As he closes in on a record-tying 13^th Monmouth Park riding title, with the meet coming to a conclusion on Sunday, Paco Lopez says he feels equal parts relief and satisfaction.

Lopez, who will bypass the Saturday card at the Jersey Shore track and then return for Sunday’s closing day, will equal the mark set by Joe Bravo in 2007 – the same year Lopez started riding in the United States.

“Oh my goodness. I finally did it,” said Lopez, who turns 41 next month. “It seems like I have been chasing Joe Bravo forever.

“It means a lot. I know how hard it was to do. It took a lot of work. There were times I wondered if I would ever catch Bravo but I finally did it.”

Lopez currently has a 53-to-45 lead over Luis Rivera, Jr., who will try closing the gap by riding in all eight races on Saturday’s card while Lopez rides that day at Delaware Park.

The Monmouth Park title would also be Lopez’s eighth straight – and the second of possibly three riding titles he will win almost simultaneously at three different tracks.

He won the riding title at Colonial Downs, which ended its meet on Sept. 7, and is the leading rider at Delaware Park. That track runs through Oct. 17.

“I like to win and I like to work. And I really like riding horses,” said Lopez. “If I’m having a bad day, when a get on a horse and go out to the track I forget about my bad days. I love my job.”

In 18 of the 19 years he has been riding in the United States, Lopez has had at least 1,000 mounts. He currently has 257 wins for the year and 4,620 for his career.

Though his best year statistically was 2025, when he won 325 races to rank second nationally, this year saw him win his first Triple Crown race in the Preakness Stakes aboard Napoleon Solo. He is also the regular rider for Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Book’em Danno.

The Veracruz, Mexico, native says he wants to keep doing what he is doing for as long as he can.

“You need to get on good horses and you need to stay healthy,” he said. “If you stay healthy it gives you a chance to accomplish a lot of things. I’m very happy to tie Joe Bravo’s record. It’s a special accomplishment for me.”