Equine Daily--The Equine World's Top Headline of the Day

PATRICK VALENZUELA--MILESTONE MET
------------------------------------------------

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela won his 4,000th race October 9th, aboard Burst of Light.

Valenzuela's career has been both troubled and brilliant, but he came home first by two lengths in Burst of Light's one mile allowance/optional claiming event.

After a good start, Valenzuela slowed his mount down and then began a steady advance along the rail throughout the rest of the race. Coming down the homstretch, he put a length between himself and the field, then two. When crossing the finish line, Valenzuela held up four fingers on his right hand--a single to everyone watching that Patrick Valenzuela had met a milestone: 4,000 races won.

Valenzuela has seven Breeder's Cup World Championship wins, and a win in both the Kentucky Derby (GI) and Preakness Stakes (GI) aboard Sunday Silence, in 1989. He plans to be at the Fair Grounds meeting later this year. ~Equine Lover