Jockey Geovanni Franco headed back to California

Geovanni Franco, who has ridden in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Indiana in recent months, will resume riding in California for the first time in slightly more than a year later this week, according to his new agent, Jack Carava.

Franco plans to ride the final weekend of the Los Alamitos December meeting on Friday through Sunday and prepare for the start of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting that begins on Dec. 26, Carava said.

Franco, 31, is the latest jockey to announce plans to ride in Southern California this winter, preceded by riders such as Luis Contreras and Kazushi Kimura from Canada and Frankie Dettori from England.

Franco has won 43 races from 390 mounts this year through Tuesday.

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Last winter and spring, Franco finished sixth in the standings at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn Park meeting with 29 wins.

Franco last rode in Southern California at the Del Mar autumn meeting in 2021. During that season, Franco finished second aboard Lieutenant Dan in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Franco rode Lieutenant Dan to two graded stakes wins earlier in 2021.

In 2019, Franco rode Secret Spice to a win in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita. He won two graded stakes on the filly Fault at Santa Anita in 2018.

In his career, Franco has won 950 races.

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