Luzzi a contender for top apprentice honors

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Last summer, it was Tyler Gaffalione who parlayed his success during the Gulfstream Park summer meet into an Eclipse Award as the nation’s leading apprentice. Now, it’s Lane Luzzi who is taking a similar path.

Luzzi has been the dominant apprentice rider here since returning from injury in mid-July. The son of jockey Mike Luzzi, who won the apprentice Eclipse in 1989, he has steadily worked his way up the standings over the past six weeks and enters the final three days of the meet having won 10 races the previous week, including four on Saturday. Luzzi has won 68 races this year for purses totaling in excess of $1.7 million, establishing himself as one of the leading candidates for this year’s Eclipse Award.

“It’s all like a dream come true,” said Luzzi. “I’m having fun and having some success while working with my friend and agent, Walter Blum [Jr.]. We’ve had a good meet so far. I got to win my first stakes for Patrick Biancone, and right now I’m just taking it all in and trying to ride smart races.”

Blum also was the agent for Gaffalione during his Eclipse Award-winning season.

Luzzi said he feels like he’s improving with experience.

“Every day, you see and learn something new,” said Luzzi. “I’m in a pretty good position right now, and I’m still learning, still trying to get better every day.”

Luzzi said he’s in constant touch with his father, who has been his inspiration and continues to help him. The elder Luzzi is riding at Belmont Park.

“Every race, every day, we go over the replays,” said Lane Luzzi. “He’s my biggest fan, my teacher, and he’s still teaching.”

Luzzi said it’s hard not to think about duplicating Gaffalione’s achievement of winning the Eclipse a year ago.

“It’s been a goal since before I started riding,” said Luzzi. “That was the point of starting in November last year, so I would be able to ride until the end of this year with the bug. And with the injury I had, now I have the bug until February.”