Gulfstream Park: Plesa wins 2,000th race of training career

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Salt Water Cowboy gave trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. his 2,000th career victory by winning Friday’s fourth race at Gulfstream Park. Salt Water Cowboy ($8) is owned by Plesa’s wife, Laurie, and the Trilogy Stables.

Plesa, a 62-year-old native of Seattle, has won the 1997 Gulfstream Park training title as well as four Tropical at Calder crowns during his career. His best horses have included Three Ring, winner of the Grade 1 Acorn in 1999, Gotcha Gold, Best of the Rest, J J’sdream, Tekken and B.B. Best.

“You don’t think about something like this until you’re close to getting there and then it dawns on you there has been a lot of hard work by a lot of people who have been with me for a long time without whom I wouldn’t have made this milestone,” said Plesa whose father .Eddie Sr.. was a leading rider in the Midwest before turning to training and relocating to south Florida when Calder opened in 1971. “I also couldn’t have done it without all the owners, and it was nice to have done this today for Trilogy, David Melin and Marion Montanari, who aside from the Oxenbergs have been with me the longest time of any of my owners.”