Centeno started his career with horses at a very early age: his father was a jockey’s agent in Venezuela, and Centeno grew up in the racing world, spending time at the barn and building a deep relationship with horses. Centeno began race riding in Venezuela in 1990, assembling a successful career that eventually took him to the United States in 2003. Once stateside, Centeno began riding at Calder Race Course. Arriving at Tampa Bay Downs in 2004, Centeno established himself by finishing tenth overall in the final jockey standings for that meet; the next year, Centeno was second leading rider at Tampa Bay Downs. Centeno cites Cool Spell as the most notable horse he has ridden so far; and indeed, he rode the filly to a stakes-record-setting time in the Gasparilla Stakes. The Gasparilla was the first American stakes win for Centeno, whose major influences in the racing world are Eibar Coa and Ramon Dominguez, with whom he grew up in Venezuela. Both have gone on to become highly successful jockeys, and Centeno is quickly following in their hoof prints.
Finish Lines… Andrew Ramgeet took three trips to the Winner’s Circle today, beginning with a victory on Roaring River in the day’s opener. Roaring River is a two-year-old Florida-bred son of Montbrook owned by Move Horses, Inc. and trained by Mark Passley. Ramgeet got his second win of the day aboard Juicy Point, a Dale Bennett trainee owned by Montesano Racing. Bennett and Ramgeet scored again in the ninth race with Dee’s Rose; the three-year-old daughter of Straight Man was bred in Florida by Jean White and carries the colors of Dyedra E. Kademoglou.
Racing resumes Friday, January 2 with a ten race card; the Pick 6 carryover is $1096.91. The Silks Poker room is open daily from 12:30 PM through 12:30 AM, and The Downs Golf Practice Facility is open on Mondays from 10:00 AM through 10:00 PM and on Tuesdays through Sundays from 8:30 AM through 10:00 PM.