by Phil Janack
Talented young jockey Alan Garcia has given up his mount in the $1-million Pennsylvania Derby (G2) on Monday to ride on closing day at Saratoga Race Course.
In only his second full year on the New York circuit, Garcia, 22, led the Saratoga jockey standings with 36 wins following his victories Friday aboard Jess Not Jesse and Stormy Mirage.
He was four ahead of three-time Saratoga champion and single-season meet record-holder John Velazquez. Newly inducted Racing Hall of Fame rider Edgar Prado was third with 29, including Friday's victories aboard Crimson Comic and Close Encounter.
"I'll be here on Monday," Garcia said Friday morning. "I want to be able to end this meet here and see what happens. It would mean a lot at this meeting to be the leading jockey. It would make me really happy and make me think that I did a good job."
Garcia's agent, Tony Micallef, said he was told on Thursday that Philadelphia Park stewards had ruled the jockey could miss his mount on Zayat Stables' Alaazo but would be fined.
Zayat had wanted Garcia to honor his commitment or not be allowed to ride anywhere on Monday. Alaazo drew post eight in a 14-horse field on Friday but is listed without a rider.
Micallef picked up the call on Alaazo weeks ago, before Garcia was in the running for the Saratoga title. The contention from Zayat's camp was that they would be unable to line up a suitable replacement.
"The stewards ruled that we can ride here on Monday," Micallef said Friday. "I'm glad it's resolved. If anybody's at fault, it's me and not the jock. I don't think they should have penalized the jock.
"If it was a stakes race here, he would have had to miss the one stakes here and not the whole card. I think that's what helped the stewards make their decision on letting us ride."
Micallef feels a meet title would help launch Garcia to new heights. Garcia has won six stakes at Saratoga, including the King's Bishop Stakes (G1), Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (G1), Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G2), Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2), and the Adirondack Stakes (G2).
In 2007, Garcia won the Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (G1) and the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) with Lahudood (GB).
"For a 22-year-old jock to be leading rider here, it would be great," Micallef said. "It would mean a whole lot.
"We came in here with a good feeling. We didn't expect it to happen, but I thought we would be in the top three. The first two weeks kind of scared me because they were off the grass and things like that, but it's turned out very well. Hard work has paid off for us."
Garcia is named in 20 of 22 races on Saturday and Sunday, including favored Lucky Island (Arg) in the Forego Handicap (G1); Divine Park, the solid second choice behind Curlin in the Woodward Stakes (G1); Mani Bhavan in the Spinaway Stakes (G1) and Schopenhauer in the Saranac Stakes (G3).
"I think I did a good job here," Garcia said. "I want to keep doing that and keep being Alan Garcia, smiling and working hard, and that's all. I'm fighting with the best jockeys in New York right now. Who wouldn't want to be in my position?"
Phil Janack is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent