Laurel Park Jockeys Trading Irons for Wheels in Sulky-Cycle Challenge; Boyce, Carrasco, Gomez, Toledo Face Harness Drivers Oct. 20 at Rosecroft
Laurel Park Jockeys Trading Irons for Wheels in Sulky-Cycle Challenge; Boyce, Carrasco, Gomez, Toledo Face Harness Drivers Oct. 20 at Rosecroft
Boyce, Carrasco, Gomez, Toledo Face Harness Drivers Oct. 20 at Rosecroft
Events Benefit Boys & Girls Club and Capital Guardian Youth
Meet & Greet with Fans Begins at 5:45 p.m.
LAUREL, MD – Four of the Maryland Jockey Club’s leading riders will trade their irons for wheels when they take part in a Sulky-Cycle Challenge Thursday, Oct. 20 as part of Trotoberfest at Rosecroft Raceway.
Forest Boyce, Victor Carrasco, Kevin Gomez and Jevian Toledo will square off against harness drivers Russell Foster, Brian Burton, Jason Thompson and Mark Gray in sulky and bicycle competitions between races.
A pair of jockeys and drivers will compete in a one-mile sulky race using double-seated carts following the first and third races, Rosecroft’s drivers will be accompanied by a VIP (including Maryland Jockey Club handicapper and analyst Stan Salter) while the jockeys will be accompanied by another driver. All eight riders and drivers taking part in a bicycle race will cover half the homestretch following the fifth race.
“I’ve never done it before,” said Gomez, the leading apprentice rider at Laurel Park’s current fall meet. “A new experience is always good for us.”
Jockeys and drivers gathered Oct. 13 at Rosecroft for a practice run ahead of the Sulky-Cycle Challenge.
“It feels fun. It’s different from what we do here,” said Toledo, Maryland’s leading rider in 2015 who most recently captured Laurel’s summer meet title. “It’s more crazy behind them in the cart because you think they’re going to kick you. It’s nice to do something different.”
A native of Baltimore with more than 600 career wins and two Laurel riding titles, Boyce has previous driving experience for Don Swick, a Florida-based owner, trainer and driver whose career includes more than 1,000 standardbred victories dating back to 1968 as well as nine thoroughbred wins from 2010-16.
“He does a good job with them,” Boyce said. “I got to drive a good one and I learned a good horse is a good horse, no matter what discipline they’re in.”
Carrasco won the Eclipse Award as the outstanding apprentice jockey of 2013 and has ridden the second-most winners in Maryland in 2014 and 2015.
"This is a fun event and a great way to connect our athletes from the Thoroughbred and Standardbred worlds," said Maryland Jockey Club President and General Manager Sal Sinatra. "I think our fans who watch and wager on each sport will have a good time whether meeting the drivers and jockeys or watching them compete for charity."
Each challenge race will award points from first through eighth place on a 14-9-7-6-5-4-3-2 basis. The overall winner will earn $500 with $250 for second, $120 for third and $100 for fourth through eighth.
Prior to the races on Oct. 20, the jockeys and drivers will be in the grandstand from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m. to meet and greet patrons. The Maryland Horse Council will give a paddock tour between Races 1-5.
Bicycles will be given away to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy.
