Gomez to Ride for Pletcher
– Jockey Garrett Gomez will replace injured rider John Valazquez as trainer Todd Pletcher’s first call rider. “Garrett is coming in to kind of pick up the pieces,” said Pletcher. “Mike Luzzi and Chris [DeCarlo] will also be riding for us. We’re trying to keep things pulled together.” Gomez’s agent, Ron Anderson, said the jockey will fly to Kentucky on Monday and begin riding at Keeneland on Wednesday. Valazquez, injured in an accident at Keeneland last Friday, returns to New York on Monday to recover at home. “I’m feeling as best as can be expected considering what happened,” said Velazquez.
– Apprentice rider Martin Garcia, leading the jockey standings at Golden Gate with 101 winners to jockey Russell Baze’s 84, will ride at Hollywood Park after the Golden Gate meet ends. “I’ve got a lot of people who have promised me that they will give him a good shot at Hollywood Park,” said Roger Olguin, Garcia’s agent. “They know he can ride. He really likes it here, but I told him he had to try down there because that’s where the big money is.”
