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Franco Makes History, Wins Hopeful Stakes
7 Sep
Summary
- Manny Franco achieved a historic riding title at Saratoga.
- Kevin Huerter, an NBA player, co-owns the winning horse.
- The horse 'The Good Life' secured a dominant victory.
Jockey Manny Franco experienced a career-defining day at Saratoga Race Course, clinching his first-ever riding title and setting a new track record for most wins in a single meet. His historic season culminated with a dominant victory aboard The Good Life in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes.
Co-owning The Good Life is Kevin Huerter, a guard for the Detroit Pistons and a graduate of Shenendehowa High School. Huerter, part of the WinStar Farm syndicate, celebrated the colt's impressive win, marking a successful foray into horse racing ownership. This victory followed The Good Life's strong performance in his maiden-breaking race.
Under Franco's guidance, The Good Life took an early lead from the No. 1 post and maintained it throughout the seven-furlong race, finishing comfortably ahead of competitors Mystrix and Booked. Trainer Brad Cox noted the colt's natural ability to take control of the race.
Looking ahead, The Good Life may be pointed towards prestigious races like the Champagne at Belmont Park or the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, both offering berths in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Franco's record-breaking 70 wins surpassed the previous Saratoga record set by Ramon Dominguez in 2012.
