Five Stakes Wins Net Luis Saez Jockey Of The Week Title

With five stakes wins, including a redeeming victory aboard Maximum Security in the Haskell, Luis Saez was voted Jockeys’ Guild Foundation Detox Jockey of the Week for July 15-21, 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.

The stakes victories began on Wednesday at Saratoga, as Saez won the $100,000 Rick Violette Stakes with Sky of Hook ($20.60) as an upset winner in a field of five NY-bred 2-year-olds. He returned the following day to upset a similar field in the $100,000 Stillwater Stakes aboard My Italian Rabbi ($19.80).

Saez’ third consecutive stakes win came on Friday in the $150,000 Lake George Stakes (G3); the field suffered from multiple scratches but Saez defeated two 3-year-old fillies with Regal Glory ($6.60), again on a horse that was not favored to win.

At Monmouth, Saez sprung one last upset in the $200,000 Monmouth Cup (G3) with War Story ($16.00) before winning the feature race of the day, the $1,000,000 Haskell Invitational (G1).

Saez and heavy post-time favorite Maximum Security ($3.60) avenged their Kentucky Derby disqualification after surviving another inquiry in the Haskell, as well as defeating King for a Day, who had outrun the pair last month at Monmouth.

He also finished second in two additional stakes races: the $150,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) with Coach Rocks, behind Midnight Bisou, and the $78,000 Wolf Hill Stakes with Fig Jelly.

Saez was the leading North American rider for the week by both total earnings and earnings from stakes races. He picked up $957,500 in his seven stakes starts, in which he finished no worse than second. His total earnings for the week equaled $1,190,782. In 2019, Saez has earned $10.8 million and his career earnings exceed $106 million.

With nine total wins, Saez was the fourth leading rider by number of wins and finished in the money on 67% of his 24 mounts. He was won 184 of his 829 starts in 2019 and is 2,222 for 12,850 lifetime.

Voters also expressed support for Flavien Prat and Alfredo Juarez, Jr. Prat won five stakes over the course of four days at Del Mar, including the Eddie Read (G2) with Bowies Hero.

Alfredo Juarez, Jr. earned his 3,000th career victory on Saturday at Albuquerque. The milestone win came aboard Vangilder in the Charles Taylor Derby.

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