Florida-bred Little Thunder Horse to Watch

BY TAMPA BAY DOWNS PRESS OFFICE (Edited)

OLDSMAR, FL—Just past the halfway point of the meet, jockey Samuel Marin is on pace to eclipse the track’s single-season victory record of 147 set 11 years ago by Antonio Gallardo.

Marin, a 24-year-old from Trujillo, Venezuela, rode five winners Friday for the second time this season. He followed up that performance Saturday with three winners and two seconds from five mounts, capping the card in exciting fashion with a victory aboard My Boy Prince in the $100,000 Turf Dash Stakes.

With 81 winners through Sunday’s action, Marin is on pace to ride 153 winners assuming he competes through the May 3 finale. He has a 28-victory advantage from five-time Tampa Bay Downs champion Samy Camacho in the standings.

Marin added three more winners to his ledger Sunday.

Marin’s 26.6% winning rate is the best of any jockey at the meet with at least 40 mounts.

Return to the February 17 issue of Wire to Wire