Franco wins six on Thursday at Aqueduct Racetrack
Jockey Manny Franco won six races, including three consecutive victories to close the card, on Thursday’s nine-race program at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The 31-year-old native of Carolina, Puerto Rico posted a 9-6-0-0 record on the day, taking his win total for the winter meet to 25, which leads the current jockey standings.
“I want to thank God first,” Franco said. “Also, thank you to all the trainers, the owners, for always giving me their trust. All year round, I just try to deliver out there. When I have the horse, when I got horse under me, I’m going to make it happen. That’s my job.”
Franco launched his day with a win aboard Sea Vista [No. 6, $3.96*] in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden for dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, in Race 1. After an off-the-board effort in Race 2, Franco was victorious aboard the Fernando Abreu-trained Kadena [No. 6, $7.06] in a six-furlong claimer, in Race 3.
“My agent [John Panagot] is the best, doing a terrific job,” Franco said. “Every day, he tries to get the best mounts possible. I’m happy to have him on my side. I’m thankful for these opportunities.”
Franco’s next win came in Race 5 as Mathea [No. 1, $4.52*] drew off for conditioner Mark Hennig in a one-turn mile maiden for New York-breds. In Race 7, Franco and Top Player [No. 2, $3.84*] took a 6 1/2-furlong claimer for trainer George Weaver.
With the fifth win on the horizon, Franco engineered a frontrunning trip aboard Otherpeoplesmoney [No. 1, $5.90*] to dominate a nine-furlong state-bred allowance for trainer Rob Atras, in Race 8.
“This filly, we won together in her last race, but today we showed different tactics,” Franco said. “Last time, I was stalking the pace. Today, she broke on top and I let her do what she wanted to do. She kept going all the way around.”
In the Race 9 finale, the Joe Sharp-trained Hot Gossip [No. 8, $4.68*] stalled a touch in the lane while rallying from deep, but Franco found more in the final sixteenth for an impressive late surge to win the seven-furlong maiden auction optional claimer and secure his sixth victory of the day, also his third straight.
Live racing resumes Friday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
America's Day at the Races presents live coverage and analysis of every day of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
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