Kentucky Oaks: Castellano To Replace Lezcano Aboard Where's My Ring

Jockey Jose Lezcano is still under doctor's care for a concussion sustained in an April 26 spill at Aqueduct and will be unable to fulfill his engagement aboard Grade 3 Gazelle winner Where's My Ring in Friday's G1 Kentucky Oaks, according to a social media post from Kelly Brinkerhoff, wife of the Twirling Candy filly's trainer, Val Brinkerhoff.

Javier Castellano will acquire the mount, Brinkerhoff wrote. 

Castellano, 46, a four-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey who enjoyed a resurgence in 2023 with victories in the G1 Kentucky Derby, G1 Belmont Stakes, G1 Travers Stakes, and G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, previously won the Kentucky Oaks in 2016 aboard Cathryn Sophia.

Lezcano, 39, went down in the fifth race on April 26 when William Mott-trained Authorize sustained a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg and fell in a 1 1/16-mile turf race. The 5-year-old son of Curlin, who was making his eighth career start, was euthanized.

Lezcano, winner of 3,280 races in North America since arriving here in 2004, is a native of Panama who attended the famed riding school named after fellow Panamanian Laffit Pincay Jr. He was named to ride in six races at Aqueduct on Thursday but unable to fulfill those mounts. In addition to the Kentucky Oaks, the 28-time Grade 1-winning rider was named aboard Daughter of Time in Friday's 12th race for Kent Sweezey.

Where's My Ring, owned by Michael McMillan, was a maiden when she won the Gazelle by 4 1/4 lengths as the 5-2 betting favorite on April 6. Prior to that she had run in stakes and maiden races in California, finishing second three times (including the G3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita) and third once. Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corp., she was purchased by McMillan for $100,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Where's My Ring was 9-1 in the early betting on Thursday night, down from the 15-1 morning line.