With three stakes wins on Saturday at Gulfstream Park West, Edgard Zayas was voted Jockeys’ Guild Jockey of the Week for the week ending November 12, 2017. The award is voted on by a panel of experts for riding accomplishments by members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 riders in North America. Jockey of the Week is sponsored by Animal Element’s Foundation Detox and Product X Performance Enhancer.
The only jockey to win three stakes last weekend, Edgard Zayas stood out to voters on the Jockey of the Week ballot thanks to his performances on the Sunshine Millions Preview day at Gulfstream Park West.
Zayas had a mount in nearly every race on the card, including all eight stakes races, and ended the day with four wins, three of which were three stakes victories. Among highlights from the day was an impressive win in the $75,000 Millions Classic Preview Stakes aboard Mr. Jordan($5.80), who cleared the rest of the field by over 11 lengths.
Earlier on the card, Zayas also won the $75,000 Juvenile Sprint Stakes with Wildcat’s Legacy($3.20) and the $75,000 Juvenile Turf Stakes with Nauti Boy ($4.80). After the stakes wins, he picked up a win in the final race on the card, a claiming event, with Weeza Gone Gray ($10.60).
The stakes wins propelled Zayas to the top of the leaderboard for stakes earnings among all North American jockeys, as his stakes appearances contributed $154,800 to his weekly total. He was fourth overall by total earnings, earning $254,670 last week. He won seven races in 31 starts, giving him a win rate of 55% and an in the money rate of 23%.
The Puerto Rican native has won 206 of his 1,060 starts this year, and is currently ranked 26th by earnings among all North American jockeys with $6.3 million in 2017. His lifetime earnings total over $26 million in 5,851 starts.
Zayas is currently the second leading rider by wins in the Gulfstream Park West meet that ends later this month; he has won the title for the same meet in each of the last two years.
JockeyTalk360.com spotlights the riders across North America and around the world who may be the bravest, toughest and most accomplished of all athletes. The Jockeys’ Guild Jockey of the Week is selected by a vote of representatives of America’s Best Racing, The Daily Racing Form, Equibase, Horse Racing Nation, The Jockeys’ Guild, The Paulick Report, The Thoroughbred Daily News, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, Thoroughbred Racing Associations, and Turf Publicists of America.
