Turkish jockey Kocakaya seeks more mounts after 2-for-2 start at Laurel
Jockey Gokhan Kocakaya, once a leading rider in Turkey, intends to pursue more mounts in Maryland after notable early success. In his Laurel debut last Friday, Kocakaya won both races in which he rode.
“I found that here, there’s a chance, so I came here,” Kocakaya said. “And I think everything went fine. I think I want to stay here.”
Since committing to a fresh start in the United States, Kocakaya, 37, has spent three winters at Aqueduct with mixed results. He won eight races in 2024 but struggled with inconsistent opportunities. He traveled to Maryland at the suggestion of owners Gokmen Kaya and Erhan Polat. Both of his mounts were trained by Kieron Magee.
In Kocakaya’s first win at Laurel aboard The Wolfman, a 7-year-old gelding, the Turkish rider was reprimanded in the winner’s circle for using his crop past the wire. He was racing to the wrong finish line, which could have proven costly if The Wolfman hadn’t been clear by nearly three lengths.
Kocakaya earned his second victory in smoother fashion, guiding 4-year-old gelding States United through a much cleaner trip to win his maiden by a length.
It is unclear when Kocakaya will get his next chance in Maryland, but a pair of live mounts certainly provided a warm welcome for the veteran rider.
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