His resume already includes Wins in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1) and Breeders’ Cup. He has an Eclipse Award as champion jockey and a plaque in the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame, but Edgar Prado still has one item on his bucket list to check off.
Prado, 52, currently sits with 7,047 career Victories, second-most among active riders behind Perry Wayne Ouzts (7,065) and ninth all-time. More important to the native of Lima, Peru, Prado is just 10 Wins away from matching the lifetime Win total of fellow Hall of Famer Angel Cordero Jr.
From the time he became only the eighth jockey in history to reach 7,000 Wins May 15, 2018 at Parx (Ouzts would get there four months later) Prado set his mind to passing Cordero on the career list.
“Angel is an icon and a lot of people respect him. He was a very aggressive rider, a great rider, and a good mentor for a lot of new riders coming here,” Prado said. “I think passing a jockey of his caliber would be a nice touch on my resume. It would be nice to be considered to be on the same level as Angel.”
Prado has enjoyed a productive winter thus far at the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park, where he once reigned as leading rider in 2002 and 2005. Through Thursday’s program, Prado had Won 14 races and finished third or better 28 times (36 percent) from 77 mounts, for purse earnings of more than $376,000.
Already, Prado is more than halfway to his Win total from all of 2019 when he went 22-for-176 and failed to reach the $1 million dollar mark in seasonal earnings for the first time since 1987, his first full year of riding. All told, he has banked $269.5 million in purses, good for seventh overall and fifth among active jockeys behind John Velazquez, Javier Castellano, Mike Smith and Kent Desormeaux.
“I’m very thankful to all the trainers and owners that still give me the opportunities,” Prado said. “That keeps me going and trying to achieve another milestone.”
Best known as the regular rider for BARBARO, who he guided to Wins in the 2006 Tropical Park Derby (G3), Holy Bull (G2), Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby before being injured in the Preakness Stakes.
Prado also had notable Victories in the 2002 and 2004 Belmont Stakes, spoiling the respective Triple Crown bids of WAR EMBLEM and SMARTY JONES with SARAVA and BIRDSTONE. Prado owns five career Breeders’ Cup Wins, the most recent in the 2015 Sprint (G1) aboard RUNHAPPY.
Between 1990 and 1999, Prado Won 300 or more races in a single season six times including a high of 535 in 1997.
“I’ve been so blessed in my career and I have the support of my family and my friends especially; they don’t give up on me. They give me an opportunity to show what I can do when I’m on top of the horse. God gave me a great gift and I’ve tried to put it in practice over the years. I don’t have any complaints.”
The Daily Racing Blog has been a long time fan of Edgar Prado, and wishes him good luck and safe trips for as long as he continues to ride.
