Jose Lezcano (born April 20, 1985 in

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

) is a jockey in

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

. He rides in New York in the spring, summer and fall and spends the winter in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. His big break came in 2008 when he won a

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

race.

Career

Lezcano attended the Laffit Pincay Jockey School in his native Panama before moving to the U.S. in January 2003 and launching his career at Gulfstream Park where he earned his first win in March 2004 aboard Cloudy Gray. He spent his first season at Monmouth in 2005, finishing fifth in the standings overall. In 2008, Jose Lezcano won with his first and only

mount, Maram, in the inaugural edition of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The win also was a first Breeders' Cup victory for trainer Chad Brown and owners Karen Woods and Saud bin Khaled, who were all starting a Breeders' Cup runner for the first time. Top mounts for 2009 included Eaton's Gift (G2 Smile Sprint Handicap), Not for Silver (G2 Carry Back Stakes), Cosmonaut (G3 Fort Marcy Stakes), I Lost My Choo (G3 Honey Fox Stakes), Buddy's Humor (G3 Pan American Stakes), and Ballymore Lady (G3 Endeavour Stakes). Enjoyed a career year in 2008 which was his big break, replacing perennial leader Joe Bravo as the leading rider at

Monmouth Park Racetrack Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...

with 141 wins, then taking the 2008 fall season at the

Meadowlands Racetrack The Meadowlands Racetrack (currently referred to as Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment) is a horse racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness ...

. He carried that momentum into the 2009

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

meet and also earned a leading rider title there with 71 wins. Agent Jason Beides holds his book. Jose Lezcano tied a Monmouth Park record on June 22, 2008, riding six winners – including Coli Bear in the Blue Sparkler Stakes – on one card. Rode

Deputy Glitters Deputy Glitters (foaled April 27, 2003 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a contender for the U.S. Triple Crown in 2006. Connections Deputy Glitters is owned and bred by Joseph LaCombe Stable Inc. and trained by Thomas ...

, his first Triple Crown contender, to an eighth-place finish in the 2006 edition of the G1

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. Was 12th aboard Visionaire in 2008. He was second in the 2010 Kentucky Derby on

Ice Box An icebox (also called a cold closet) is a compact non-mechanical refrigerator which was a common early-twentieth-century kitchen appliance before the development of safely powered refrigeration devices. Before the development of electric refrig ...

. Won the 2006 riding title at The Meadowlands and carried that success to Florida where he won the Tampa Bay Downs riding title, the same season he captured the G3 Tampa Bay Derby with Deputy Glitters. Most recently, he rode reigning Horse of the Year

Wise Dan Wise Dan (foaled February 20, 2007) is a champion American Hall of Fame and Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the first horse to win the same three Eclipse Awards in consecutive years, having been named American Horse of the ...

to victory in the

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incept ...

as a mid-card replacement for the horse's regular jockey

John Velazquez John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both ye ...

, who was hospitalised after a fall in the Juvenile Fillies race.

Year-end charts

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lezcano, Jose 1985 births Living people American jockeys Panamanian jockeys Panamanian emigrants to the United States