The past year has been filled with challenges for Tampa Bay Downs jockey Marcos Meneses.
Three weeks after tying for fourth place in the 2023-24 Oldsmar standings with 41 winners, Meneses suffered a dislocated right shoulder in a race at Gulfstream Park, sidelining him for almost three months. The injury limited him to five winners at the south Florida track, a year after winning 29 times there.
Hoping to regain momentum in Oldsmar, where he won 48 races during his first season here in 2022-23, Meneses instead incurred two suspensions for careless riding during a two-week period in late December and early January.
The Venezuela product, who turns 39 today, knows all a jockey can do in the face of such adversity is keep showing up at trainers’ barns seeking opportunities to prove themselves anew. While it has been increasingly hard this season for jockeys not named Samuel Marin or Samy Camacho to get on a hot streak, Meneses has managed to climb into the top 10 of the standings with 27 victories, including today’s ninth race on 3-year-old Florida-bred filly Unshakable for owners Susie and Ed Orr and trainer Tim Schuh.
Meneses, who began a recent run of success aboard the aptly named 3-year-old gelding Forthelonghaul, will collect his just reward for sticking to it – recognition as the Mother’s Restaurant Jockey of the Month.
“In this business, you have to keep working no matter what happens,” said Meneses, who lives in Tampa with his wife Aneidys and their three young daughters Mia, Maia and Megan. “My business was a little slow after my suspensions. But the last month has been real good.”
Meneses rode two winners Wednesday to turn back rivals Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr., Ronnie Allen, Jr., and Ademar Santos for the final Jockey of the Month Award for the meet. He plans to return to Gulfstream Park again, hoping to stay injury-free and get off to a quick start.
“There are many talented jockeys at every racetrack,” he said. “If you can start winning races at the beginning of the meet, you’re going to get on better horses and win more races. I know a lot of (horsemen) there, so I won’t have a problem (getting business).”
Meneses, who came to the United States to ride in 2015 after winning close to 500 races in Venezuela, is nearing that milestone stateside with 486 winners. He captured the 2020 Grade III Hal’s Hope Stakes at Gulfstream on 60-1 shot Identifier and has collected Oldsmar stakes victories on 3-year-old Markhamian in the 2022 Pasco Stakes and on 2-year-old filly Dorth Vader in the 2022 Sandpiper Stakes.
Regular racegoers are familiar with Meneses paying tribute to God in the winner’s circle by raising both arms skyward before dismounting. “I give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity to have a great job. I’m very grateful to Him and to all the horses.”
And he’s especially thankful for the blessings the sport provides. Two years ago he rode Il Miracolo in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets for trainer Antonio Sano. Despite finishing seventh (Arcangelo was the winner), Meneses ranks competing in a Triple Crown event against such superstars as winning jockey Javier Castellano, John Velazquez, Irad Ortiz, Jr., and Jose Ortiz as the best experience of his career.
“The noise in the grandstand was freakin’ crazy. Everyone was so excited, and I never felt something like that,” he said in the days after the race. “It was such a pleasure to ride in that race. I was a little nervous, but I tried to enjoy the moment.”
Around the oval. Thoroughbred racing at Tampa Bay Downs continues Saturday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:15 p.m. Nine races are also carded Sunday as the Oldsmar oval hits the homestretch in its preparations for the simulcast of the Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 2 and the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday, May 3.
In addition to the Longines Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby, Tampa Bay Downs will simulcast every race from Churchill Downs and numerous other tracks around the country while conducting full racing cards.
Tickets, which are $10, are available online at www.tampabaydowns.com . Reserved seating is sold out. Children 17-and-under are admitted free. Valet parking is $25 and the gates will open at 10 a.m. Automatic wagering terminals will be set up outside in front of the main Grandstand entrance for fans who decide to grab their tickets early and watch elsewhere.
Plenty of Kentucky Derby souvenirs will be on sale in the Gift Shop, including glasses listing all 150 winners of the race for $9.95 each. There will also be food-truck specials on the grounds, in addition to the usual concession stand and restaurant fare.
The 2024-2025 Tampa Bay Downs meet concludes on Sunday, May 4, which is Fan Appreciation Day. Admission is free and there will be food and drink discounts throughout the day, as the management and staff thank patrons for their support throughout the season.
Samy Camacho rode three winners today, Nos. 100, 101 and 102 for the meet, trimming Samuel Marin’s lead in the standings to 107-102. Camacho, who is named on seven horses Saturday, begins serving a suspension for careless riding Sunday that will extend through the five remaining days of the meet.
Camacho won today’s second race on Trophy Collector, a 4-year-old Florida-bred gelding owned by Nicholas Nosowenko and trained by Gerald Bennett. Camacho added the seventh race on the turf aboard Cefalu, a 4-year-old filly owned by Juan Arriagada, Craig Latimer and John E. Brown and trained by Arriagada.
Camacho also won the eighth race with Dither, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Bianco Stable and trained by Reynaldo Yanez.
