Pino moving tack back to Delaware Park

Mario Pino, the 10th-leading rider in North American history with 6,857 wins, will ride full time at Delaware Park this summer.

Pino, 56, is a native of Wilmington, Del. He started his career at Delaware Park and led the standings in 1979 and 1980. He also rode there from 2004 to 2008. Since 2009, Pino’s summer base has been Presque Isle Downs, where he finished third in the standings the past two seasons.

“I have enjoyed a lot of success riding at Presque Isle, but I am being drawn back to Delaware,” Pino said. “I am looking forward to being closer to my family. My mother still lives in Newark, Del., my two brothers live in Pennsylvania, and my three daughters still live in Maryland.”

Pino has ridden 4,940 winners in Maryland, at Laurel Park, Pimlico, and Bowie. He has 796 career wins at Delaware and 550 wins at Presque Isle.

Pino’s best mount in recent years was Hard Spun, whom he rode in 12 of 13 starts in 2006 and 2007 for trainer Larry Jones and owner Rick Porter. Pino’s wins on Hard Spun include the Grade 1 King’s Bishop, Grade 2 Lane’s End, Grade 2 Kentucky Cup Classic, and Grade 3 Lecomte. He finished second to Curlin aboard Hard Spun in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Pino has ridden in only six races this year.

“I try not to ride for about four to five months, and about a month before I get back to riding on a full-time basis, I turn everything up a notch,” he said.