INGLEWOOD, Calif. (April 17, 2008) - Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will be one of three riders at Hollywood Park's 2008 Spring/Summer Meet in the exclusive 4,000-win club.
Smith, who rode Kentucky Derby candidate Gayego to victory in Saturday's $1-million Arkansas Derby one week after connecting on Tiago in the $500,000 Oaklawn Park Handicap and on Zenyetta in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap, has ridden 4,681 winners in his career.
Other Hollywood Park regulars in the 4,000-club are 2008 Hall of Fame nominee Alex Solis (4,565) and 2008 George Wolf Memorial Award winner Richard Migliore (4,
333). Solis is the leading active jockey (money-won through April 16) as his mounts have earned $207 million.
Jon Court (3,314), Corey Nakatani (3,224), David Flores (3,135) and Aaron Gryder (3,092) are each in the 3,000-win club. Flores registered his 3,000th victory aboard pick-up mount Time to Get Even in the Lazaro S. Barrera Memorial Stakes at the 2007 Spring/Summer Meet. Martin Pedroza will soon join the list as he was just 33 wins shy of the 3,000-mark in mid-April.
Garrett Gomez, the 2007 Eclipse Award-winning jockey and leader at Hollywood Park's last two Autumn Meets, has shipped his tack East, but he will return to fulfill a few engagements, beginning with the Cal National Gold Rush IX program April 27. Gomez rode a record 76 stakes winners in 2007 and led the nation for the second straight year as his mounts earned $22.8 million. He has 2,916 wins and is the nation's leader in 2008 as his mounts have already earned more than $6 million.
Victor Espinoza, with two Spring/Summer and two Autumn titles at Hollywood Park, has ridden 2,427 winners, while Clinton Potts returns from Oaklawn Park with 2,727 career wins.
Rafael Bejarano, bidding for leading rider honors at Santa Anita despite lost time with a back injury, has ridden 1,633 winners, while 2007 Spring/Summer riding champ Michael Baze has ridden 594 winners. His cousin, Tyler Baze - third in the Santa Anita standings and 2007 Oak Tree champ - has ridden 1,409 winners.
Jose Valdivia Jr., meanwhile, is approaching 1,000 career wins with 980 through April 16.
