April, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Family First: Victor Espinoza Back At Santa Anita And Raring To Go

Victor Espinoza does not plan to retire anytime soon.

The affable native of Mexico, his smile as imminent and bright as the sunrise, burst onto the international racing scene with the fairytale horse California Chrome seven years ago, swept the Triple Crown on American Pharoah a year later and became a global celebrity, appearing on “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Tonight Show,” with lucrative commercial offers his for the taking.

A member of the Hall of Fame since 2017, Espinoza's honors could fill a mansion's mantle, among them Santa Anita's George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, three ESPYs as best jockey, three Kentucky Derby wins and the “Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award” presented by the ABC Network.

But it's not all take. He understands it is better to give than to receive, which is why Espinoza has been donating 10 percent of his sizable income to the City of Hope pediatric research and treatment center in Duarte to aid children stricken with cancer.

All that became relatively meaningless, however, on July 22, 2018, when he suffered a severe neck injury during a workout spill at Del Mar.

The damage was career-threatening, but Espinoza labored through it and was back riding and winning seven months later.

But on May 23 he turns 49 and today appears to be merely a dot on racing's map. He has ridden in only 22 races at Santa Anita this meet, winning two, the last coming aboard Stella Noir on March 19.

But figures can be deceiving. This is not to say elder statesmen in the jockey colony find mounts hard to come by this meet, since fellow Hall of Fame members Kent Desormeaux, 51, and Mike Smith, 55, ride here too, fulfilling one vital requirement: you must be present.

Victor Espinoza still has a passion for the game and his priorities in order.

“He had to step away for a while,” said his agent of eight years, Brian Beach, explaining Victor's sparse participation this meet. “He went to Mexico to help his mother, who is in her 80s and required some medical attention, but we didn't want to publicize it. He kept a low profile and it cost him time.

“While all that was going on, just about every horse he had been riding ran, and since we had kind of a small circle of business to start with, it's been kind of tough.

“We're trying to get back to riding, but with two and three days of racing a week and short fields, it's been difficult.

“But Victor is healthy and ready to go. He's a workout fiend and been posting his workout videos on Instagram, so we're looking for the right opportunities to come along.”

Don't bet against them. Victor Espinoza always looks at the glass as half full, and with career purse earnings approaching $205 million, safe to say racing needs Victor more than Victor needs racing.

Little wonder he once called himself “The luckiest Mexican on earth.”

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Grounded: Severe Weather Delays Known Agenda’s Flight To Kentucky

St. Elias Stable's homebred Known Agenda, a major Triple Crown contender following his impressive victory in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa March 27 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., had a planned trip to Kentucky postponed 24 hours due to inclement weather.

Known Agenda was scheduled to fly from South Florida to Louisville Sunday but severe thunderstorms sweeping through the area pushed the flight to Monday, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

“There's some bad weather in Orlando, so they postponed the flight. He'll train [Monday] at Palm Beach Downs and then go,” he said. “We were scheduled to go today and then all the bad weather came in.”

A sophomore son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, Known Agenda had his first timed work since the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby April 9, an easy half-mile in 50.25 seconds at Palm Beach Downs.

“He's doing excellent. We're very happy with him,” Pletcher said. “He's showing good energy. He seems pleased with himself.”

Known Agenda worked in company with Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) winner Colonel Liam. At Churchill Downs he will join Wood Memorial (G2) winner Bourbonic and runner-up Dynamic One as well as Sainthood, second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G2) at Turfway Park, as Pletcher's Kentucky Derby (G1) prospects.

“We were kind of monitoring the weather everywhere and the way things kind of unfolded last week with a couple horses in New York going to Louisville, it just seemed to make sense to consolidate there,” Pletcher said. “[Known Agenda] was scheduled to breeze [Saturday], we got that in, and now we'll get to Churchill and, hopefully, breeze on Friday there.”

Pletcher said he plans to give Known Agenda two works at Churchill in his attempt to win a third Derby. He won with Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017, the latter one of the trainer's record six Florida Derby victories.

Always Dreaming, who counted St. Elias Stable among his large ownership group, went winless at 2 before breaking his maiden in his 3-year-old opener. He made his Gulfstream debut winning a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance that earned him a shot in the Florida Derby, his first stakes race, which he captured by five lengths.

Known Agenda, meanwhile, won once in three juvenile starts and he, too, punched his Florida Derby ticket with an optional claiming allowance going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream. His came Feb. 26, the first time he raced with blinkers.

“They're different personalities. Always Dreaming was the kind of horse that would really show off in the mornings and work fast and things like that,” Pletcher said, “where this horse is a little more laid-back personality. He's not one that's going to put in some super quick breezes, but I feel like the mile and a quarter is right in his wheelhouse and I like the way he's doing.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., Gulfstream's three-time defending Championship Meet leading rider, will ride Known Agenda in the Kentucky Derby. Pletcher has won a record 17 Championship Meet training titles, having his unprecedented streak snapped at 15 straight years in 2018-19.

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Gander Winner Nicky The Vest Sidelined After Surgery To Remove Chip

Trainer Jonathan Thomas said Robert V. LaPenta's Nicky the Vest had surgery to remove a chip in the lower joint of his right knee. He reported that the New York-bred son of Runhappy could return to his barn on June 1.

A winner of both career starts, Nicky the Vest was last seen winning the Gander on February 15 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., against his Empire State-bred counterparts. The 11 ¾-length romp in the one-turn mile promoted Thomas to consider the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, but ultimately stopped on the horse following his most recent work.

“In the grand scheme of things, it's hopefully inconsequential but it was enough to bother the horse,” Thomas said of the operation. “Dr. [John] Madison did it at Ocala Equine on Monday. He cleaned up nicely, the prognosis is good and fingers crossed he's back with us June 1.”

Bred in New York by Highclere, Nicky the Vest was purchased for $110,000 at the 2019 OBS October Yearling Sale. He is the sixth progeny out of the Cat Thief mare Tazarine, whose other five progeny are all winners.

While Nicky the Vest will be on the shelf for the time being, Hard Love will make his sophomore debut for Thomas in Saturday's $100,000 Woodhaven going 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds.

Owned by LaPenta in partnership with George Strawbridge, Jr.'s Augustin Stable, the son of Kitten's Joy was victorious on debut at 11-1 odds going 1 1/16 miles over the outer turf at Belmont Park. He stalked a moderate pace, established command in upper stretch and battled with runner-up Big Everest to a two-length win.

Hard Love saw similar tactics in his next-out stakes debut, where he stalked gate-to-wire winner Never Surprised throughout the 1 1/16-mile journey.

“He's going to be a little bit short, but he still has enough foundation for a spot like the Woodhaven,” Thomas said. “He's trained well and we're hopeful that this can lead him into longer races into the year. We're happy with him and we're a go for the Woodhaven.”

Thomas picked Hard Love for $200,000 out of last year's OBS April Sale, where he was consigned by Eddie Woods.

Other probable starters for Saturday's Woodhaven include Sifting Sands, Original, Shawdyshawdyshawdy and Extrasexybigdaddee.

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McPeek Pointing Lexington Winner King Fury to Derby Or Preakness

Trainer Kenny McPeek said Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimney Farm's King Fury (Curlin) will be pointed to the GI Kentucky Derby or the GI Preakness S. after winning the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. Saturday at Keeneland. The chestnut returned last night to McPeek's division at Churchill Downs, where he has two wins including the Street Sense S.

With the 20 points he earned in the Lexington, King Fury ranks 28th on the Derby points leaderboard and would need several defections to draw into the May 1 Run for the Roses, which is limited to 20 starters.

“All good; we are real proud of him,” McPeek said. “If his points get him in to the Kentucky Derby, we will probably run. It is his home track and he has won there. If he doesn't get in the Derby, he will run in the [May 15] Preakness. He seems like a horse that is ready to do all that. We will have to see how that ball bounces. It is out of our control, but we will keep his work schedule the same.”

At Aqueduct, trainer Danny Velazquez reported that his graded stakes winner Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong) will also aim for the Preakness after his fifth-place run in the GII Wood Memorial S. Winner of the GII Remsen S. as a 2-year-old, the gelding will also likely use the Apr. 24 Federico Tesio S. at Laurel as further prep for the Triple Crown's middle jewel.

“He came out of the Wood really good. It was a good tightener for him and a learning curve for me,” said Velazquez. “I went in there 100% believing in my horse but at the end of the day, going into those big races you need a big race. My horse showed up and he showed me that he belongs there. He was beat less than five lengths off a long layoff. He impressed me. I think we're going to try the Preakness. We'll look at the Tesio as a target race for him and to keep him fit.”

Velazquez said Brooklyn Strong had a difficult trip in the Wood Memorial when finishing 4 3/4 lengths back of longshot winner Bourbonic (Bernardini).

“I've watched the replay a dozen times and he never really got a break down the back side,” said Velazquez. “He was steadied behind traffic and that takes energy. When he finally found a hole he got banged around again. The mile and an eighth was a little hard on him off the layoff.”

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