The leading jockey by wins and earnings for the week, Diego Saenz was named Jockeys’ Guild Foundation Detox Jockey of the Week for February 4-10, 2019. 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 FoundationDetox.com, America’s #1 Equine Toxin Remover.
Diego Saenz won twice as many stakes as any other North American jockey last week and led by total earnings, stakes earnings, and number of wins for the week.
A top state-bred festival in Louisiana, Delta Downs hosted the annual Louisiana-bred Premier Night on Saturday, February 9. The card featured 10 stakes for LA-bred Thoroughbreds worth nearly $1 million.
Saenz had a mount in eight of the ten stakes and won four, including the Championship Stakes.
Not one of Saenz’ mounts was the post-time favorite. He won the $50,000 Bon Temps Starter Stakes with Toomuch($14.20), the $100,000 Prince Stakes with Shang ($9.80), the $150,000 Championship Stakes with Grand Luwegee($24.20) and the $100,000 Sprint Stakes with Wonder Run ($24.20).
In addition to the four wins, Saenz also placed second in the Distaff Stakes and third in Starlet Stakes and the Gentleman Starter Stakes.
Saenz won eight races last week for a win rate of 26%, and he finished in the money of 58% of his 31 mounts. He has won 23 of his 145 starts in 2019 and is 2,058 for 10,624 lifetime.
He was the leading rider by both total and stakes earnings for the week as well. He earned $397,710 last week, $281,600 of which came in stakes races. He has earned $840,265 in the current year to date and has career earnings in excess of $41 million.
Though Saenz is a multiple stakes winning jockey, he picked up his first win in a graded stakes race last September at Louisiana Downs. Saenz piloted Limitation ($54.80) to a five-length upset win over Lone Sailor in the $300,000 Super Derby (G3).
Saenz has earned multiple riding titles at Delta and sits in second place at the current meet with 67 wins; Timothy Thorton leads with 121 wins for the meet that ends March 9.
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