Linda Rice Leading Trainer, Owner at Aqueduct Winter Meet, Manny Franco Tops Rider Rankings

[Wandering Eyes]

Linda Rice led all trainers and owners at the Aqueduct winter meet, which began Jan. 1, and Manny Franco topped the leading riders list as the circuit swaps over to the spring meeting starting Thursday, NYRA announced Sunday afternoon.

Rice claimed 51 wins as a trainer to capture the title for the third consecutive year since the 2023 meet, and secured her fifth winter title overall. Her record of 217-51-38-29 was good for a win rate of 23.5% and an in-the-money strike rate of 54.38%. Meet highlights included Sand Devil (Violence) in the Listed Damon Runyon Stakes–who was also runner-up Mar. 1 in the GIII Gotham Stakes–and MSW Sheriff Bianco (Speightster) in the Say Florida Sandy Stakes.

Rick Dutrow Jr. finished second with 18 and Rudy Rodriguez claimed third with 14 victories.

Rice also led the owner's standings with 22 wins to secure her third ownership crown, fending off Michael Dubb in second with 12 and Sanford J. Goldfarb in third with 11 wins.

“It has been a very good winter for us. The conditions were pretty rough this winter, so I am glad to see spring coming because it was a hard winter weather-wise,” Rice said. “The horses performed well, and my staff really put in a Grade A effort all winter long under tough conditions, so I'm really proud of them”

Jockey Manny Franco took home his fifth winter riding title after posting 64 wins, and capped the meeting with a final count of 285-64-64-56 with earnings north of $3.5-million. Franco was NYRA's year-end leading rider 2018-2019 and in 2023. He was aboard Captain Cook (Practical Joke) in the Listed Withers Stakes and has the return call for Saturday's GII Wood Memorial with 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the line.

Jose Lezcano finished second with 56 wins and Kendrick Carmouche was third with 46.

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