Five-way battle for spring-meet riding title

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – For the past several seasons, when the Gulfstream Park Championship meet ended it became pretty easy to predict who would win the spring and summer riding titles: either Tyler Gaffalione or Edgard Zayas.

But things are different this year. Gaffalione and Zayas find themselves in a five-way battle for spring-meet honors. The two are in third and fourth place, respectively, behind Nik Juarez and Miguel Vasquez, who are leading the way with 38 victories apiece, and just in front of Emisael Jaramillo, who rounds out the top five entering Thursday’s program with 33 wins.

“It’s probably going to be this way here right through the end of this meet and during the summer as well,” said Zayas, whose 34 tallies since the spring session began April 4 has him within easy striking distance of the two leaders.

“It’s a lot tougher winning races than it’s ever been here during the summer. There are a lot of top veteran riders around and a couple of good bug boys, too.”

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Zayas, who won the spring crown here in 2016 over Gaffalione, cited several reasons for the influx of jockeys this year.

“The money is better than it’s ever been around here during the spring and summer, and you don’t have to be traveling around any more,” he said. “A rider can stay right here, in one place, all year and do really well.”

Zayas’s big horse remains Pay Any Price, the turf sprinter he’s ridden to six victories in his last nine starts, including a very easy allowance win earlier this month. Zayas is also awaiting the return of Gunnevera, whom he rode to a stakes triumph here last summer as well as a second-place finish in the 2017 Travers.

“He’s still on the farm, and from what I hear he’s probably got a couple of more months before he comes back to the track,” Zayas said. “When he does, I’m sure I’ll be working him again and hopefully can get the mount back. Especially if he starts back running at Gulfstream, like he did last year.”

◗ The battle for the spring training title, won for the first time last year by Todd Pletcher, is also very tight with Armando de la cerda holding a slight edge over both Pletcher and Ralph Ziadie when racing resumes Thursday. The spring meet ends with the Summit of Speed program on June 30.