Coming into this season, Samuel Marin was focused on the goal to not only repeat as leading jockey at the Oldsmar, Florida oval, but to break the record of total wins for the season. Mission accomplished. Marin's record-breaking week included two six-win days, Friday, April 24 and Sunday, April 26, raising his season total of wins to 149. The old record of 147 was set in the 2014-2015 season by Tampa Bay regular Antonio Gallardo.
The panel of racing experts unanimously voted Marin Jockey of the Week for April 20-April 26.
Marin started the week on Wednesday with a win in the third for Tampa Bay's leading trainer Juan Avila.
On Friday, Tampa Bay's next racing day, Marin's first six-win day of the week started in the second race for trainer Kelly Breen. He then won the third race for trainer Miguel Clement, the fourth race for trainer Michael Simone and the fifth race for trainer Gergory Sacco. Marin continued his six-race win spree in the seventh race for trainer Kathleen O'Connell and the eighth race for trainer Nicolas Tomlinson.
On Saturday's card, Marin won the second race for trainer Alexis Cordero-Lopez and the sixth race for trainer Lynn Rarick.
Marin got off to a fast start on Sunday's nine-race card with a win in the first race for Kathleen O'Connell and the third race for Gerald Bennett.
Marin proceeded to reel off four wins in a row starting with the sixth race for trainer Kathleen Guciardo. Riding again for Gerald Bennett, Marin won the seventh race followed by the eighth race for trainer Ramon Aguayo and finishing the day with a win in the ninth race for trainer John Pimental.
Marin won a total of 15 races from 34 mounts for a 44% win percentage and a remarkable 88% in-the-money percentage.
"Mike (jockey agent Moran) has been doing a great job," said Marin to Tampa Bay publicity. "Since we started working at this meet this season. We put that into our mind as a goal. We really wanted to do it and then we worked hard for it. Thank God for it, we got it done. The dream came true."
Marin, 25, is a native of Trujilo, Venezuela, and has been riding in the United States since 2022. His first win came at Monmouth Park on May 14, 2022 in just his second career mount aboard Dash Attack in the Long Branch Stakes for trainer Kenny McPeek.
Marin will be riding at Tampa Bay this week as their season comes to close on Sunday, May 3 and will no doubt add to his season total with mounts in nearly every race. He will then be based at Delaware Park.
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week included Junior Alvarado with two stakes wins at Gulfstream Park, Emisael Jaramillo with a win in Royal Heroine (G3) at Santa Anita, Flavien Prat with a stakes win at Aqueduct and Hall of Famer John Velazquez who won the Bewitch (G3) at Keeneland.
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