Apprentice jockey Jaime Torres has found a new home on the Kentucky circuit with the help of his agent, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, and the backing of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
“It's been a dream to come ride in Kentucky,” Torres said. “I'm pretty new to the sport. One day I was sitting at home Puerto Rico and saw racing on from Camarero and I fell in love. From that point on, I wanted to become a jockey.”
Torres won his first race nearly one year ago at Gulfstream Park. The 24-year-old rider started galloping horses in Puerto Rico before moving to the U.S. and working for Saffie Joseph Jr.
Torres, a five-pound apprentice rider, won his first race at Churchill Downs on Sept. 16 aboard Our Keepsake, a 2-year-old Cinco Charlie filly trained by Lukas who scored by 4 1/4 lengths going gate to wire.
“Riding for Mr. Lukas is a blessing,” Torres said. “I've been very lucky to learn from so many talented people like Gary Stevens and Angel Cordero (Jr.), who was my agent in New York. They've all taught me so much about riding and life.”
Even with Lukas being a main supporter of Torres, he is slated to ride for many top outfits over the next week including Mike Maker, Chris Hartman, Joe Sharp, and Michael McCarthy.
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