Apprentice Ritvo Wins With First Laurel Mount
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Apprentice rider Michael Ritvo made a strong first impression Sept. 12 at Laurel Park when the 20-year-old guided Winter Lady to victory in the eighth race in his first Maryland mount .
"The first of many," said winning trainer Jamie Ness.
Ritvo, who moved his tack from Gulfstream Park to the Mid-Atlantic the previous week, kept Winter Lady in close contention along the rail in the six-furlong allowance/optional claiming test for fillies and mares. Winter Lady slipped past front-runner Who Needs on the turn and drove clear in the stretch to win by four lengths in 1:10.33.
"It is an excellent way to start," Ritvo said. "The horse was just as cool as can be. She just sat in the pocket. There was no reason to rush with so many horses around her. When there was room we went and she just cruised."
Midwest Thoroughbreds owns Winter Lady, a 4-year-old daughter of Stormy Atlantic who paid $11 to win as the fourth choice in a field of seven.
Ritvo now has six wins at three different tracks since moving north, with victories at Laurel Park, Delaware Park, and Penn National Racecourse. He also plans to ride at Parx Racing.
The rider's racing pedigree is impressive. His father Tim is a former jockey (1983-89) and trainer (1996-2010) who now serves as president of Gulfstream Park. His mother, Kathy, is a trainer best known for conditioning recently retired Mucho Macho Man , the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) champion.