Murphy gets 3,000th win of riding career

Jockey Glen Murphy reached a milestone of 3,000 Thoroughbred wins in North America on Friday when he won the fifth race on the opening-day program at Sunland Park. Murphy’s first career win also came at the New Mexico track, in 1984, according to Daily Racing Form records.

Murphy on Friday guided Houdini’s Xcape ($3) to a neck win in the fifth race, a $5,000 conditioned claiming sprint. He was aboard for Frontier Racing and trainer Jaime Fuentes.

Murphy has had 23,588 Thoroughbred mounts, and those runners have earned $40,683,227. In his career, the rider has won 3,120 races when counting victories aboard Quarter Horses.

Murphy’s notable stakes winners include Dreams Gallore, with whom he captured the Grade 3 Honeybee in 1999 at Oaklawn, as well as Highland Ice, Little Sister, Sure Shot Biscuit, She’s All In, T.B. Track Star, Skip A Smile, Rocky Gulch, Smack Smack, and Quiet Again.