Purebred season 2022-23 at plain down ended February 28 with a few familiar names and a new one at the top of the rider rankings. Karl Broberg and End Zone Athletics once again led all the coaches and owners, while emerging superstar Vicente Del Cid topped the equestrian leaderboard in Vinton, La for the first time.
Del Cid entered the season at Delta Downs as an apprentice racer and left as a cruiser. He lost his apprentice allowance mid-meeting, but the extra weight didn’t slow him down as he topped the standings from start to finish and finished the season with 121 wins and $2,789,565 earnings tied to lead both categories. He’s also scored three bets this year, each worth $100,000 of the total in his wallet.
Del Cid’s performance at the Delta Downs follows another breakout season at Boyd Gaming’s Louisiana track, Evangeline Downs. During the 2022 meeting in Opelousas, Del Cid claimed his first equestrian title scoring 125 wins. His riding skills in 2022 attracted enough votes across the country to put him in second place in the voting for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice, announced at the end of January. .
Following Del Cid in the equestrian rankings are CJ McMahon (85 wins), Jose Guerrero (59), Joe Stokes (52), Alex Birzer (49), Joel Dominguez (40), Tim Thornton (40), Thomas Pompell (39), Elio Berrera (33) and Juan Vargas (33).
Broberg continues his dominance in the Delta Downs in 2022-23 by sending 72 winners and a total barn earnings of $1,473,510 to lead each category. This is the 12th time in a row Broberg barn has led the rankings since the 2011–12 season. In the 2018-19 season, his horses set the current record for thoroughbred trainers with 107 wins and earned $2,017,120.
Rounding out the list of top coaches for the Delta Downs meeting are Brett Brinkman (39), Juan Larrosa (38), Isai V. Gonzalez (32), Allen Landry (26), Eduardo Ramirez (26), Greg Tracy (21), Edith Mojica (16), Sam Breaux (16) and Lee M. Thomas (16).
End Zone Athletics saw 59 of its athletes win and grossed $1,158,650 in the meeting to lead both categories for owners. It was the eighth consecutive title and 11th overall for the End Zone Athletics, which includes partners Karl Broberg and Matt Johanson.
Rounding out the season’s top owners are GSH Stables, LLC (23), Mojica Stables, Inc. (14), Mark Hibdon (11), Noman Stables (11), Brandon Hebert (9), Elite Thoroughbred Racing (8), Spooky Business Stable (7), L and G Racing Stables (7) and Jason S. Guidry ( 7).
This press release has been edited by BloodHorse Staff for content and style.
