his maiden race at Colonial in August. Shug McGaughey, trainer of Integration, said that Gulfstream Park’s turf course is new this year and Gaffalione has been riding it, whereas Carmouche is based in New York, riding at Aqueduct.

Carmouche, who won his first Grade 1 aboard True Timber in the 2020 Cigar Mile, has ridden 3,781 winners in his career.

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“Kendrick did fine, but with this turf course being new and him never riding over it I thought it would be in our favor if we could have somebody that was very familiar with the turf,” McGaughey said. “It doesn’t mean Kendrick won’t ride him back someday or ride some others.”

McGaughey said that he had Carmouche booked to ride a few horses for him at Colonial Downs on the Sept. 9 card. McGaughey said he made a last-minute decision to run Integration in the Virginia Derby and put Carmouche on him as Gaffalione was committed to ride at Kentucky Downs that day.

“I don’t think it’s any mind-boggling decision,” McGaughey said. “I hated to do it, but I felt it was in our best interests to do it. Now, getting the three post, which is a good post, I’m more satisfied with my decision and like I said, we’ll go from there.”

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