Apprentice Rodriguez Eyes Continued Success in Kentucky
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Photo: Coady Photography
Jockey Walter Rodriguez
Apprentice rider Walter Rodriguez has been nothing short of dominant throughout the winter/spring meet at Turfway Park. He's sitting atop the rider standings with 44 victories through 42 days of racing and five days remaining in the meet. The El Salvador native not only has his sights on the $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) March 25, riding longshot Event Detail , but on the future beyond his stellar meet at Turfway.
Highlights of Rodriguez' rise in the standings include stakes wins in the $125,000 Dust Commander Stakes and $125,000 Wishing Well Stakes. He will have two more stakes opportunities March 25 in the Jeff Ruby and the $300,000 Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes on Ocean Atlantique before moving on to compete at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.
"It's been an absolute blessing to have this much success this winter," Rodriguez said March 23. "It's been a lot of hard work to get here but I'm really blessed and looking forward to riding at Keeneland and Churchill after we're done here."
Rodriguez, now a five-pound apprentice, began his career in 2022 at Laurel Park where he tallied 11 victories. He added 11 other victories between Penn National, Pimlico Race Course, and Timonium before shifting his tack to Kentucky in December.
Represented by Cliff Collier, who also books the mounts for second-leading rider Gerardo Corrales, Rodriguez has 73 career victories from 477 mounts.