Jose Lezcano

Who is Jose Lezcano?

Jose Lezcano is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He rides in New York in the spring, summer and fall and spends the winter in Florida. His big break came in 2008 when he won a Breeders' Cup race.

Lezcano attended the Laffit Pincay Jockey School in his native Panama before moving to the U.S. in January 2003 and launching his career at Gulfstream Park where he earned his first win in March 2004 aboard Cloudy Gray. He spent his first season at Monmouth in 2005, finishing fifth in the standings overall.

In 2008, Jose Lezcano won with his first and only Breeders' Cup mount, Maram, in the inaugural edition of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The win also was a first Breeders' Cup victory for trainer Chad Brown and owners Karen Woods and Saud bin Khaled, who were all starting a Breeders' Cup runner for the first time.

Top mounts for 2009 included Eaton's Gift, Not for Silver, Cosmonaut, I Lost My Choo, Buddy's Humor, and Ballymore Lady.

Enjoyed a career year in 2008 which was his big break, replacing perennial leader Joe Bravo as the leading rider at Monmouth Park Racetrack with 141 wins, then taking the 2008 fall season at the Meadowlands Racetrack. He carried that momentum into the 2009 Gulfstream Park meet and also earned a leading rider title there with 71 wins. Agent Jason Bidas holds his book.