Jose Lezcano reached his 1,000th-career victory, riding the 3-year-old Calabria home first in the second race at Gulfstream Park Friday afternoon.

“He broke well and I was able to put him in good position,” said Lezcano. “He gave me an extra push at the quarter pole.”

“Obviously, being from such a small town in Panama (Chiriqui) this is a big deal for me and my family. Even though I had dreams, I never thought I would get this far when I came to this country.”

The 23-year-old, who arrived in the United States in 2003 to begin his professional career, earned his first victory in the States in 2004 aboard Cloudy Gray at Gulfstream Park, after a two-year run in his native Panama.

Lezcano notched championships at Tampa Downs, the Meadowlands and Monmouth since arriving in the United States six years ago.

Lezcano, third overall at the 2008 Gulfstream meeting with 55 victories (his mounts earned $1,555,222), also won last year’s Gulfstream Park Turf aboard Einstein and rode Maram home in the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

He is a graduate of the Laffit Pincay Jockey School in Panama.