It's not unusual for a jockey to have multiple wins on any one day but what Jaime Rodriguez did at Delaware Park was unusual. He rode eight consecutive winners for eight different trainers from September 16 to September 22, one win shy of tying the record of nine wins. The unique accomplishment earned Rodriguez the honor of Jockey of the Week for September 19 through September 25. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, honors jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Rodriguez's streak began on September 16 with three consecutive winners for trainers Michael Matz, Andrew Simoff and Bernardo Lopez respectively. On September 17, he won with all four of his mounts beginning in the second race for trainer Jamie Ness. Three wins followed in races 4, 5, and 6 for trainers Gary Contessa, Christophe Clement and Victor Barboza, Jr. The streak continued to September 22 when Rodriguez posted his eighth consecutive win in the first race for trainer Rudy Rodriguez.
The record of nine consecutive wins in the United States is believed to have been set by jockey Albert Adams in 1930. Jockeys Anthony Black in 1993 and Travis Dunkelberger in 2009 tied the record.
A native of Puerto Rico, Rodriguez attended the famous Escuela Vocacional Hipica jockey school and has been riding state-side since 2010. He rode primarily at Aqueduct and Belmont before moving his tack to Finger Lakes in 2012 where he dominated the standings while also riding at Mahoning Valley. In 2020 Rodriguez decided to move to the Mid-Atlantic region riding primarily at Delaware Park, Laurel/Pimlico and Parx.
Rodriguez is in the midst of his best riding season ever with a commanding lead in the Delaware Park standings with 99 wins through September 25, well on his way to earning his second consecutive Delaware Park riding title. The Delaware Park meet runs through November 5.
Weekly statistics for Rodriguez were 10 wins from 24 mounts and $268,220 in total purses.
Other contenders for Jockey of the Week were Florent Geroux who won the Gr. I Cotillion, Andy Hernandez who won his first graded stakes race, Angel R. Rodriguez who led all jockeys in wins for the week with 11 and Mike Smith who won the Gr. I Pennsylvania Derby.
