Joe Rocco Jr. is among a host of new jockeys trying to make it in New York this winter. Rocco got off to a good start when he guided Quezon to victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Garland of Roses Stakes at Aqueduct.

Rocco has spent the last three winters riding at Oaklawn Park. He decided to try New York this winter, citing good purses and the opportunity to work with agent Jason Beides.

“I’ve been friends with Jason and wanted to hook up, and it looks like a good opportunity to put a lot money in the bank,” Rocco said.

Trainer James Bond has enjoyed a fabulous Aqueduct meet thus far and said he plans to have more of a presence this winter than in past years.

Through Sunday, Bond has won with nine of 29 starters at the meet, with two seconds and four thirds. As the winter approaches, Bond will have a sizeable stable in south Florida, but does plan to leave about 20 in New York before increasing that to 30 around Feb. 1.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – All-sources handle for the first month of the Aqueduct fall meet was up 10.1 percent compared to 2016, according to figures provided by the New York Racing Association.

Ontrack handle during that same period was up 3.9 percent.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Miss Mo Mentum’s super-impressive victory in the opening race on Saturday’s Clasico Internacional program might have been at least temporarily forgotten by the time Jala Jala crossed the finish line first in front of a packed and enthusiastic house in the main event, the Clasico del Caribe, six hours later.

But few have witnessed any horse win a race, let alone a stakes, any easier than Miss Mo Mentum did when cruising to the Gulfstream finish line, under wraps, 8 3/4 lengths in front of her nearest rival, to win the $75,000 Hut Hut.

Giuseppe the Great, who was graded stakes placed in several major 3-year-old events this year, finally dropped into the allowance ranks to post his second career victory as an overwhelming 1-5 favorite Sunday.

Afterward, trainer Nick Zito did not rule out the possibility of entertaining an offer from one of the stakeholders to bring him back in the Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 27.

Giuseppe the Great had to work hard through the stretch before finally turning back a stubborn Red Crescent for his first win since a maiden victory at Keeneland in April.

CYPRESS, Calif. - There are still a few things trainer Bob Baffert has yet to accomplish.

On Saturday at Los Alamitos, Baffert became the first trainer to sweep the track’s two Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds in the same year: the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity and the Starlet Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

No trainer had won both races in the same year since the Starlet was first run at Hollywood Park in 1981. The races were moved to Los Alamitos in 2014 after Hollywood Park closed the previous year.

Indiana Grand’s 2018 racing schedule was approved by the Indiana Racing Commission in a meeting this past week.

As in 2017, Indiana Grand will have a 120-day season beginning in April and running through November. Opening day is April 19, closing day November 7, with four-day race weeks – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday – the standard. Weekday cards are run in the afternoon, while Saturdays are evening cards. Six Saturday cards are entirely devoted to Quarter Horses, and there are Quarter Horse races on almost every card during the season.

Francisco “Cisco” Torres said Saturday he’s retiring from a long and successful but frequently troubled career as a jockey.

By Friday evening, trainer Phil D’Amato had a complete checklist.

D’Amato had more than 40 horses in his care at San Luis Rey Downs in Bonsall, Calif. when the training center was hit by a devastating wildfire on Thursday. It took more than a day, but all the survivors were located.

D’Amato’s stable lost two horses – the unraced 2-year-old Oddsmaker and the 4-year-old filly Riri, a three-time winner in seven starts. Both were owned by the Little Red Feather Racing partnership, one of D’Amato’s leading clients.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Susan and Jim Hill’s up-and-coming 3-year-old sprinter Eight Town passed a major class test when turning back the older and vastly more experienced Abounding Legacy to capture Thursday’s main event for his third consecutive victory. Eight Town completed seven furlongs in 1:22.03 and earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure.