Lezcano, in comeback, showing signs of title-winning form
ELMONT, N.Y. - Six weeks since returning from a three-month absence due to multiple surgeries, Jose Lezcano is flashing the form that made him the leading rider at the 2019 Belmont Park summer meet.
Despite going winless with five mounts Sunday, Lezcano has won 11 races from his last 27 mounts at Belmont and, with 20 victories from 122 mounts, he has risen into a tie for fifth in the jockey standings at this meet. Lezcano had a four-win day on Saturday. He also won four races on the June 6 card.
Lezcano has been succeeding with longshots. Nine of his 20 wins at the meet have come with horses that have paid $19 or more, including Miss Delicious, who returned $53 in Saturday’s sixth race.
“I think I’m riding more live horses,” Lezcano said. “Maybe they don’t look on paper like favorites, but they’re horses that have a very good chance to win.”
In February, Lezcano underwent surgery to repair his left shoulder, left knee, and nose. Lezcano said needed surgery on the rotator cuff area of his shoulder. He said it had gotten to the point where when he went to pull a horse up after a race “I could hear my bone go click, click, click.”
Lezcano, 36, said his knee began to feel better in three weeks to the point where he could get on the stationary bicycle. The operation on his nose was to repair some damage caused when he broke it in a riding incident a few years ago.
Lezcano returned to race-riding on April 29, hoping to take advantage of the absence of big-name riders who were out of town during Kentucky Derby week. Lezcano won only three races from his first 30 mounts. It wasn’t until recently that things began to turn around.
In 2019, Lezcano won the Belmont riding title with 44 wins, one more than Luis Saez. He is not going to contend for the title this meet - Jose Ortiz is the leader with 40 wins thus far- but he’s hoping to gather enough momentum to have a strong Saratoga meet.
“When you don’t ride for a big outfit, it’s tough to compete with these guys,” Lezcano said. “All these guys are very good and they’re riding the best horses.”