Franco, Rice win winter meet titles

Jockey Manny Franco and trainer Linda Rice scored clear-cut victories in their respective divisions at the 63-day Aqueduct winter meet, which kicked off Dec. 7 and concluded Sunday.

This is the second straight year that Franco topped the winter meet. He also won the 2018 fall meet title and led all New York riders by wins last year.

He won 98 races at this year's session to best runner-up Junior Alvarado by 28 victories. Dylan Davis finished third with 55 wins, one more than fourth-place Jose Lezcano.

Rice had an outstanding winter, winning 45 races from 180 starts, a win average of 25 percent. Rudy Rodriguez was second with 40 victories. Jason Servis and Jeremiah Englehart tied for third with 19 wins.

The training title was the first for Rice at Aqueduct and her third overall on the NYRA circuit. She led the standings at the 2011 Belmont spring meet and in 2009 topped the Saratoga standings.

The owner's title went to Michael Dubb, the leading owner in New York in seven of the past nine years. He won 15 races at the meet.

Drawing Away Stable finished second in the standings with 10 wins. Mary and Chester Broman were third with nine wins.

The Aqueduct spring meet begins Friday and continues through April 20 before racing moves to Belmont Park. The Friday card is topped by the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap and the first two turf races of the year.