Rosario trying to play spoiler role

Joel Rosario, the 24-year-old native of the Dominican Republic who is good enough to compete for riding titles in the toughest jockey colony around but inexplicably can't land a mount in any of the Triple Crown events, is trying to derail Rafael Bejarano's bid to become the first jockey ever to win seven consecutive Southland titles since Hollywood Park began its autumn meet in 1981. Bejarano also is trying to become the first jock since Patrick Valenzuela in 2002-03 to win consecutive titles during Hollywood Park's spring-summer meet.

Heading into today's eight-race card, Rosario (pictured riding Well Monied to victory in last Sunday's $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood Park) leads Bejarano in the rider standings 39-38. Joe Talamo is a distant third with 20 victories as the meet begins its final seven-week stretch. Neither Bejarano nor Rosario will be in New York on Saturday to ride in the 141st Belmont Stakes. Bejarano rode Papa Clem in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but Rosario was on the outside looking in, and that's a little surprising considering his success on the competitive local circuit.

Rosario has been one of the most consistent jockeys in America since he switched agents early during Hollywood Park's autum meet after a slow start. He's now represented by Hollypark track announcer Vic Stauffer, who helped generate enough business to help Rosario finish among the top riders at the Hollypark autumn meet and then watched as his client finished a close third behind Bejarano and Garrett Gomez at Santa Anita's winter-spring meet.

Folks, Joel Rosario can ride, and he's not going anywhere. It's only a matter of time before he begins to land some of those big mounts outside of California and gains the national acclaim he deserves.