Victor Espinoza Vies For Big Kentucky Derby Weekend

Espinoza Loaded With Talent For Kentucky Derby Weekend

By: Natalie Rietkerk

Barely coming down off the whirlwind that began with California Chrome’s spectacular Kentucky Derby win last year, jockey Victor Espinoza is gearing up for yet another run for the roses and his shot at horse racing immortality. If he emerges from this Saturday’s Kentucky Derby victorious – as his name so suggests – he will become the sixth jockey in history with back-to-back derby wins and only the second to do it aboard the favorites.

We hear much about the horses training as the racing industry is teeming with anticipation for the greatest two minutes in sports, but relatively little about what the jockeys do in preparation.

“I work out twice a day instead of just once,” Espinoza said. “ In the morning I go to the gym and around five or six o’clock every day I run up the mountain [the San Gabriel Mountain range located behind Santa Anita Park]. I really push myself to be in the best shape I can be in before I get to Kentucky. I don’t get to work out as much when I’m there, so I can rest a little bit and be good to go when I race.”

On Friday, Espinoza will be aboard likely favorite Stellar Wind, a Virginia-bred chestnut filly by Curlin, seeking his first ever Kentucky Oaks win. Stellar Wind was privately purchased through Hronis Racing LLC following a smashing 8 ¾ maiden win on December 18^th and was turned over to trainer John Sadler.

“John called me and said ‘I’ve got this great filly, I want you to come see what you think’,” Espinoza said enthusiastically. “So I got to the track early one morning and worked her, and was like wow! I was so excited. John and I were both really pleased with her.”

Since being piloted by Espinoza, Stellar Wind has achieved consecutive graded stakes wins – the Santa Ysabel and Santa Anita Oaks – and has earned $87,200.

“She’s an amazing horse and I’m looking forward to the Kentucky Oaks with her,” Espinoza said. “I’ve run in it before, I don’t even know how many times, but never on a favorite. It’s a race I’ve never won before so it would be great to say I have.”

Come Saturday, the nation will turn its eyes to the 141th running of the Kentucky Derby. Espinoza will be aboard the likely favorite, three year old prodigy American Pharoah, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Entering the Derby on a four-race winning streak and a combined 22 ¼ length margin of victory all under Espinoza, early speculators are deeming American Pharoah to be the horse to break the 37 year Triple Crown dry spell. No pressure, right?

“I try to ignore the hype for right now. When they draw post positions on Wednesday, I’ll start to get a little anxious and feel the pressure,” Espinoza said in a laid back tone. “For now, I’m just really excited to go and be on a horse like American Pharoah.”

Being paired with the Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse Eclipse Award winner happened in a last minute turn of events for Espinoza. After finishing a disappointing fifth in his track debut, Baffert changed American Pharoah’s equipment – removing his blinkers and putting cotton in his ears. There was one other big change for American Pharoah – switching jockeys from Martin Garcia to Espinoza.

“No one knew who American Pharoah was. Bob called my agent and asked if I wanted to ride him in the Del Mar Futurity, so I thought sure why not,” Espinoza chuckled. “Bob thought I was the right guy for American Pharoah and told me before the race ‘Whatever you do, just send him out and put him in the lead.’”A strategy that has bode well for the pair, having won three races using the “catch me if you can method”.

Testing his running style flexibility, Espinoza had American Pharoah stalk the pace in the Grade I Arkansas Derby, which proved to agree with him very well.

Coming fresh off a Kentucky Derby win, Espinoza is keeping a level-head on his shoulders and does not make connections between California Chrome and American Pharoah.

“They are very different and I don’t make plans to run American Pharoah like I did California Chrome last year. There are so many things that can happen during the Kentucky Derby that I can’t get the exact same trip twice even if it worked for American Pharoah,” said Espinoza. “I have to do the right thing at the right time for him to run his race, and hopefully we will win.”

Espinoza has quite the week of possibilities ahead of him. Best case scenario, he emerges the winning jockey of the Kentucky Oaks, scores big with two back-to-back Kentucky Derbies and makes his third bid at the ever elusive Triple Crown.

“That’s a little bit of pressure right there,” Espinoza laughed at the ideal outcome I laid out before him. “It would mean the world to me to win the Derby back-to-back. It’s an incredible thing and would mean all my hard work is paying off.”

If American Pharoah and Victor Espinoza perform to the mounting expectations, perhaps they could be the team to break the 37 year Triple Crown dry spell and racing would once again have kings not seen since the days of Secretariat and Ron Turcotte, back in 1973. Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, Espinoza will be back at his home track of Santa Anita come Sunday afternoon, running in routine races far away from the dazzle of the Derby. Fans will applaud him either way when he rides onto the track much as they did last year when he returned the human counterpart of team California Chrome.

Photos: Ciara Bowen / EverythingEq.com

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