Dettori to be based at Saratoga for summer

Jockey Frankie Dettori, who called off his retirement late last year, will be based in Saratoga this summer when the meet opens on July 11.

Agent Ron Anderson will book mounts for Dettori as well as Joel Rosario at Saratoga. John Velazquez, who Anderson had worked for since 2020, has retained Kiaran McLaughlin as his agent. McLaughlin also represents Luis Saez, the Belmont Stakes-winning rider who will be based in Saratoga as well. By rule, agents are limited to representing two journeyman riders at one time.

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Dettori, 53, rode 10 mounts at last week’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Saratoga, winning an allowance race aboard Army Officer. He also finished second aboard Nations Pride in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes. Prior to that, Dettori last rode at Saratoga for a three-day period in 2014, winning two races on the July 18 card.

Dettori was planning to retire at the end of 2023, but had such a good year that he wanted to try riding in the U.S. this year. Based at Santa Anita for the winter, Dettori rode 35 winners from 162 mounts and finished fourth in wins and purse money won with $2.576 million at the Arcadia, Calif., track.

During the spring, Dettori rode winners at Keeneland, Pimlico, Penn National, and Monmouth Park.

Following the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, Dettori returned home to England to attend the wedding of his daughter Ella. He is scheduled to do some television work during next week’s Royal Ascot meet then return stateside where he has riding engagements in New York and Kentucky before the Saratoga meet begins.

Velazquez, 52, is the all-time winningest rider at Saratoga. In North America, the Hall of Famer Velazquez ranks first all-time in purse money won ($480.4 million) and 11th all-time in wins 6,605.

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