Rodriguez closes on 1,000 training wins

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – On March 31, 2010, Aegean Breeze splashed her way to a four-length victory over Aqueduct’s main track at odds of 21-1. It was the first victory for Rudy Rodriguez as a trainer.

Eight years later, and Rodriguez is now closing on career victory 1,000, which could very well occur next Saturday, March 31, at Aqueduct. That day is New York’s Claiming Championships, a card of 10 starter allowance stakes on which Rodriguez said he could have an entrant in every race.

Rodriguez entered Friday’s card at Aqueduct with 994 career victories. Rodriguez, who won 221 races as a jockey over nearly two decades riding, didn’t think he’d achieve this much success in such a short time training.

“When we first started we didn’t think we could get that,” said Rodriguez, who works closely with his brother Gustavo. “We got good people working with us. It’s a big accomplishment, that’s for sure.”

Before Rodriguez sets his sights on New York’s Claiming Championships, he will attempt to win Sunday’s $100,000 Cicada Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. On Thursday, he entered a trio of 3-year-olds led by the multiple stakes winner Strategic Dreams. Rodriguez’s lineup also includes Danyelli and Lezendary.

Strategic Dreams, a daughter of Archarcharch owned by David Wilkenfeld, has won three straight races, including the Gin Talking at Laurel on Dec. 30 and the Ruthless here on Jan. 28. Rodriguez said the layoff until now was by design.

“We were trying to back off a little bit and put some weight on her,” Rodriguez said.

Danyelli finished third behind Strategic Dreams in the Ruthless, then was beaten a neck in an allowance at Laurel going 5 1/2 furlongs on March 11. Lezendary is coming off a 5 1/4-length victory in a Jan. 14 maiden race. Both Danyelli and Lezendary are owned by Ahmed Zayat.

Also entered in the Cicada were Aunt Babe, Gypsy Janie, Shamrock Rose, and Gibby, who was a supplemental nominee from the barn of Scott Lake.

Looking ahead to next week’s Claiming Championships, Rodriguez will have a major player in Control Group in the featured event, the $90,000 Mr. Sinatra. Control Group is coming off victories in the Grade 3 Discovery and the Alex M. Robb Handicap.