Tampa Bay Downs: Kobiskie, Rodriguez among new faces at meet

OLDSMAR, Fla. – While a number of trainers and jockeys have returned to the Maryland circuit to take advantage of the big boost in purses brought about by new gaming laws in that state, a couple of Maryland mainstays opted to head south to Tampa Bay Downs for the winter.

Trainer Dane Kobiskie and jockey Erick Rodriguez are racing here for the first time and bring strong credentials with them.

Kobiskie, a 39-year-old former jockey, has been training since 2008, and in 2011 and 2012, his horses won 105 races each year, with his stable earning more than $2 million in 2012. In 2011, he won the top two stakes for juveniles at Laurel Park, winning the Laurel Futurity with Lemon Juice and the Selima with Softly Lit.

Kobiskie has divisions of his stable here and at Laurel this winter and has several promising youngsters, including Taquito, a colt who finished first but was disqualified and placed second in his debut at Pimlico in April, then lost a photo here Dec. 7 in a six-furlong race run in 1:10.21.

Rodriguez has been riding at tracks such as Presque Isle Downs, Delaware Park, and Laurel in recent years, and the chance to ride for trainers like Kobiskie, Graham Motion, and Kenny Cox prompted him to come to Oldsmar this winter.

A remarkably consistent rider, Rodriguez has won more than 1,200 career races and has tallied more than 100 wins in nine of the past 11 seasons. He had a pair of wins at the meeting through Sunday.

De La Cruz, Allen hot

Fernando De La Cruz just keeps on rolling. The jockey was sidelined due to suspension Wednesday but came right back to win four races Friday, one Saturday, and one more Sunday to raise his win total for the meeting to 22.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Allen Jr., who keeps getting better with age, had a big week, winning seven races and raising his win total for the meeting to 10.

Antonio Gallardo won four races Sunday and now has nine tallies. Harry Vega has booted home five winners.

The trainers’ race is a wide-open affair, with Jason DaCosta (seven wins) and Jamie Ness and Dale Bennett (six wins apiece) battling for the top spot in the standings.

◗ Daniel Centeno scored his first win since returning to Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday when he guided Ruler of Love to victory in the optional-claiming feature. The graded stakes-placed 3-year-old was one of three winners sent out Sunday by trainer Joan Scott.