Top European jockey de Sousa coming to New York

ELMONT, N.Y. – Silvestre de Sousa, the leading jockey in Europe, is planning to move his tack to New York in late October, according to Seth Benzel, the former trainer who will serve as de Sousa’s agent.

Benzel said de Sousa was planning to come to the U.S. earlier this year, but he had a chance to be the United Kingdom’s leading rider when Ryan Moore was injured earlier in the summer.

“It’s always been his dream to ride in America,” Benzel said. “Being from Brazil and knowing that South American riders do very well here, this was always his plan. He was the champion jockey in Dubai, champion jockey in the U.K., now he wants a new challenge, a new place to try and rise up the ranks and be the top jockey.”

De Sousa would be coming at an odd time of year, as nearly all of the major stakes in New York have been run by the end of October. Benzel said that while de Sousa’s focus would be on New York, he did not discount the possibility of riding in Florida this winter.

“We’ll evaluate the winter plans based on what is created,” Benzel said. “We’ll keep both possibilities open and let trainers tell us what they want us to do.”

◗ Jockey C.C. Lopez, who spent the summer riding in California, is back in New York and hopes to start riding at Belmont soon.

“I’m here, and I want to ride,” Lopez said. “There’ll be no lack of pace out there when I’m out there.”

Lopez, who enjoyed success this winter as the regular rider of El Kabeir, left New York in May.