Garcia putting pedal to the metal in first Oaklawn season

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Southern California transplant Martin Garcia said there’s a lot of things he likes about the small community of Hot Springs. But one perk stands out.

“There is no traffic,” he said. “There is no traffic!”

It’s also been clear sailing on the racetrack for Garcia, who moved his tack to Oaklawn Park in Janaury. The 35-year-old jockey won the first stakes of the Oaklawn meet aboard Gold Street in the $150,000 Smarty Jones. It set the tempo for a meet in which he’s won 30 races from 159 starts for mount earnings of $1.5 million, placing him third in both categories through Wednesday.

“The meet is going really good,” Garcia said. “I have really strong support from the trainers and then I have a good agent. And, I’ve been doing my job. I’ve been doing what I’m supposed to do.”

Garcia, who is represented by Jay Fedor, has had success for the Southern California trainers who are new to Oaklawn and for folks who are based on the Midwest circuit, which he started following in November.

“I met Martin last fall at Churchill Downs,” said trainer Joe Sharp, who has a division at Oaklawn. “He just seemed like a really hardworking, likeable guy. Very personable.”

Sharp and Garcia have gone 6 for 11 together this meet.

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

“We like our horses forwardly placed and he always makes sure they get engaged in the race early,” Sharp said. “For us, that seems to be a nice fit. Really, I can’t say enough about him.”

Garcia, Sharp, and owner Carl Moore had a double here Feb. 29, when Classy Act won a highly rated allowance and Midnight Fantasy captured the $125,000 Spring Fever. Sharp said Midnight Fantasy is on deck for the $125,000 Carousel here April 25 and that Garcia has the mount. Sharp has also tabbed Garcia to ride Blackberry Wine in the Grade 1, $750,000 Arkansas Derby on May 2.

Another winning partnership for Garcia this meet has been with Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, for whom he’s won four races. Their winners together include Sunny Dale, who is a threat to control the pace in Friday’s featured eighth race. Sunny Dale will be looking for her third straight win after having taken a maiden special weight and first-level allowance in her two starts at Oaklawn.

“It’s a little better company,” Garcia said of the race Friday. “She’s a good filly. I think she can do it.

“The first day she ran here she won very impressively. Last time, there was lots of speed and she put herself on the lead.”

Garcia is a native of Veracruz, Mexico. He is the first in his family to get into racing. He says he was drawn to the sport because of the horses.

“I like all the horses,” he said. “Some run faster than others. I have respect for all of them. I just like to be around them. They’re lovely animals.

“They’re the ones that pay for our rent, for our food, for everything.”

Garcia, who said his inspiration as a jockey is the late Garrett Gomez, won his first race Aug. 17, 2005, at Bay Meadows. Garcia has since gone on to compile a record of 1,590 wins and $88.9 million in mount earnings. His most notable victories include the 2010 Preakness with Lookin At Lucky, the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Bayern, and the 2011 Kentucky Oaks with Plum Pretty, all for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

Garcia even swept into Oaklawn for Baffert for a handful of stakes engagements during past meets, winning the Rebel twice, in 2016 with Cupid and 2011 with The Factor, and the 2010 Southwest with Conveyance.

Those races were run before standing-room-only crowds. These days, Garcia said he misses seeing the strong public presence here – and at all meets that must conduct spectator-free racing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think it’s sad we don’t have any fans,” Garcia said. “We love to see people, all the fans. All the fans keep us alive. We miss everybody. We’re missing all the beautiful people.”