Woodbine jockey RAFAEL HERNANDEZ has returned from a winter vacation and is riding at Turfway Park in Florence, KY where the champion rider has competed in the past. Hernandez, third leading rider at Woodbine in 2023, is named on Lexa in the $125,000 Likely Exchange Stakes over the Tapeta on January 13 for trainer Whitworth Beckman. Hernandez has five mounts over the next few racing days.
Woodbine’s second-leading trainer MARTIN DREXLER, who started off the winter with a winner from his first starter, has been busy claiming horses at Gulfstream Park. He picked up two on Jan. 10, the mare BIG BAND LUZZIANN and filly SPLURGE for Randy Exelby and TEC Racing respectively. On Dec. 31 he claimed MANNIX, also for Exelby.
As owner/trainer STEVEN CHIRCOP gets ready to race JDLP Holdings’ PRINCESS MAYFAIR in the 1 1/8 mile Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday, he sent out two winners at Penn National on the evening of Jan. 10.
AMI’S LINK won a $4,000 claiming race by 7 lengths for Chircop and Eric Ross. The seven-year-old mare is an Ontario-bred by Data Link from Silver Ami.
BROTHER BELEN, owned by Track West and Don Whalen, won his maiden on the same night, leading all the way through 1 mile and 70 yards and scoring by four lengths for $10,000 claiming, The Souper Speedy gelding was bred by Track West and Roger Tanel.
Fort Erie’s leading trainer JULIE MATHES is two-for-seven this year, with both winners coming at Mahoning Valley in Ohio. Mathes won with her own filly SHELLY THE ROCKET on Jan. 8.
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