What a day for Manny Franco while riding at Aqueduct on Saturday. Franco posted five wins from six mounts including a stakes race and maintained a perfect in-the-money day finishing third in another of the day's stakes races. The panel of racing experts voted Franco Jockey of the Week for November 18 through November 24.
The weekly honor acknowledges jockeys for significant riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Franco's excellent Saturday started in the first race riding for trainer Rudy Rodriguez aboard Bank Frenzy in an Allowance Optional Claiming race at one mile. His next win came in the third race for trainer Christophe Clement with Land d'Oro in a one-turn mile allowance race for New York-breds.
Franco kept winning in the fifth race, a maiden special weight for state-breds at 6 1/2 furlongs aboard Sir Kartrite for trainer Jeremiah Englehart.
Trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci gave a leg up to Franco on Golden Rocket in the Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series for fillies and mares three-years-old and up. Breaking from post position one in the field of six, Franco settled Golden Rocket in third behind pace-setter Sunday Girl with Katie Davis. Franco gave the 5- year-old her cue midway through the turn to take command at the top of the stretch posting an upset 3-1/2-length win in 1:25.13 for seven furlongs on the dirt labeled "muddy."
"I was feeling good," Franco said to NYRA publicity. "I was right there, not too far, and that's where I wanted to be. It worked out great for me."
Franco finished third aboard B D Saints in the eighth race, the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series.
Franco maintained his perfect in-the-money day when he visited the winner's circle in the ninth race, a maiden claiming affair at six furlongs aboard Lightning Mama for trainer Mike Maker.
"It is not easy to win one race," Franco said to NYRA publicity. "They were running for me. When you win five, it is just a blessing. I'm just dreaming right now."
The 29-year-old Franco, a native of Puerto Rico, was the leading rider on the NYRA circuit in 2018-2019 and 2023. This year he has won the Aqueduct Spring Meet and Belmont at the Big A Spring/Summer meet. He won the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with Immersive trained by two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox.
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