Vazquez Reaches Milestone at Prairie Meadows
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Jockey Ramon Vazquez claimed his 2,000th victory May 9 with a winning ride on Celtic Drama in the first race at Prairie Meadows.
The 31-year-old jockey and the 3-year-old gelding by Game Plan led from gate to wire in the mile dirt race for $4,000 claimers. The pair had an easy lead, setting fractions of :24.99, :48.97, and 1:13.97, and then opened up to win by five lengths in 1:40.59.
Born in Puerto Rico, Vazquez graduated from the Puerto Rico Vocational Jockey School in 2002 and was the leading rider in the island U.S. territory that same year. He moved to the continental U.S. in 2011 to race at Delaware Park.
The milestone victory was Vazquez's ninth at the spring/summer meet at the Altoona, Iowa track, and he won his 10th of the meet in the next race, aboard Cornfed in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds.