Jockeys' Guild Names Carmouche Jockey of the Week

Kendrick Carmouche may have had only one mount during Saratoga's opening weekend but his expert ride aboard Phileas Fogg garnered Jockey of the Week honors for June 29-July 5 by the panel of racing experts.

On Saturday, trainer Gustavo Rodriguez gave Carmouche a leg up aboard Phileas Fogg in defense of his narrow 2025 victory in the Suburban (G2).

Coming into the race off a win in an allowance race at Aqueduct May 1, Phileas Fogg went off at odds of 8-1 in the field of 11, breaking from post position six. With regular pilot Carmouche, Phileas Fogg broke on top, going straight to the lead while racing on the rail.

Longshot Yo Daddy with Ricardo Santana, Jr. was to his outside, and Forged Steel with Flavien Prat raced in third. Race favorite Antiquarian with John Velazquez stumbled at the start and raced in mid-pack.

Phileas Fogg reached the far turn with a three-length advantage and at the top of the stretch had a commanding seven-length advantage.

The 6-year-old gelding continued to show the way down the stretch, leaving his 10 rivals in his wake, posting a win by an increasing 10 lengths in 2:01.70 in the mile and one quarter test for older horses.

"By the time I turned on the backside, I knew the race was won," said Carmouche to NYRA publicity. "My horse was taking me. At no part during the race he was straining. I just had to wait to pull the trigger. I didn't even do that. I just let him go a little."

"I know last time when I worked him, I let him go nice and easy," Carmouche continued. "Oh my gosh, he wanted to pull me out of the saddle the rest of the workout. Gustavo brought this horse in good condition. I'm just glad I was the pilot again to get another Suburban."

Carmouche, 42, is a native of Vinton, Louisiana, and won seven riding titles at Parx before making New York his home base in 2015. He became the 86th rider to achieve 4,000 North American wins on April 5, 2025, at Aqueduct and was named the 2025 recipient of the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Award.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week included Armando Ayuso, who won the Great Lady M (G2) at Los Alamitos aboard Sweet Azteca; reigning Eclipse Award winner Flavien Prat, who won the Kelso (G3) in a dead heat with another nominee, Jose Ortiz, aboard Mi Bago. Ortiz also won the Wild Applause Stakes. Hall of Famer Joel Rosario won the Belmont Oaks (G1) with Kensington Lane, and fellow Hall of Fame member John Velazquez won the Belmont Derby (G1) aboard Title Roll.