Velasquez off to ride in Saudi Arabia

MIAMI – Veteran jockey Cornelio Velasquez will be going halfway around the world to ride for the next five months, but he still won’t be straying too far away from his big horse, the undefeated 2-year-old Three Rules.

According to his agent, Kevin Meyocks, Velasquez has left south Florida for Saudi Arabia after receiving an offer “he couldn’t refuse” to ride through much of the winter. Velasquez, who has won nearly 3,800 races in his career and purses totaling $167 million, moved his tack back to south Florida from New York on June 1 and won 40 races at Gulfstream and one last weekend at Gulfstream Park West prior to his departure for the Middle East.

But Meyocks emphasized that Velasquez will return to the U.S. for Breeders’ Cup weekend to keep his regular seat aboard Three Rules in the Juvenile. Three Rules is unbeaten and untested in five career starts, recently concluding a sweep of the Florida Sire Series, with Velasquez aboard for all five of his races.

“Cornelio will be at Santa Anita for both the Friday and Saturday Breeders’ Cup programs, and we’ll be pursuing other mounts for him there that weekend,” said Meyocks. “This was a tough decision for him to make because he had returned to this area earlier in the year to be able to spend more time with his family. But the offer to ride in Saudi Arabia was just too enticing to refuse, especially knowing it’s going to be a struggle to secure top mounts around here once the championship meet begins and all the Northern-based riders return here for the winter.”

Fortunately for Meyocks, Velasquez’s departure will not leave him empty-handed, as he’ll continue to represent Luca Panici, who is having a breakout year. Panici won 77 races during the recently concluded Gulfstream spring-summer meeting, nearly double his total through the same period a year ago.

“He’s having a career year,” said Meyocks. “He’s always had the talent, now he’s getting more and more opportunity to show it. His confidence level is growing, and we’re looking forward to the rest of the Gulfstream Park West session and ahead to the winter meet.”

Mr. Baker loves track

Mr. Baker showed his affinity for the Gulfstream Park West surface once again Wednesday, cruising to a 2 1/4-length victory in a second-level optional $62,500 claiming sprint under jockey Edgard Zayas.

The win was the fifth in eight starts over the track formerly known as Calder Race Course, where Mr. Baker is based with trainer Ralph Ziadie. Springmeier was easily second, well clear of 3-2 second choice J.S. Bach. Mr. Baker completed six furlongs in a lively 1:09.05 as the 6-5 favorite.

“He loves this track,” said Zayas. “Once he got the lead, it went pretty nice.”

Competitive Player fits well

Competitive Player should be favored over six rivals in Saturday’s $34,000 feature, a first-level optional $16,000 claimer for fillies and mares going six furlongs.

Competitive Player has been transferred to the barn of Fernando Abreu since drawing off to an impressive 5 3/4-length optional-claiming win against statebreds at Gulfstream Park on Sept. 4 for trainer Peter Walder. Competitive Player has won more races, six, than any member of the field and is well placed under the conditions of the race. Regular rider Lane Luzzi will be aboard.

Other key contenders include Formal Class, Untrue, and the undefeated Moulton, who won her only previous start for trainer Todd Pletcher late this summer at Monmouth Park.