Corrales Earns Thistledown Riding Title

Jockey Gerardo Corrales earned the first riding title of his career when he dominated the 2019 meet at JACK Thistledown Racino, which began April 29 and ended Oct. 22. 

Corrales added three wins on closing day to end the meet with 119 wins from 406 mounts, a 29 percent strike rate.  Among his wins were the Scarlet and Gray Handicap with True Cinder and the Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup with Send Me On. 

The son of a trainer in his home country of Panama, 23-year-old Corrales is a graduate of the Laffit Pincay Jr. Technical Jockey Training Academy in Panama City. He began riding in the U.S. in 2015 in Florida and moved north in 2017. 

"He took off from the start and never looked back," said jockey agent Justin Poole, who began managing Corrales's book a couple of weeks before the JACK Thistledown meet opened. 

Luis Rivera was second among jockeys with 69 wins from 321 mounts, and Erik Barbaran was third with 52 wins from 327 mounts.

Jeff Radosevich, Thistledown's top trainer for well over a decade, again led with 86 wins from 329 starters, including the Michael Rowland Memorial Handicap and Governor's Buckeye Cup Stakes with Mobil Solution, the Michael Mackey Memorial-Angenora Stakes with Proper Discretion, the Honey Jay Stakes with Brown Buckeye and the Catlaunch Stakes with Verissimo.

Nabu Morales was second among trainers with 51 wins from 242 starters, and Gary Johnson, who returned to training in 2017 after a successful 10-year foray into contest handicapping, was third with 50 wins from 276 starters.

Radosevich and Johnson both train for the track's perennial leading owner, Ron Paolucci Racing LLC, previously named Loooch Racing. The powerhouse owner ended the 2019 meet with 74 winners from 274 starters, among them Diana Stakes winner Heavenhasmynikki, Honey Jay winner Brown Buckeye and Mackey-Angenora winner Proper Discretion. 

Mast Thoroughbreds LLC, whose runners are trained by Bob Gorham, finished second with 27 winners from 137 starters. Third with 24 winners from 155 starters was Irish Charm Thoroughbreds LLC, who entered the game as owners in 2017 when Johnson, their sole trainer, returned to the shedrow. Irish Charm is the nom de course of Johnson's handicapping contest partners Mike and Cheryl McIntyre.

Paolucci owns and Radosevich trains the meet's top horse, Sensational Ride. Racing at the conditioned allowance and starter levels, the 6-year-old Dunkirk gelding won six of his seven starts and finished second in his only loss.