HALLANDALE BEACH - Following a 2024 season where he set a career high in purse earnings, jockey Edgard Zayas has been more than happy to carry that momentum over into the new calendar year.

    A year-round force in South Florida, where he has become popular with horsemen and fans alike since arriving from his native Puerto Rico in 2012, the 31-year-old Zayas once again ranks among the leaders at Gulfstream Park’s 2024-2025 Championship Meet.

    “It’s been a really good start to the year. Hopefully it keeps on going,” Zayas said. “I’ve been getting on some very nice horses and getting good opportunities and things have been going really good. Hopefully it keeps going that way.”

    With nearly two full months left in the country’s most prestigious winter stand, Zayas is second with 269 mounts, third with more than $2 million in purses earned and fourth with 41 wins, each category led by four-time Championship Meet leader Irad Ortiz Jr.

    Ortiz is among the influx of out-of-town riders that come to Gulfstream for the winter that make the jockey colony the most competitive in racing. A multiple meet titleholder at his home track, where he rides first call for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., Zayas more than holds his own.

    “Definitely at this time of year it gets a little tougher, but fortunately I’ve been getting good support from some of the big barns, especially Saffie. He’s always been my main guy,” Zayas said. “We’ve done really well together and he’s doing really good again. Hopefully we can keep winning and keep this momentum going.”

    Zayas has won two graded stakes for Joseph during the Championship Meet, both aboard Be Your Best, who captured the Gr. III Suwannee River in December as a preview of her upset triumph in the $500,000, Gr. II TAA Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational.

    “To get any win that day is special, so to get one of the three Pegasus races makes it even more special,” Zayas said. “It was amazing, to be honest. It was kind of like a breakthrough, I feel like. It was a big race, one of the biggest here at Gulfstream, and to win it – especially for Saffie – was incredible.”

    Joseph, chasing a fourth consecutive Championship Meet training title, was thrilled to see Zayas come through on the richest day of the winter meet and showcase the talent that has quietly seen him win more than 2,400 races and $77 million in purses. He reached $8,649,995 last year, topping his previous best of $8,442,541 from 2021.

    “He’s a very good person and consistent rider. As far as the riders that stay here year-round, he’s the most consistent and best,” Joseph said. “To see him step up the other day on Be Your Best when the owners allowed him to ride her in that race, to win that was very gratifying.

    “He won that race on Be Your Best and I feel like he has the momentum now where he’s getting the confidence in these big races,” he added “Hopefully he continues to have confidence in these bigger races to win them, because I think he is capable of winning races on the bigger stage.”

    Last weekend, Zayas proved Joseph’s point with a textbook ride on Ian Wilkes-trained Burnham Square to defeat favored Tappan Street and well-regarded Ferocious in the Gr. III Holy Bull for 3-year-olds, earning 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

    “To win a race like the Holy Bull is special. Ian Wilkes is a great guy and I’m very happy for him,” Zayas said. “The connections are amazing. I think we have a really nice 3-year-old. Hopefully he stays healthy and let’s see what he brings the next couple races. I think since [Wilkes] put the blinkers on he’s been really good. He’s a horse that has a lot of potential and is still maturing. I’m really excited about him.”

    Without an entrant in the Holy Bull, Joseph was able to put his full weight behind Zayas as a spectator and friend.

    “I think I rode that horse harder than I ride my own horses,” he said. “I critique him a lot, but I also compliment him just as often. He handles his criticism very well to get better. That’s the goal. I felt even better for him winning that race than sometimes when he wins for me. I was very happy. I didn’t have a horse in the race, so I was able to enjoy it. I was proud of him.”

    A finalist for the Eclipse Award as champion apprentice jockey of 2013, Zayas is named in nine of 12 races Saturday including Joseph-trained Blind Spot in the $140,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint. Thursday’s double was his eighth multi-win day of the meet including a four-win day on Dec. 8.

    “I just hope to be able to keep the momentum going and see where it takes us,” Zayas said. comments powered by Disqus