Owner Michael Dubb, trainer Rudy Rodriguez and jockey Manny Franco took home their respective titles as meet leaders for the Aqueduct winter meet, which concluded Saturday.
Dubb, NYRA's leading owner in six of the last eight years, celebrated 14 victories during the winter meet, good for earnings of $648,114.
Rodriguez, who trains for Dubb, saddled his 1000th career winner on Friday at the Big A and a total of 38 wins and $1,631,472 in earnings over the course of the meet. He has now won 11 NYRA meet titles.
“I just thank everyone who has supported me,” the 45-year-old former rider said. “My wife and my three beautiful children, we're just very blessed to be here. To be at Aqueduct; this is where I started galloping horses. This is where everything started for me. This is my home.”
Franco, a 23-year-old native of Puerto Rico, was celebrating his first NYRA riding title. He booted home 61 winners at the meet and rode the earners of $2,837,073. He rode a pair of winners during Saturday's Claiming Championship Series, including the Rodriguez-trained My Won Love (Utopia {Jpn}) in the Videogenic Starter S.
“It means a lot to me and I'd like to thank all the trainers and owners who have given me the opportunity to race good horses, and my agent, who has done a great job,” Franco said. “I feel like I've gotten better and I've been riding better horses now, too, so that helps… I never thought I'd be in this position, to win a title in New York. It's always a goal for a rider. I'm blessed. It helps for [confidence], but I won't change anything.”
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