Panamanian jock to ride at Delaware

Ricardo Santana Jr., a 16-year-old apprentice jockey from Panama, has moved his tack to the United States and was scheduled to begin riding at Delaware Park on Tuesday. He is being represented by Ruben Munoz, the agent for journeyman jockey Gabriel Saez.

According to Munoz, Santana, the son of a jockey, won 47 races in Panama. He is a five-pound apprentice and still gets the weight allowance for the next eight months. Munoz said Santana will ride at Delaware through the end of that meet (Oct. 26) then move his tack to the Meadowlands and Aqueduct.

"He comes highly recommended from all the top jockeys and trainers in Panama," Munoz said of Santana.

Munoz added that he hopes to bring Saez to Aqueduct for the winter as well. Saez is the first-call rider for trainer Larry Jones, who is retiring after the Breeders' Cup.