Jockey Leandro Goncalves won his 2,000th Thoroughbred race in North America on Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, where he guided Gurkha Gold to a length and a half victory in a maiden special weight route for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. She won the fifth race and paid $20.80. 

"This means a lot to me to get my 2,000th win in the United States," Goncalves said in a social media post from Sam Houston Race Park. 

"I just want to thank everyone for all the winners and all the support. And my really true friends, my wife, when you have the bad times they are there to support you and help you pick yourself up and just wake up the next morning and just go do it over again."  

Goncalves has had 12,839 Thoroughbred mounts, and they have earned a collective $44.1 million, according to records from Daily Racing Form. 

Goncalves was aboard Gurkha Gold for Russell Welch and trainer Karl Broberg. 

More to come at www.drf.com

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