Franco to Stop Riding During COVID-19 Pandemic

For jockey Manny Franco, it was an easy decision.

After winning the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) aboard favored Tiz the Law and with New York racing shuttered since March 15 because of the spread of COVID-19, he could have remained in Florida and searched for mounts at Gulfstream Park.

Instead, the 25-year-old elected to return to his Hempstead, N.Y., home to be with his family and said he will not ride again until racing resumes at Belmont Park at some point in the future.

"I spoke to my agent (Angel Cordero Jr.) and said that after the Florida Derby, I will stay home with my girlfriend and (2-year-old) daughter until New York opens again for racing. I don't want to put pressure on them by being away," Franco said.

The pause in his career comes at a time when Franco was riding brilliantly and looking forward to returning to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) with his best chance of winning the Run for the Roses.

The leading jockey at the shortened Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet, Franco has ridden in the Kentucky Derby before on Spinoff, who was 18th at 52-1 in 2019, and Tencendur, who was 17th at 52-1 in 2015. But in Sackatoga Stable's New York-bred Tiz the Law, he has the colt atop the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 3-Year-Old Poll who loomed as one of the favorites in the Kentucky Derby until it was shifted to Sept. 5 due to the frightening global pandemic.

"I'm hoping everything goes back to normal soon, and we'll see where he takes me," Franco said about the multiple grade 1 winner. "He came out of the Florida Derby well, and we'll see what's next. That was an impressive performance. I'm really happy he came back and ran like that. I have confidence in him. I love that horse, and we get along well together. He has a lot of talent."

Trained by Barclay Tagg, Tiz the Law has won four of five starts. 

The son of Constitution  was bred by Twin Creeks Farm.

Franco was also crowned as the riding champ at Aqueduct's winter meet, which was reduced to 50 days from its scheduled slate of 59 days. He had 64 wins from 271 mounts to claim his third straight winter riding title at Aqueduct.

"That title means a lot to me," Franco said. "Aqueduct is my home. I always stay here in the winter. It is my third title, and I'm really proud of it."

Franco was NYRA's leading rider the past two years with 212 and 244 wins, respectively. A winner of five riding titles at Aqueduct, his career totals are 1,349 wins and earnings of $84.3 million since he moved from his native Puerto Rico to begin riding in the United States in 2013.

Racing is scheduled to resume at Belmont Park on April 24.