Emerald Downs: Jockey Power Rankings Edition #8; Alex Cruz is on Fire tops PR's 3rd straight week

6/28/2024

(Auburn, WA) Alex Cruz is red hot winning 7 times this past week and getting his 1st Stakes win of the season. It was also a big week for Luis Reyes winning his 1st Stakes at Emerald Downs and tripling along with Kevin Krigger and Manuel Americano got his 1st career win. Let’s get to Power Rankings #8!

2024 Power Rankings #8

#1 Alex Cruz (Last week #1, 3-weeks)

Alex Cruz won 7 races this week, at least 1 on each day. He had a double on Friday, 4 wins on Saturday and took the finale on Sunday. Cruz also won the Hastings Stakes with Blazingbellablu in a frantic finish to hold off Young Life Laura. Alex a few weeks ago was in danger of not even making the top 10 with a #10 ranking. ince then he has turned it around and remains on top of our standings for the 3rd week in a row. Cruz finished the week 7-1-4-3 from 20 mounts for a 35% win rate, 60% top 3 and 75% top 4. He leads the jockey standings in wins by 10 and now has a $50,000 lead in earnings as well. Cruz is #1.

#2 Kevin Krigger (Last week #2)

Kevin Krigger had to take Friday off due to a 1 day suspension but still won at a 33% rate winning 3 of 9 mounts. He also was 78% top 3 and 89% top with a 3-2-2-1 record from the 9 rides. Even though Luis Reyes had 3 wins including the Bud Stakes it wasn’t enough to knock Krigger from his #2 spot. Krigger leads all riders with a 34% win rate plus tied for 1st with a top 3 finish percent of 66% and leads all riders in placing in the top 4 at 86%. Krigg’s is back and he is serious!

#3 Luis Reyes (Last Week unranked)

Change isn’t always a good thing but sometimes it can be the best thing. Reyes switched agents and has had some issues to deal with and instead of getting mad or feeling down and out Reyes took it all in and turned in his best week by far since coming to Emerald Downs. Reyes tripled this week and stunned everyone with his huge win in the Budweiser Stakes on 18-1 Neiman. Reyes has to hit the board a little more consistently which cost him the #2 spot even though he won a stake. Reyes was 3-1-0-1 from 14 rides for a solid 21% win rate but just 29% top 3 and 36% top 4. We still think this may have lit the fuse for a Reyes run so watch out!

#4 Juan Gutierrez (Last week #5)

The more Juan Gutierrez rides the more we repeat ourselves. He’s the winningest jockey in Emerald Downs history and he keeps showing why each week. Guti was 2-0-2-2 from 8 rides for a 25% win clip, 50% top 3 and 75% top 4. Overall Gutierrez is winning at a 32% rate 2nd only to the 34% of Kevin Krigger. Guti is tied for 4th in wins and 7th in earnings with just 31 total mounts. Brayan Pena has 73 mounts and isn’t even here anymore. Guti is riding great and continues to work as his own agent, the “Lamar Jackson” of Emerald Downs and moves up to #4.

#5 Allyssa Morales (Last week #9)

The PNW is pretty well known for our female riders, Jane Driggers, Barbara Thompson, Lisa Perrine, Vicky Aragon-Baze, Debbie Hoonan, Chelsea Zupan, Sandy Gann, Connie Doll, and of course the Queen of Emerald Downs Jennifer Whitaker just to name a few and now Allyssa Morales is quickly stepping into that void of a strong female rider in the colony this season. Whitaker remains sidelined with an ankle injury and so Morales has stepped in to show she belongs. Morales had 2 wins this week both for owner-trainer Jennifer Nunnally for a real “girl power” 1-2 punch! Morales went 2-1-0-1 from 6 rides for a 33% win week and moves up the rankings quickly.

#6 Kevin Orozco (Last week at #10)

Kevin Orozco was a head bob away from a 3 win week and had to settle for 2 wins and 2 places. Orozco remains a solid rider and one you cannot count out especially when he is given a ready mount. Orozco could hit the board a little more and we think that’s going to happen he is a force.

#7 Carlos Montalvo (Last week #3)

Carlos Montalvo dropped this week because of his win percent, he didn’t drop any further because of his top 3 and top 4 percent. Montalvo was looming around several other wins but just got 1 as he went 1-4-5-3 from 16 rides for a 6% win rate, 63% top 3 and 81% top 4. Montalvo continues to ride strong and is constantly having to check in with the clerk of scales after races, we don’t think it will be long before he has more multiple win weeks and days.

#8 Isaias Enriquez (Last week unranked)

Isaias Enriquez was off the PR’s last week when he did not get a win. He got one this week from 7 rides and added a place and 4 shows for an 88% top 3 finish rate. This was a solid week for Enriquez and he’s back on the rankings.

#9 Karlo Lopez (Last week #4)

Every rider will go through some ups and downs. Just a few weeks ago Alex Cruz was at #10 and barely got ranked if not for a single win on the week’s final race. Lopez had his worst week of the season and still got a win but did not hit the board as regularly as he normally does which is why he dropped dramatically. We will be stunned if this is a trend and not a blip on the screen.

#10 Tie Silvio Amador (Last week #8)

Silvio Amador continues to grind away like the pro he is does. He is capable of heating up and he’s yet to do that but instead keeps finding the winners circle on a weekly basis and hitting the board with a 60% superfecta rate this past weekend.

#10 Tie Manuel Americano (Last week at unranked)

Manuel Americano finially snapped his winless streak and got his 1st career win on his only mount of the week and did it on a 22-1 shot and in the feature race from Friday night. More than earned his way onto the list this week!