Led by successful journeymen Chris Landeros, a change of racing seasons brought some new names to Gulfstream Park for the Royal Palm Meet, which opened April 4.
A Northern California native who turns 36 July 12, Landeros had one mount on the eight-race opening day program. He rode William Tharrenos-owned and trained This Dude a Breeze , finishing second in Race 3, a one-mile 70-yard claiming event on the all-weather Tapeta.
Landeros will be represented by agent Rene Douglas, a former rider of 3,587 winners from 1983-2009 including 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Dreaming of Anna and 1996 Belmont Stakes (G1) victor Editor’s Note.
“Rene reached out and asked me what my thoughts were on it. I thought it would be a good opportunity if he had some people that’ll back us up and fill in some gaps to ride some horses,” Landeros said of the decision to spend the summer at Gulfstream. “I love Florida. Can’t beat the weather, can’t beat the lifestyle. It just seemed to check all the boxes.”
A career winner of 1,663 races and nearly $51 million in purse earnings, Landeros spent this winter at Oaklawn Park, where he ranked 11th in purses ($1.15 million) and 13th in wins (10) from 128 starts. The previous winter, Landeros was third in purses ($1.66 million) and ninth in wins (25) from 147 mounts at Turfway Park.
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No stranger to Gulfstream Park, Landeros rode full-time during the Championship Meet in 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, primarily for his father-in-law and trainer Ian Wilkes, for whom he won the 2019 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) on Champagne Anyone. After struggling for wins and mounts in his first winter, he ranked ninth with 31 wins and $1.56 million in purse earnings his second time around.
Landeros rode two races at the recently concluded 2023-2024 Championship Meet, both on the Wilkes-trained mare Miss Yearwood, finishing fourth in the Dec. 23 Via Borghese and sixth in the March 2 The Very One (G3T). He is named in five races Saturday at Gulfstream and two Sunday.
“Having ridden here in the winter a few years, it’s kind of like my second home. It’s nice to be back, that’s for sure,” Landeros said. “Championship Meets aren’t easy. I’m just looking forward to the experience. I’m just hoping it can build up, snowball, and we can have a good summer.”
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
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