Joe Bravo set to move tack to Florida

ARCADIA, Calif. — Veteran jockey Joe Bravo is moving from Southern California to Florida in coming days.

Bravo said on Thursday that a desire to be closer to his family and more racing opportunities were factors in his decision.

“I want to move back and be close to them,” Bravo said of his family. “I’ve got a house in South Florida. I love California racing, but I have four days off.”

Southern California tracks typically race on a Friday-through-Sunday basis. Gulfstream Park currently races three days a week, which will be expanded to four days on most weeks in December and to five days by January.

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Bravo’s final mount in California will be Lucky Girl in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday. He said he will begin riding at Gulfstream Park in coming days, well before the track’s primary meeting begins in early December.

“I like the timing of going to Florida this week,” he said.

Bravo moved from his longtime base in New Jersey to California in June 2021. He finished fifth in the standings at the 2021 Del Mar summer meeting with 21 wins, his best result in three summers of riding at that track’s most popular meeting.

At the current Santa Anita autumn meeting that ends on Sunday, Bravo has been in outstanding form, winning with 8 of 26 mounts, good enough for sixth in the standings through Thursday.

“It’s been a great meet,” Bravo said. “I’ve had less than 30 mounts and won eight races.”

Bravo, 52, has won 5,626 races through Thursday.

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