GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The up-and-coming jockey Rene Diaz is headed to Del Mar after the close of the Lone Star Park meet on July 4. He will be represented in Southern California by agent Jose Santos Jr.  “He wants to try to become an even better rider,” Santos said of testing his skills at Del Mar. Diaz, 23, won his first race in 2021 at Gulfstream Park. He is having an outstanding meet at Lone Star, where he ranked third in the standings through Monday. Diaz had won 30 races from 155 starts, and his mounts have earned $718,443. “He’s going to be at Santa Anita on July 10 to work horses for a week before the backside opens at Del Mar,” Santos said. Del Mar’s meet begins July 21. Santos said Travis Church is currently representing Diaz at Lone Star. Church, a veteran agent, has strong ties to Texas-based trainer J.R. Caldwell, and Diaz has regularly ridden for Caldwell this meet at Lone Star. Santos, who has known Diaz since childhood, had been the rider’s agent up to the Lone Star meet that opened in April. Santos said following Del Mar, Diaz is scheduled to return to the Southwest and ride at Remington Park. He said Church will represent the rider at Remington, which races from Aug. 18-Dec. 15. Diaz is one of several riders Santos will be representing over the summer. :: Get ready for summer racing with a DRF Formulator Quarterly PP plan Santos said longtime client David Cabrera, a multiple title winner at Remington, is set to return to the Oklahoma track for the upcoming meet. But before it opens, he will be riding at Louisiana Downs starting July 8. “We’ve spoken to a lot of trainers at Lone Star, and it sounds like a lot of the Lone Star trainers are going to be going over there,” Santos said. “I believe it will be six weeks from [the close of] Lone Star to opening day at Remington.” Cabrera ranks second in the Lone Star standings, with 32 wins from 177 starts through Monday. His mounts have earned $861,997. “He’s been winning races in bunches,” Santos said “The last month, it feels like every day he’s winning at least one or two races.”   Cabrera, who lives in Oklahoma, will be working horses at Remington on some of the Louisiana Downs dark days, Santos said. Leandro Goncalves, who is the 10th leading rider at Lone Star, is bound for Colonial Downs after the meet ends, Santos said. The Virginia meet starts July 13. “He’s got a lot of connections [for the East Coast] from Florida, from his years there, and Kentucky,” Santos said. Adam Beschizza, who has been riding at Ellis Park, also is headed for Colonial, Santos said. He is expected to ride on a regular basis for trainer Kelsey Danner. Lone Star-based Freddy Manrrique will spend time riding at Louisiana Downs before heading to his regular base of Remington, Santos said. Santos also represents Reylu Gutierrez, who is riding at Ellis and also will be active on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Saratoga. Manny Esquivel continues to be based at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Santos said. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.