Rice, Davis, Jacobson Take Home Aqueduct Meet Titles

Linda Rice continued to assert her dominance on the New York Racing Association circuit when capturing the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet training title with 23 wins at the 45-day meeting which ran Jan. 1-March 30.

Rice has now won the training title at six of the last seven NYRA meetings, along with year-end honors last year as the circuit's top trainer with a record-tying 164 wins. She also came out on top at last year's Big A winter meet with 36 wins.

"It's great," said Rice. "Frankly, I love New York winter racing and it's a good place for my clients. They enjoy it, I enjoy it, and it's been a good winter. It's pretty surreal."

Rice, 60, posted a record of 23-27-23 from 137 starts with $1,471,414 in earnings, good for a win rate of 17% and an in-the-money rate of 53%. Her meet was highlighted by a stakes win in the Interborough Stakes with Hot Fudge , who she said is targeting the $175,000 Distaff Handicap (G3) April 6 at Aqueduct.

"We're planning on running her in the Distaff," said Rice. "We're excited about her."

David Jacobson, who trained five winners on the closing day card that included a score with Laughing Boy  in the listed $150,000 Excelsior Stakes, finished second with 22 wins. Rudy Rodriguez finished third with 19 wins.

Jockey Dylan Davis clinched his second Aqueduct winter meet riding title when posting 54 wins. The 29-year-old rider accomplished the feat despite missing the final two days of the meet to travel to Dubai and compete on the Dubai World Cup (G1) card March 30.

Davis claimed the title by two wins over Kendrick Carmouche with Jose Lezcano finishing third with 40 wins. Davis celebrates his first riding title since taking the 2022 Aqueduct winter meeting with 64 wins, part of a 186-win year at NYRA that saw him claim year-end honors as the circuit's leading rider.

The Manhasset, N.Y., native posted a record of 54-41-27 from 242 starts at the meet that included stakes wins in the Rego Park aboard Mischief Joke  and in the Gander atop Pandagate , who he piloted to a third-place finish in the UAE Derby (G2) at Meydan Racecourse. In all, Davis' mounts banked $2,699,061, with a win rate of 22% and in-the-money 50%.

Ahead of his departure for Dubai on Thursday, Davis expressed his gratitude for his prosperous meet and gave credit to his agent Mike Migliore for much of his success.

"I've won this title before and (it's) great to win it again," said Davis. "My business has improved every year along with the quality of horses I'm riding."

Jacobson claimed his first owners' title at NYRA since capturing the 2017 Aqueduct inner track meet. The veteran owner and conditioner secured 18 wins at the meet, including four races on Closing Day.

"A lot of winners but also a lot of ups and downs," said Jacobson. "We've had some tough beats but overall, it's been a great meet and hopefully we can carry it into the spring meet."

Jacobson posted a record of 18-12-15 from 91 starts, led by three scores with the consistent Colonel Vargo  and a pair of wins by Whistler's Style . His starters banked a total of $874,829 in purses.

Klaravich Stables finished second with 10 wins while Rice, Michael Dubb, BellaBlue Racing Stable, and Ten Strike Racing finished third in a four-way tie with six wins each.