in Triple Crown Articles

We are six weeks into the new year, and there are several interesting names atop the trainer and jockey standings. Although most of the leaders are very familiar with horseplayers.

Steve Asmussen is the leading trainer by wins (35 wins through February 6) and he managed to get to the top of the heap despite missing the first ten days of January. Asmussen spent the last six months on suspension after a horse from his stable tested positive for mepivacaine, a local anesthetic, after a race at Evangeline Downs. During his absence his top assistant Scott Blasi took over the top duties.

The barn did not slow down during the suspension. Blasi won 198 races from 998 starters, winning at a 20% clip in 2006. Asmussen ended his year in July with 241 wins and a 21% win clip.

Three times Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher is nowhere to be found in the standings. He has not started a horse this year. He was given a 45 day suspension for a drug positive that dates back to 2004 at Saratoga. His "vacation" ends on February 9.

In his absence one of his top assistants is running the show at Gulfstream Park. Anthony Sciametta is sixth in the overall standings with 18 wins. Those 18 wins have all come at Gulfstream Park and he is leading the training standings there. We will see Sciametta's name disappear off the list soon and expect to see Pletcher climb the ladder quickly. He has 32 three year olds nominated for this year's Triple Crown. He is going to be very busy this spring.

Of the top ten trainers in wins, an amazing five of those are hitting at better than a 30% clip so far this year. They are Jerry Hollendorfer (30 wins, 33%), Tom Amoss (25 wins, 39%), Jonathan Nance (20 wins, 51%), John Rigattieri (18 wins, 32%), and Jayne Vaders (17 wins, 32%).

Over the years an 18%-20% win rate was considered outstanding. We have seen those numbers increasing dramatically over the past decade. I have my theories as to why, but that is another column for another day.

Even everyday horseplayers might have trouble guessing who the top two jockeys are in wins so far this year. Topping the list is Daniel Centeno, who plies his trade at Finger Lakes and Tampa Bay Downs. The 35 year old native of Caracas, Venezuela has won 46 races this year. He currently is leading the jockey standings at Tampa Bay.

Second on the list is apprentice jockey Joseph Talemo, who is currently turning heads at Fair Grounds. He has been on a roll, picking up 75 wins at that meeting, which started on November 23. His closest competitor is veteran Robby Albarado, who has 49 wins.

My top pick for leading jockey in 2007 in wins is still Ramon Dominguez. He has been dominant riding on the inner surface at Aqueduct this winter. He leads the jockey standings there but could get passed soon, as he likely will be out of action for the next two or three weeks with a knee injury suffered in a fall last week.

Garrett Gomez leads all jockeys in money earned ($2,173,659) and is third in wins (38). It likely will be Gomez, John Velazquez and Edgar Prado battling it out this year for top money earnings which will give the winner the inside track to winning the Eclipse Award for top jockey. Despite topping the earnings list in 2006 however, Gomez watched Prado take home the Eclipse.