Paco Lopez was riding Cloud In The Wind at Parx and the market leader looked sure to score for much of the opening race on May 12. However horse and jockey were caught by So Swell
Cloud In The Wind (circled) and Paco Lopez about to be passed by So Swell(Image: YouTube)
Punters were left stunned when the rider of a favourite kept looking behind him and was passed by a rival close to the finish.
Jockey Paco Lopez partnered Cloud In The Wind in the Parx opener on Tuesday, a claiming race on a dirt surface.
In footage of the event, Lopez, who has more than 4,400 wins to his name, is seen holding a narrow lead on the Brandon Kulp-trained mare on the home turn.
The eventual winner So Swell is only in fourth place at that point, several lengths behind Cloud In The Wind but making headway along the rail.
Lopez takes his first look around as he starts to gently encourage his mount, as Yedsit Hazlewood starts to build up So Swell’s momentum.
Racing a couple of horsewidths off the rail, Lopez has Cloud In The Wind under a hands a heels ride for much of the straight and as he is nudging along, glances over his left shoulder on multiple occasions.
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Hazlewood, originally going to the Lopez’s outside, switches to the inner and drives So Swell past near the finish for the first prize of $10,800.
Some racing fans were unhappy with the outcome of the opening race on the card.
“Dude’s in front riding like he’s sightseeing. Keeps looking around every two seconds,” one wrote on X.
“Wild,” a second person posted after watching the replay. A third user of the social media platform said: “Not a great look.”
The race comes only a month after jockey Eliseo Ruiz was handed a 30-day suspension for his ride on Bailout Billy at the same circuit.
Stewards determined that he “failed to give his best effort and failed to use the proper diligence” in the race on March 31.
In the six furlong event, Ruiz took glances between his legs and over his shoulder but made no more effort to encourage his horse, either with hands and heels or his whip, as he was overtaken by favourite Cocktail Humor.
Lopez, suspended for six months for whip violations last year, was banned for a previous incident at Parx, Pennsylvania in December 2024 when he struck a horse across the face with the equipment.
On Saturday he is booked to ride Napoleon Solo in the Group One Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park, its home while while Pimlico Racecourse is rebuilt.