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Franco, Rice Top Standings as Aqueduct Spring Meet Concludes

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Jockey Manny Franco and trainer Linda Rice were the respective leaders of the jockey and trainer standings at the conclusion of this year’s Aqueduct winter meet, and they repeated by topping the Aqueduct spring meet, which ran from Apr. 2-26.

Franco, 31, earned 22 wins to land his fourth riding title at the Aqueduct spring meet, adding to wins in 2019 and 2023-24. The native of Carolina, Puerto Rico posted an overall record of 103-22-28-16, good for a win rate of 21.36% and in-the-money rate of 64.08% with $1,518,315 in total purse earnings.

“I’m just happy every day to have the opportunity from the trainers and owners,” said Franco, The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA)’s leading rider in 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2025. “I’m happy be here in New York and I’m blessed.”

Among Franco’s wins was a stakes score with the Rice-trained Hot Currency in the NYSSS Fourstar Crook on Apr. 11 He also celebrated three-win days on three consecutive cards from Apr. 18-23.

Franco is represented by agent John Panagot.

Jaime Rodriguez finished second in the standings with 13 wins while Dylan Davis and Ricardo Santana, Jr. tied for third with 11 wins each.

Linda Rice, NYRA’s leading trainer in 2025, posted 21 wins for her fourth consecutive and seventh overall win at this meet. The spring meet title was her third consecutive on the circuit, and came on the heels of a victory at the Aqueduct winter meet where she posted a personal-best 62 wins, and at the Aqueduct fall meet with 31 wins.

Rice, 62, compiled a record of 79-21-19-11 with $1,180,564 in total purses, good for a win rate of 26.58 percent and an in-the-money percentage of 64.56.

“It’s been a tough winter here in New York and it wasn’t for the faint of heart,” Rice said, with a laugh. “I’m anxious for the spring and summer meet and for Saratoga. It’s been a great winter, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

Chad Brown finished second in the trainer standings with 11 wins while Rick Dutrow, Jr. finished third with six wins.

As she did at the winter meet, Rice also came out on top in the owners standings, posting seven wins with an overall record of 35-7-12-4 and $406,794 in purse earnings. Her wins as an owner were topped by a 4 1/4-length allowance romp by Commuted on Apr. 25.

Winning Move Stable and Michael Dubb tied for second with four wins each.

Live racing resumes Thursday on Opening Day of the spring/summer meet at Belmont at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

The post Franco, Rice Top Standings as Aqueduct Spring Meet Concludes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

No Quarrel Here: Arbiter Much the Best in Woodbine’s Woodstock

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In most situations, discussion is always best, but some days you just don’t feel like hearing second opinions. Arbiter (Charlatan) didn’t let anyone get a word in edge wise, and coasted home to a sublime victory in the Woodstock Stakes at Woodbine.

Coming into the race with a maiden score on the turf and a win against optional claimers over the synthetic at Churchill Downs Nov. 30–where he set a new course record–and Turfway Park Dec. 17, respectively, he’d last been seen kicking off his 2026 campaign Mar. 21 in Florida. Running a flat seventh in the Texas Glitter Stakes, with this year’s edition coming off the turf and onto the Gulfstream synthetic, he was given Lasix for the first-time in this contest. With a short field at his mercy as the lone speed in the race, the betting public liked his chances to the tune of 6-5 favoritism.

Catching a flier after the gates opened, Arbiter did exactly as they expected and went right to the lead, strolling on an easy advantage through :23.08 and a half-line in :46.14. Well within himself on the bend as Silver is Best (Signature Red) tried to cut into his margin, the chestnut spurted clear of his competition in the lane and dominated the race by six lengths. El Capo (Authentic) overtook ‘TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard’ Two Out Hero (War Front) in the shadow of the wire to claim the final trifecta spot.

With his win here, Arbiter provided his sire Charlatan (Speightstown) his first of two stakes win on the afternoon. The second came not even an hour later in New York when Fitz Right roared home late to win the Memories of Silver Stakes over the Aqueduct lawn.

“He was cruising along pretty easy,” said rider Pietro Moran, who claimed his first local stakes win since being award with a Sovereign Award last week. “And I knew Rafi [Hernandez] was there and he was gonna make a move, but he just kept fine. He got away so easy. Today was all about Arbiter.”

The victor is the second stakes horse for his dam behind elder half-sister Carlisle Bay (Speightstown), who also claimed her black-type on the Woodbine strip. They are the only winning offspring for their dam, and they have a pair of half-siblings by Epicenter in the wings–a juvenile colt and a yearling filly. Bicolour is due to Maxfield in 2026. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

WOODSTOCK S., C$130,000, Woodbine, 4-26, 3yo, 6f (AWT), 1:10.31, ft.
1–ARBITER, 120, c, 3, by Charlatan
                1st Dam: Bicolour, by Tiznow
                2nd Dam: Burmilla, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Nannerl, by Valid Appeal
($175,000 Wlg ’23 KEENOV; $160,000 RNA Ylg ’24 KEESEP; $100,000 Ylg ’24 FTKOCT; $375,000 2yo ’25 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Resolution Road Stables; B-Hunter Valley Farm, Richie Galway, Frank Hutchinson & Lynch Bages LTD. (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Pietro Moran. C$78,750. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $189,689.
2–Silver Is Best, 122, g, 3, Signature Red–Scatter the Silver, by Scat Daddy. (C$23,000 Ylg ’24 CANSEP). O-Mike A. Coll; B-Howard Walton (ON); T-William Tharrenos. C$30,000.
3–El Capo, 118, c, 3, Authentic–Revitalized, by Uncle Mo. ($100,000 Ylg ’24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-CamHaven Farms; B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-Preston Ferris. C$13,750.
Margins: 6, 1HF, NO. Odds: 1.35, 11.35, 10.25.
Also Ran: Two Out Hero. Scratched: Gnome.

The post No Quarrel Here: Arbiter Much the Best in Woodbine’s Woodstock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Franco, Rice Top Standings as Aqueduct Spring Meet Concludes

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Jockey Manny Franco and trainer Linda Rice were the respective leaders of the jockey and trainer standings at the conclusion of this year’s Aqueduct winter meet, and they repeated by topping the Aqueduct spring meet, which ran from Apr. 2-26.

Franco, 31, earned 22 wins to land his fourth riding title at the Aqueduct spring meet, adding to wins in 2019 and 2023-24. The native of Carolina, Puerto Rico posted an overall record of 103-22-28-16, good for a win rate of 21.36% and in-the-money rate of 64.08% with $1,518,315 in total purse earnings.

“I’m just happy every day to have the opportunity from the trainers and owners,” said Franco, The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA)’s leading rider in 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2025. “I’m happy be here in New York and I’m blessed.”

Among Franco’s wins was a stakes score with the Rice-trained Hot Currency in the NYSSS Fourstar Crook on Apr. 11 He also celebrated three-win days on three consecutive cards from Apr. 18-23.

Franco is represented by agent John Panagot.

Jaime Rodriguez finished second in the standings with 13 wins while Dylan Davis and Ricardo Santana, Jr. tied for third with 11 wins each.

Linda Rice, NYRA’s leading trainer in 2025, posted 21 wins for her fourth consecutive and seventh overall win at this meet. The spring meet title was her third consecutive on the circuit, and came on the heels of a victory at the Aqueduct winter meet where she posted a personal-best 62 wins, and at the Aqueduct fall meet with 31 wins.

Rice, 62, compiled a record of 79-21-19-11 with $1,180,564 in total purses, good for a win rate of 26.58 percent and an in-the-money percentage of 64.56.

“It’s been a tough winter here in New York and it wasn’t for the faint of heart,” Rice said, with a laugh. “I’m anxious for the spring and summer meet and for Saratoga. It’s been a great winter, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

Chad Brown finished second in the trainer standings with 11 wins while Rick Dutrow, Jr. finished third with six wins.

As she did at the winter meet, Rice also came out on top in the owners standings, posting seven wins with an overall record of 35-7-12-4 and $406,794 in purse earnings. Her wins as an owner were topped by a 4 1/4-length allowance romp by Commuted on Apr. 25.

Winning Move Stable and Michael Dubb tied for second with four wins each.

Live racing resumes Thursday on Opening Day of the spring/summer meet at Belmont at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

The post Franco, Rice Top Standings as Aqueduct Spring Meet Concludes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

No Quarrel Here: Arbiter Much the Best in Woodbine’s Woodstock

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In most situations, discussion is always best, but some days you just don’t feel like hearing second opinions. Arbiter (Charlatan) didn’t let anyone get a word in edge wise, and coasted home to a sublime victory in the Woodstock Stakes at Woodbine.

Coming into the race with a maiden score on the turf and a win against optional claimers over the synthetic at Churchill Downs Nov. 30–where he set a new course record–and Turfway Park Dec. 17, respectively, he’d last been seen kicking off his 2026 campaign Mar. 21 in Florida. Running a flat seventh in the Texas Glitter Stakes, with this year’s edition coming off the turf and onto the Gulfstream synthetic, he was given Lasix for the first-time in this contest. With a short field at his mercy as the lone speed in the race, the betting public liked his chances to the tune of 6-5 favoritism.

Catching a flier after the gates opened, Arbiter did exactly as they expected and went right to the lead, strolling on an easy advantage through :23.08 and a half-line in :46.14. Well within himself on the bend as Silver is Best (Signature Red) tried to cut into his margin, the chestnut spurted clear of his competition in the lane and dominated the race by six lengths. El Capo (Authentic) overtook ‘TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard’ Two Out Hero (War Front) in the shadow of the wire to claim the final trifecta spot.

With his win here, Arbiter provided his sire Charlatan (Speightstown) his first of two stakes win on the afternoon. The second came not even an hour later in New York when Fitz Right roared home late to win the Memories of Silver Stakes over the Aqueduct lawn.

“He was cruising along pretty easy,” said rider Pietro Moran, who claimed his first local stakes win since being award with a Sovereign Award last week. “And I knew Rafi [Hernandez] was there and he was gonna make a move, but he just kept fine. He got away so easy. Today was all about Arbiter.”

The victor is the second stakes horse for his dam behind elder half-sister Carlisle Bay (Speightstown), who also claimed her black-type on the Woodbine strip. They are the only winning offspring for their dam, and they have a pair of half-siblings by Epicenter in the wings–a juvenile colt and a yearling filly. Bicolour is due to Maxfield in 2026. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

WOODSTOCK S., C$130,000, Woodbine, 4-26, 3yo, 6f (AWT), 1:10.31, ft.
1–ARBITER, 120, c, 3, by Charlatan
                1st Dam: Bicolour, by Tiznow
                2nd Dam: Burmilla, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Nannerl, by Valid Appeal
($175,000 Wlg ’23 KEENOV; $160,000 RNA Ylg ’24 KEESEP; $100,000 Ylg ’24 FTKOCT; $375,000 2yo ’25 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Resolution Road Stables; B-Hunter Valley Farm, Richie Galway, Frank Hutchinson & Lynch Bages LTD. (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Pietro Moran. C$78,750. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $189,689.
2–Silver Is Best, 122, g, 3, Signature Red–Scatter the Silver, by Scat Daddy. (C$23,000 Ylg ’24 CANSEP). O-Mike A. Coll; B-Howard Walton (ON); T-William Tharrenos. C$30,000.
3–El Capo, 118, c, 3, Authentic–Revitalized, by Uncle Mo. ($100,000 Ylg ’24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-CamHaven Farms; B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-Preston Ferris. C$13,750.
Margins: 6, 1HF, NO. Odds: 1.35, 11.35, 10.25.
Also Ran: Two Out Hero. Scratched: Gnome.

The post No Quarrel Here: Arbiter Much the Best in Woodbine’s Woodstock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.