Jockey Yaranga Notches 2,000th Win in Tight Finish
Description:
With a nose victory aboard Perfectly Plain, jockey Yuri Yaranga notched his 2,000th North American victory Feb. 1 at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
Yaranga and Perfectly Plain broke from post 4 in the $9,500, 5 1/2-furlong maiden claiming event. The 4-year-old Perfect Circle gelding was third, a head off the pace, while dueling with Im No Saint and Pour It Out through a quarter-mile in :22.02, then had his head in front at the thee-eighths point. Im No Saint, the 6-5 favorite, edged back ahead and opened up by two lengths before Perfectly Plain came on late to pull a 40-1 upset.
The final time was 1:07.03 on a good (sealed) track. Perfectly Plain, bred in Michigan by Shane Spiess, who is also the owner and trainer, earned $5,700 for the win. He went unclaimed for $5,000.
Yaranga's top mounts include Beulah Park black-type winners Howdy Boy Rib, a two-time winner of the Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap, and Candy Bites, who won the Howard B. Noonan Stakes and Babst/Palacios Memorial Handicap.
Yaranga, from Peru, began riding in North America in 2003, according to Equibase. He's compiled a 2,000-1,965-2,032 record from 14,585 starts, and his mounts have earned $12,619,504. Yaranga ranked fifth in both wins and earnings during the 2019 meet at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort. He also earned the spring riding title at Mahoning Valley in 2010.