After Lots of Travel, Lumpkins Returns to Delaware

Jockey Jason Lumpkins won his first race in 1988 at Delaware Park. And after many travels that took him to the Midwest and West Coast, Lumpkins is back at Delaware Park for the 2005 meet.

He rode his first winner May 2 at the Stanton, Del., track when Charming Boy, owned by Michael Gill and trained by Mark Shuman, won an $8,000 claiming event.

"I have always loved Delaware," Lumpkins said. "I rode my first career winner here back in 1988. The money is great, there are a lot of good riders here, and good horses. I grew up on the East Coast and something I really liked about the East Coast was Delaware and Pimlico.

"Corey Black, my agent, gave me a call a few weeks ago to see if I would like to come down to Delaware with him. I did some thinking and decided it would be the right move."

Lumpkins acknowledged the challenge, however.

"It is a big click," he said. "There are a lot of good riders here. I am a new face here, but a lot of people know me. It is just a matter of if I can get into the right spot to make it happen or not. That is the whole key. I have been all around the country myself. Wherever I go, I am usually in the top 10."

Lumpkins has had much success at Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Fields in Northern California, Turfway Park in Kentucky, Thistledown in Ohio, and Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in West Virginia.

In other news at Delaware, 2004 Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Stewart Elliott is named on seven mounts May 7, Kentucky Derby day. Among them is Doctor Voodoo, the 7-2 morning-line second choice in the six-furlong $75,000 Francis "Jock" LaBelle Memorial for 3-year-olds.