Lopez, Rispoli Share Jockey of the Week Honor

Riding on opposite ends of the country, Paco Lopez and Umberto Rispoli displayed their considerable riding talents with Lopez riding between Delaware Park and Parx and Rispoli in California at closing weekend of Santa Anita's Hollywood meet. Lopez ended the week with 12 wins including three stakes races and Rispoli won 10 races including a stakes race and joining an elite list of riders at Santa Anita with six wins on June 15. The panel of racing experts tied in the voting for Jockey of the Week June 9 through June 15 honoring both Lopez and Rispoli. The weekly honor recognizes jockeys for significant riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States. Lopez began the week riding at Parx on June 9 and June 10 posting two wins. He then moved on to Delaware Park recording three wins on June 12 and two wins on June 13. On June 14, after posting a win each in race 2 and 3, trainer Gary Capuano gave Lopez a leg up on Malibu Beauty in race 6, the Obeah Stakes. The 7-year-old Malibu Beauty made every pole a winning one to spring a mild upset in 1:44.61 on a 1 1/6-miles track. Lopez returned to the winner's circle in race 7, the Cape Henlopen aboard the 4-year-old Vote No for trainer Kelsey Danner. Racing near the back of the field of 10, Vote No began his run with a quarter mile to go closing down the center of the track to win by a length in 2:27.61 for a 1 1/2-miles on the turf. Travelling back to Parx on June 15, Lopez capped the week aboard Carmelina in the Unique Bella Stakes. Trained by Butch Reid, Carmelina set the pace and kicked away from her five rivals to post a 2-1/2 length win in 1:10.19 for six furlongs giving Lopez his 12th win for the week. Across the country at Santa Anita, Rispoli won one race each on June 12 and June 13. On June 14, after a win on race 4, trainer Jonathan Thomas gave a leg up to Rispoli aboard Mrs. Astor the 2-5 favorite in the Possibly Perfect Stakes. Displaying her considerable class, Mrs. Astor surged past her rivals near the wire to post a nose victory in 2:00.69 for a mile and one fourth on the downhill turf course. On June 15, closing day, Preakness Stakes (G1) hero Rispoli had his most successful day of riding since relocating from Hong Kong in 2019 posting six wins. He won with Cuban Confusion (GB) in the first race, Word Play (GB) in race 5, Pavlovian in race 6, Hero or Zero in race 8, Pony Express in race 10 and Bad Uncle Barry in race 11. It was the 16th time a rider posted six wins on a single card at Santa Anita. "I thought I had some horses with decent chances," Rispoli said to Santa Anita publicity. "Everything had to set up in the right spot. It was an amazing day." Rispoli plans to ride at Ascot Race Course in Great Britain on June 20 and June 21 this week. Other nominees for Jockey of the Week included Antonio Fresu who won the leading rider title at Santa Anita's Hollywood Meet, Jose Morelos who also had a spectacular six-win day at Gulfstream Park, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won the Delaware Oaks (G3).