Romero Maragh wins Aqueduct debut

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Romero Maragh understands the value of making a good first impression.

In his first mount since moving his tack to Aqueduct from Gulfstream Park, Maragh won Thursday’s opener aboard 8-1 shot Anydayisherday. It was Maragh’s third victory overall since he returned from a near year layoff after undergoing surgery to fuse four thoracic vertebrae on Jan. 31, 2019.

Maragh, 19, returned to race-riding on Jan. 20 at Gulfstream Park. He went 0 for 31 before recording two wins on Feb. 12. He said he only made the decision to come to New York last week.

“It took me a couple of races to win my first two and now to come up here and win my first race, it feels like all the hard work is paying off,” Maragh said.

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Maragh, who rides with a five-pound weight allowance until at least early May, said his cousin, jockey Rajiv Maragh, recommended he give New York a try. The opportunity to work with young agent Rudy Rodriguez Jr. also appealed to Romero Maragh.

“Rudy started about year ago and to see where he’s at today shows that he works really hard and he’s doing really good,” Maragh said. “He’s a young agent, and I can see a really bright future with him.”

Rodriguez also is the agent for Reylu Gutierrez.

This was the second time Maragh won his first race at a NYRA track. In 2018, at Saratoga, he won aboard Won’t Be Missed.

Maragh was named on two horses on Sunday’s card, including Lake Rudolph, a first-time starter from the barn of leading trainer Linda Rice in the eighth, a maiden $40,000 claimer for New York-bred 3-year-olds.