TAMPA BAY: CAMACHO WINS 3RD JOCKEYS’ CHALLENGE; MBATHA SCORES 1ST VICTORY

By Mike Henry —-

OLDSMAR, FL. – With his second Tampa Bay Downs jockeys title already locked up, Samy Camacho could have stayed in south Florida Wednesday to ride at Gulfstream Park, where he is currently based and in sixth place in the standings.

But Camacho decided a while back to return to Oldsmar for the ninth annual, two-day Summer Festival of Racing, pick up his Leading Jockey trophy and enjoy the racetrack he considers home. Any victories he picked up along the way would be dessert.

After feasting heartily on Wednesday’s card, riding four winners to boost his 2020-2021 meeting total to 111, Camacho added three victories today to run away with his third $5,000 Jockeys’ Challenge title.

Camacho secured the $2,500 first-place prize with 103 points. Wilmer Garcia, who finished second with 76 points, earned a $1,500 bonus, while Keiber Coa and Marcos Meneses tied for third with 55 points, each earning $500.

For record-keeping purposes, today’s card counted as the first day of the 2021-2022 meeting, which is scheduled to resume on Wednesday, Nov. 24. That means Camacho will be the leading jockey when racing heats up in the fall. He won seven races from 16 mounts over the two days, with three seconds and two thirds to go with today’s victories.

The leading trainers, with two victories apiece today, are Earl Robinson and Brian Lusk, with Lusk’s victories coming with a pair of first-time starters.

Today’s card was also highlighted by the first lifetime victory for 37-year-old apprentice jockey Lucky Mbatha, a Johannesburg, South Africa product who began his career at Arlington Park in September of 2020. The victory aboard the 6-year-old Florida-bred mare Deesse, a 7-1 shot, in the seventh race came in Mbatha’s 22nd lifetime start.

It was also the first career triumph for Deesse, who is owned by Clive Charlton Barrett and trained by Margaret Wetherington.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Mbatha, who has been working with jockey David Flores and trainer Michael Cooke in Ocala to sharpen his skills. “David took me under his wing and guided me, and there have been a lot of people who have helped me along the way. My wife, Iesha, has been my pillar, and I give big thanks to my higher power. This isn’t possible without Him.

“This is a feeling I’ve never had in my life,” added Mbatha, who endured the traditional initiation from his fellow jockeys – buckets of water, shaving cream, baby powder and a hosing – with a smile that seemed to stretch to his homeland.

Camacho’s reasons for riding in the Summer Festival of Racing were straightforward. “I like this racetrack, I love the fans and I wanted to get the trophy,” said Camacho, who accepted the 2020-2021 hardware Wednesday in a winner’s-circle ceremony from track Vice President of Marketing and Publicity Margo Flynn. “I love horses and I love winning races. It might look easy, but it’s not. I just try my best every race to win and keep people happy with me.”

The Summer Festival of Racing was first held in 2013. It was created to enable Tampa Bay Downs to gain full control of its simulcast income by becoming a year-round, live-racing facility.

Tampa Bay Downs is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.