Osorio rising up the jockey ranks

The 20-year-old jockey Didiel Osorio is riding high at Ellis. Entering Friday’s races, he is tied with the highly regarded apprentice Juan Saez with five winners atop the Ellis Park jockey standings. That puts him ahead of such well-established jockeys as Leandro Goncalves, Jesus Castanon, Miguel Mena, Brian Hernandez Jr., and Calvin Borel.

A native of Panama, where he attended the jockey school there named in honor of Laffit Pincay Jr., Osorio began his apprenticeship in Panama before coming to America as a journeyman rider and as a relative unknown.

Slow to gain mounts at first, his opportunities began to increase late in the Turfway Park meet this winter, when he teamed up with agent Jose Santos Jr., son of the Hall of Fame jockey.

Then came Keeneland and Churchill, where new riders often find it difficult to break in. But having come to Ellis Park early to breeze horses in preparation for the meet, he received some early opportunities and is off to a quick start.

He rides five horses Friday and three more Saturday. And these mounts come following a Wednesday trip to Mountaineer in West Virginia to ride a couple horses there.

“People are finally noticing what he can do,” Santos said.

All-sources handle up

Also enjoying a successful first week of the Ellis Park meet was the track.

According to Bob Jackson, the longtime director of operations at Ellis, all-sources handle was up for all four of the track’s racing days last week.

Jackson also noted that the handle on the track’s Instant Racing machines was over $1.25 million, a record for a single week at Ellis Park.