Ramon Vazquez thinking of riding in Southern California

Jockey Ramon Vazquez, among the 20 leading riders in the nation in purse earnings, is “seriously considering” a move to Southern California this spring, according to his agent, Bill Castle.

The potential move has been prompted by the forthcoming departure of leading Santa Anita jockey Flavien Prat, who is relocating to New York. Prat has been the dominant rider at Santa Anita and Del Mar in recent years and is moving to New York in an effort to enhance his chances to win the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding rider. Prat was nominated for the Eclipse Award in 2021, but lost the prize to Joel Rosario.

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Vazquez, who is fourth in the jockey standings at Oaklawn Park through Sunday, would likely make the move following the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7. Vazquez would then be able to ride through the final weeks of the Santa Anita meeting, which ends on June 19, and during the brief Los Alamitos summer meeting in late June and early July before the start of the Del Mar summer meeting on July 22.

Vazquez, 38, finished second on Miss Bigly in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile here on March 5. Miss Bigly is trained by Phil D’Amato, who said over the weekend that he would support Vazquez if he moved to Southern California.

Vazquez has been among the leading riders at Oaklawn Park since 2014 and won five riding titles at the Remington Park summer-fall Thoroughbred meeting from 2013-2017. Vazquez was the leading rider at the Lone Star Park spring-summer Thoroughbred meeting in 2020.

This year, Vazquez has won two stakes at Oaklawn Park – the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes on Feb. 12 with Miss Bigly, and a 75-1 upset on Un Ojo in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on Feb. 26.

Through Sunday, Vazquez ranked 17th in purse earnings in the nation with $1,750,091.

Armando Ayuso, second in the standings at the winter-spring meeting at Golden Gate Fields, is planning to move to Southern California in June, according to his agent, Tom Doutrich.