OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Linda Rice may be one of the few people in racing sad to see 2023 come to an end.
Rice capped a memorable year Sunday at Aqueduct by setting a New York Racing Association record for wins in a single year when she captured her 165th triumph. The victory by George’s Vice in Sunday’s second race, for $16,000 claimers, enabled Rice to break the previous record of 164 set by David Jacobson in 2013.
“It’s just been an incredible year,” said Rice, 59. “An incredible year in the racing, horses and other areas as well. I’m really excited. I just hope we can do something that can compare going forward. That’s a high bar to set.”
Rice in 2023 set personal single-year records for wins (168) and purse-money won ($10,448,123) while racing almost exclusively at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga. In 2016, Rice won 167 races, but 52 of those wins came outside of NYRA tracks.
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“To me, it’s a success that we’ve grown the business enough to get those 165 wins right here at NYRA tracks,” she said
The victory by George’s Vice also clinched the Aqueduct fall training title for Rice with 20 wins, three more than Chad Brown.
Rice now has won or shared six of the last seven meet titles at NYRA. She won the 2022 Aqueduct fall meet, the 2023 Aqueduct winter and spring meets, the Belmont spring meet and she tied Brown for the Saratoga title by winning the final race on the final day of the meet.
Rice finished second to Brown at the Belmont at Aqueduct fall meet before winning the Aqueduct fall title.
“I was really excited about winning the Belmont meet this year,” Rice said. “I tied Todd [Pletcher] for the Belmont meet in 2011, but to win it outright was really special because that’s a very marquee meet and to come back and tie at Saratoga - that was probably the most exciting meet of my career.”
Rice mentioned the success of Pioneering Spirit and Mommasgottarun, horses she claimed and won stakes with, as among the highlights of her year.
Rice won 14 stakes - only two graded - numbers she would like to improve on in the future.
“You’re always looking to upgrade your stock,” Rice said. “Hoping we’re getting some momentum going so hopefully, we’ll be able to get more of those types of horses.”
Off the track, Rice won a major victory when an appellate court overturned a three-year suspension of her license handed her by the New York Gaming Commission. About a decade ago, Rice was deemed to have received information about races she was planning to enter horses in before those races were drawn. Rice did have to pay $100,000 to settle that case.
Rice is now the second-winningest female trainer in Thoroughbred racing with 2,409 wins. Through Sunday, Rice trails only Kathleen O’Connell, who, after winning four races over the weekend at Tampa Bay Downs, has 2,445.
“Kathleen, she finds the winner's circle, she knows how to get there,” Rice said. “To me, being successful in New York - which is a very tough thing - is what means the most.”
Chad Brown, who had been NYRA’s leading trainer in wins the previous eight years, finished as the second-leading trainer in wins in 2023 with 132. He did lead all trainers in purse money won with $15,151,920.
Franco top jockey at NYRA in 2023
Manny Franco had long ago wrapped up his third leading rider title on the NYRA circuit, but he appropriately won the last race of the year aboard Proud Foot to complete 2023 with 238 wins at NYRA tracks. He also finished as the leading rider in purse money won with $17,329,576.
Irad Ortiz Jr. finished second in both categories with 168 wins and $17,150,272.
Overall, Franco set a personal-best in purse money won with $17,680,105, topping the $17,088,709 he accrued in 2018. His 241 wins overall were second only to the 252 races he won in 2018
Nationally, Franco finished 2023 as the sixth-leading rider in races won and ninth in purse money won.
“I’m blessed, I want to say thank you to all the trainers, the owners, all those who support me the whole year,” Franco said. “I’m just happy to be the leading rider here in New York.”
Franco will start 2024 on the sidelines, serving a three-day suspension (Jan. 1, 4-5) due to a careless riding infraction from earlier this month.
Klarman tops owners standings
Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables was the leading owner for a fifth consecutive year on the NYRA circuit, winning 62 races and accruing purses of $6,408,466.
Michael Dubb finished second with 33 wins, while Rice was third-leading owner with 31 wins.
Klarman and Rice tied for leading owner at the Aqueduct fall meet with seven wins apiece. For Klarman, that was his 25th owner’s title at a NYRA meet.
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