Prado passes Cordero with win No. 7,058

Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado achieved another milestone in his riding career when he surpassed Angel Cordero Jr. to take over sole possession of eighth place in the all-time jockey standings by guiding 2-year-old first-time starter Flying Aletha to an easy victory for trainer Wesley Ward in Thursday’s second race.

Flying Aletha gave the 52-year-old Prado the 7,058th victory of his career. He is now just eight victories behind Perry Ouzts, who also is still active, for the seventh spot on the all-time list.

“I’m very excited,” Prado told the Gulfstream Park press office after the race. “After the recent setback with the quarantine and the coronavirus, I’m glad to be back and riding again and extremely excited to pass a legend like Cordero.”

Prado, who was not originally named on Flying Aletha, picked up the mount after scratch time and the announcement that the five-furlong race for juvenile fillies had been transferred from the turf to the main track. Flying Aletha, a daughter of Tiznow, went right to the front along the inside and readily drew away from a stablemate, the 2-5 favorite Lime, through the final furlong to win by 5 1/2 lengths.

“The plan was to let [Lime] go to the lead and follow her, but when my horse broke so good, going five furlongs and with an inside post, I didn’t even think about it,” Prado said. “I just let her go. She was very comfortable, and when I asked her she responded.”

Ward said he was very happy that Prado achieved the milestone aboard one of his horses.

“I rode with him here at Calder in 1987, when he first came to this country,” Ward said.

Prado first arrived in the

United States from his native Peru in 1986 and rode his first winner, Single Love, at Calder on June 1, 1986.

– Mike Welsch

Saez to serve days from Derby

Jockey Luis Saez on Wednesday dropped his appeal of his 2019 Kentucky Derby careless riding suspension aboard Maximum Security and began serving a 15-day suspension that runs through June 3.

Saez was aboard Maximum Security, who crossed the finish line first in the Kentucky Derby. But approaching the five-sixteenths pole, Maximum Security veered out several paths off the rail, causing the riders of War of Will and Long Range Toddy to take a hold of their horses.

Maximum Security went on to win the Derby by 1 3/4 lengths. After a 22-minute deliberation, the Churchill Downs stewards disqualified Maximum Security from first and placed him 17th, elevating runner-up Country House to first. On May 12, 2019, after a hearing, the stewards suspended Saez for 15 days. He appealed the suspension before dropping that appeal Wednesday, one day after his 28th birthday.

Kiaran McLaughlin, Saez’s agent, said in a text that Saez “just wanted this Derby suspension behind him.”

Though Saez plans to ride at Belmont Park starting June 4, he may have to sit out an additional seven days for a careless riding infraction stemming from June 28, 2019, at Belmont Park. In the seventh race on that card, Saez finished first aboard the horse Anne Dupree, but was disqualified for interference and placed third.

Saez was suspended seven days by the New York stewards. He appealed that suspension, but in October the New York State Gaming Commission denied his appeal and ordered that he serve that suspension “while racing is being conducted at Belmont Park,” according to the commission ruling.

Saez leads riders in North America with 132 wins and he ranks third in purse money won with $4.7 million. That does not count his victory in the $20 million Saudi Cup aboard Maximum Security on Feb. 29. That result is being reviewed by Saudi officials after news broke that Maximum Security’s trainer, Jason Servis, was indicted in March by federal authorities for allegedly doping horses in his care.

Fast Pass faster than ever

Trainer Peter Walder wasn’t surprised that Fast Pass won Thursday’s allowance feature at Gulfstream Park. It was the manner in which he won that impressed Walder.

Fast Pass, a 7-year-old gelding, rallied along the inside under Miguel Vasquez and beat Mucho by a neck in the $48,000 allowance. It was the 12th victory in the 43rd career start for Fast Pass. He ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.66 and earned a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

“The more I looked at the race, the more I realized it was going to be a speed setup for him,” Walder said. “But he’s never come up the inside like that before, never. That was what was pleasantly surprising.”

Walder said he had no idea what might be next for Fast Pass, though he would like to keep him at Gulfstream, if possible.

“I prefer to keep him home, but if there’s not something, I think he can take his talents elsewhere,” Walder said.

– David Grening