Rudy Rodriguez

Gokhan Kocakaya understood that this would be a challenge. In his native Turkey, he has won 2,910 races, was the leading rider for four straight years starting in 2019. He was riding in all of the major races and making a good living. But here he was on a chilly Monday morning galloping horses at Belmont Park, some 5,000 miles from home and in a place where almost nobody knows who he is. "I am new here," the 37-year-old jockey said through an interpreter. "I am not expecting to ride...

Regarding the Great White Way fiasco: The stewards made a huge mistake! We all make them. It happens in football all the time! When it happens there are no calls to remove the Commissioner. As in this situation, there should be no calls to remove Jockey Club leadership. What is needed is to look at the Stewards box. Stewards involved should be interviewed, past decisions reviewed and what we need is industry-wide implementation to improve the process. Possibly a fourth person "in the booth" might help when a foul occurs....

Following the controversial disqualification of Brick Ambush (Laoban), who crossed the wire second in Saturday's $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct, owner Dean Reeves said he will appeal the decision of the stewards. In a roughly run race, there was an incident at the quarter-pole where Big Torpedo (Big Brown) and Solo's Fury (Solomini) both checked sharply. Big Torpedo finished fourth and Solo's Fury was last of 12. A strong case can be made that Antonio of Venice (Laoban), the race winner with...

1st-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 6-2, 2yo, f, 5f, :59.73, ft, 1/2 length. STATUS SEEKER (f, 2, Upstart--Casual Cocktail, by Magna Graduate) breezed a furlong in :10.1/5 ahead of this year's OBS March sale and was put into training with Rudy Rodriguez, who also retains an ownership interest. Off as the 4-1 third choice here, Status Seeker lost a couple of spots from second up the backstretch, began to rally around the far turn and with good energy down the lane, ran down Permed (Street Boss) to break her maiden at first-asking...

Sophomore filly sprinters get their time to shine on the final Friday of the Saratoga meet in the GII Prioress S. Hot Peppers (Khozan) seeks redemption after being run down late and forced to settle for second last out in the Aug. 6 GI Test S. at this venue. She captured her first two starts for the Rudy Rodriguez barn in the June 12 Jersey Girl S. and July 9 GIII Victory Ride S. "She's doing everything we ask her. We're just lucky they picked us and give us the...

Florida horse country is near synonymous with yearlings, training farms, and the promise a young horse brings to the legions of supporters behind it. With hotly contested claims as to who exactly holds the title of 'Horse Capital of the World', diehard Lexingtonians more than willing to defend their claims to the ends of time, some tend to get too caught up in splitting hairs. Regional markets can, and do play, a prominent role in building dynasties. They provide a foundation without which the industry could not stand; at least,...

Musicmansandy, picked up at OBS April for $175,000 by H R Bloodstock after breezing in :9 4/5, acted up at the gate but looked the utmost professional on the track, wiring a field of maidens at Delaware Park Wednesday to give Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) his first winner. Sent from the four post as the 5-2 favorite after a several minute delay due to her being fractious behind the gate, the $160,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase went straight for the lead, shook off a challenge from Fancee Grace C (Girvin)...

Brilliant last year as a sophomore, Bella Sofia returned a popular winner at Belmont Saturday, but only after hard-knocking MGSW Frank's Rockette tested her for the length of the stretch. Away cleanly from her outside draw, Bella Sofia pressed in a well-held second through splits of :22.67 and :45.68 with Frank's Rockette drafting from the pocket. Bella Sofia took over at the top of the lane, but Frank's Rockette split horses and immediately came to tackle the favorite. The pair traded jabs from there, with Bella Sofia finding slightly more...

Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot), last year's dominant GI Longines Test S. victress, will make her 4-year-old debut as the 123-pound highweight and probable odds-on favorite in Saturday's five-horse GIII Vagrancy H. at Belmont. Opening her account with an eye-popping 11 1/4-length rout going six furlongs over this track last May, the $20,000 OBS June bargain buy was second in the Jersey Girl S. a month later before cruising to a 6 1/2-length allowance victory here July 11. Pressing the pace in the Test Aug. 7 at Saratoga, the dark bay...

Jockey Dylan Davis captured the first riding title of his career, posting 63 wins at the 2021-22 Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet that ran from Dec. 9 to Mar. 27. Rudy Rodriguez paced all trainers with 33 wins, while Klaravich Stables secured the owner's title with 10 wins. Davis, who is represented by agent Mike Migliore, finished nine wins ahead of runner-up Trevor McCarthy and 10 wins clear of third-place Kendrick Carmouche. "It's incredible. I'm grateful and honored. I've worked very hard for this," said Davis. "I'm grateful I can have...

Several Breeders' Cup-bound horses breezed in New York Friday at both Belmont and Saratoga in preparation for the World Championships Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar. A few of those hailed from the Todd Pletcher barn, including GII Vosburgh S. hero Following Sea (Runhappy), who covered a half-mile in :49.73 on the Belmont training track. "I liked it," Pletcher said of the breeze. "It seemed like he bounced out of the Vosburgh very well. It was a very easy breeze for him this morning. We weren't looking to do a whole...

The once-defeated 3-year-old filly Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot) looms a short-priced favorite facing four older females in Sunday's GII Gallant Bloom H. at Belmont Park. A smashing 11 1/4-length winner of a local six-furlong maiden May 6, the $20,000 OBS June graduate yielded late to be second to then-unbeaten Australasia (Sky Kingdom) in the June 6 Jersey Girl S. The dark bay returned to winning ways, scoring by 6 1/2 length in a first-level allowance over this surface July 11 and came from just off a moderate tempo to dust...