J.G. Torrealba. (Jim McCue/MJC)
With Five-Win Sunday
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md. – Jockey J.G. Torrealba continued what has been a torrid August with five winners on Sunday’s eight-race program at Laurel Park.
The 22-year-old native of Venezuela moved into second place in the rider standings at Laurel’s 35-day summer meet, which wraps up Aug. 18 and has three scheduled racing days remaining. His 30 wins trail only Jaime Rodriguez (39), who won twice Sunday.
Represented by Simon Purdy, Torrealba scored in Sunday’s opener with Radwin Racing Stable and D and D Stables’ Get Like Mike ($7.20) and followed with back-to-back wins aboard Kaya Gokmen’s Monday Morning Qb ($4.80) in Race 3 and Pepe Stable and J L M Jacona Stable’s Five Dreams ($3.20) in Race 4. He capped his big day on WWCD’s Next Girl ($10) in Race 6 and CBC Racing Stable’s At First Sight ($5.40) in the finale.
Torrealba’s five wins came for trainers Bob Klesaris, Kieron Magee, Jose Magana, Robbie Bailes and Troy Singh. It was his seventh multi-win day of the meet and third in five racing days during August. He has 10 wins from 29 mounts (34 percent) for the month, registering a hat trick Aug. 4 including stakes wins on Roanan Goddess in the Searching and Malibu Beauty in the Caesar’s Wish. He also won the Star de Naskra June 29 aboard Play Harder.
“I am very happy to have five wins today,” Torrealba said. “I have to say thank you to God, to my agent and to all the trainers and owners for the opportunity.”
Torrealba won his first career riding title at Laurel’s spring meet. He grew up in Venezuela with no family ties to racing or plans to make his living as a jockey but fell in love with the sport watching the races and by 2019, he was riding. With the help of Laurel-based trainer Jose Corrales, Torrealba came to the U.S. in September 2022 and ultimately landed in Ohio.
Torrealba made his U.S. debut April 24, 2023, at Thistledown and rode his first winner the following day with Fast as Fast Can B before moving west to ride at Del Mar and Santa Anita. He rode his first Maryland races Jan. 27 at Laurel, notching his first two wins with Lisa’s Palace and Musical Heart Feb. 3 and ending the winter meet with the fifth-most winners (19) and sixth-highest earnings ($679,018) while also scoring his first career stakes win on Copper Tax in the March 23 Private Terms.
Laurel kicks off the final weekend of its summer meet with a 10-race program Friday, Aug. 16 starting at 12:25 p.m. Two $75,000 turf stakes for Maryland-bred/sired horses are scheduled on closing day, the Find for 3-year-olds and up and All Brandy for fillies and mares 3 and older.
