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Apprentice Andrea Gonzalez Wins First Start At Ellis Park

Andrea Rodriguez had never even been to Ellis Park before, let alone ridden in a race. But the 23-year-old apprentice jockey wasted no time locating the winner's circle.

Rodriguez rode 11-1 shot Artie's Lady to a head victory over 14-1 Midnight Lewis in Saturday's second race for $16,000 claimers in her only mount on the card.

Artie's Lady paid $24.80 to win in taking his second start in a row, with Rodriguez guiding owner-trainer Mark Schwarm's 3-year-old colt to a nose victory May 27 in a $16,000 maiden-claiming race at Indiana Grand.

It's not surprising that Puerto Rico's famed jockey school has produced a promising jockey. Some of the best jockeys in the world — think brothers Irad and Jose Ortiz who are so dominant today, Hall of Famer John Velazquez and the iconic Angel Cordero – are products of Escuela Vocacional Hipica Agustin Mercado Revero. What remains relatively rare are Hispanic female riders. Rodriguez said she was one of two women in her class of 16, though she said the numbers are starting to pick up. They can look to Puerto Rico product Carol Cedeno, who owns six riding titles at Delaware Park, for inspiration.

“We're trying, we're trying,” Rodriguez said with a laugh, referencing Puerto Rican girls who aspire to be jockeys. “Since I was a little kid, I loved horses. My father's family is involved in the horse-racing industry, so I guess I got it.”

Rodriguez started riding in 2019 at Puerto Rico's Hipódromo Camarero before moving on to Tampa and Monmouth Park, finishing the year with two wins out of 47 mounts. Deciding she needed more experience, she began working as an exercise rider for Kentucky-based trainer Ian Wilkes. Rodriguez resumed riding races full-time at Turfway Park, where she struggled but says she learned a lot.

“I knew I needed more time, I needed to learn more,” she said. “So I kept galloping. So when I thought I was ready — and Ian Wilkes thought I was ready – he sent me to the races. I had not a great meet at Turfway, but I learned a lot. When I started at Indiana, I've been doing very good, thanks to that.”

Rodriguez has 12 wins, with five seconds and nine thirds, out of 82 mounts at Indiana Grand, and 15 career victories overall. Her mounts currently get to carry seven pounds fewer than otherwise stipulated in the race conditions, with such apprentice allowances offered to encourage trainers to use inexperienced jockeys. For instance: as a 3-year-old ridden by a seven-pound apprentice, Artie's Lady carried 111 pounds to 122 for Midnight Lewis, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, winner of 4,178 races.

“She's done great,” Schwarm said. “She's rode him twice for me and won both races. I think she has a lot of feel for a horse. She can feel what the horse needs from her, and she doesn't give any more or any less. It seems to be working.”

Rodriguez said Artie's Lady loves to fight.

“He loves to be head-to-head with another horse. So when I saw the No. 2 (Midnight Lewis) coming, I said, 'This is mine.' Because he will fight for it,” she said. “… I can't describe it. It's so amazing, especially when you know the horse you're on and you have that connection with him. I just love being on horses.”

Rodriguez hopes to start riding regularly at Ellis Park (which races Friday-Sunday) in addition to Indiana (which runs Monday-Thursday).

“This is my first mount here, and I got a winner,” she said. “So I hope I get many more mounts here.”

What does she think of Ellis Park?

“I love it!” she said. “I got a winner the first time, so I love it so far.”

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With a Name Like That, How Can She Miss?

From a very young age, she wanted to be a jockey, maybe even one who someday got to ride in the GI Kentucky Derby. After all, she loved horses and both of her parents were exercise riders. Then there's her name.

Derbe Glass is a 23-year-old 10-pound apprentice riding this meet at Monmouth, where she is trying to make a name for herself (pun intended).

“I want to improve every day, get stronger, get smarter and learn the art of race riding,” Glass said. “Hopefully, we will do well.”

Actually, the name has a double meaning.

Glass grew up in a religious household and her mother was reading the Bible while pregnant. One day, she was reading the Book of Acts and took notice of the name of a town mentioned in a passage. According to Wikipedia, Derbe is notable because it is the only city mentioned in the New Testament where the message of the Gospel was accepted from the beginning by its inhabitants. She liked the name and thought it was a perfect fit for someone who was going to grow up in a horse racing family.

“She was reading it and thought it sounds just like the race,” Glass said. “We are a horse racing family and here was a racing name that is also a biblical name. That's why there is the funny spelling at the end with an 'E' instead of a 'Y.' That's because that is how the town is spelled.”

Though she gets asked some stupid questions–like, “Do you have a sister named Preakness Glass?”–Glass embraces her name. At the very least, it's one that trainers and owners won't soon forget.

“I get a positive response,” she said. “People think that it's cool. I grew up in horse racing and now I am riding races and have a name that fits the job description.”

She was born in Delaware and says she grew up on the backstretch at Delaware Park, where her father was the valet for Ramon Dominguez. With an early introduction to racing, she knew what she wanted to do, but her parents insisted that she take things slowly.

“My parents always told me you need to learn how to hot walk and you need to learn how to groom before they were ever going to let me ride. They wanted me to learn from the ground up,” Glass said.

As part of the process, she studied some of the riders she admired most, watching countless replays of their races.

“I grew up watching Ramon Dominguez and I always tried to imitate the way he rides,” she said. “Kendrick (Carmouche), Tyler Gaffalione, Laffit (Pincay, Jr.), they were my idols. I'd watch replays of them over and over again and try to copy their style.”

After working as a groom, she moved on and found work in Ocala breaking babies. She was just getting started. Along the way she would work for John Kimmel, Brendan Walsh and Barclay Tagg.

“The ultimate goal was always to ride races,” she said. “That's been my dream since I was a little kid. I really wanted to put in the time and years to really perfect everything before making my debut. I think the way I have done it definitely gives me an advantage. I think all young riders should get a really good foundation and learn about all the different sides of the industry. My advice to anybody who is galloping and wants to ride is that they should find a few jockeys that they really enjoy watching. You should watch them and learn from them and try to copy their style.”

She rode in two amateur races in 2019 and won with her first mount. She had intended to spend 2020 riding in more amateur races but they were canceled due to COVID-19. Instead, she came to Monmouth and galloped horses during last year's meet.

“I loved Monmouth Park,” she said. “I loved the atmosphere and the people here are so friendly and encouraging and supportive. The bug has been really hot here the last couple of years. So I made it a goal of coming here this summer.”

She rode in five races over the holiday weekend and her best finish was a second-place showing on opening day.

“I'm really excited and I feel very lucky and extremely blessed and appreciative that everyone here been so receptive and helpful,” Glass said. “I've gotten a lot of good feedback. I just want to do the best I can and enjoy it.”

Those may be modest goals, but she understands that you have to take things one step at a time. Derbe has a long way to go before riding in the Derby, but, then again, you never know.

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‘Indescribable’: Rene Diaz Breaks Through With First Winner At Gulfstream

Apprentice jockey Rene Diaz broke through to notch his first career win Thursday at Gulfstream Park after guiding Jessica ($14) to a three-length victory in the afternoon's third race.

The 21-year-old jockey achieved the ever-important milestone in front-running fashion aboard the Michael Yates-trained 5-year-old mare, capturing a seven-furlong sprint for $12,500 filly and mare claimers.

“It feels amazing. It felt like the wire was getting further and further away from me,” Diaz said. “Thank God, my parents and everyone that supported me. I'm grateful for the connections, also — Mr. Yates, Shadybrook Farm. It's just amazing, an amazing feeling. Indescribable.”

Diaz, who grew up in South Florida and played high school soccer with fellow Gulfstream jockey Romero Maragh, worked his way up the ladder on the South Florida backstretches.

“I was just freelancing in the backstretch, working for everybody and helping everyone out. Picking up things little by little, learning little by little,” he said. “It's been a long three years of practicing until I decided this was my year to start. So much has happened due to the coronavirus. I'm just happy to be here and blessed.”

Diaz, who won his first race on his 18th career mount, expressed gratitude to the trainers who helped him realize his dream of becoming a jockey.

“I first started in the shedrow, shedrowing horses for [trainer] Aubrey Maragh. He gave me a huge chance. He was a big support. Also, [trainer] Monica McGoey was a big support. She's really the person that let me get my gate card and gave me a whole bunch of horses to breeze,” Diaz said. “Then I started expanding my horizons with [trainers] Joe Orseno, Happy Alter, and Louis Roussel, where I learned a lot.”

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De La Sayette Informed of Cocaine Positive By PJA, Suspended By BHA

Benoit de la Sayett has returned a positive test for cocaine, the Professional Jockeys Association announced on Tuesday morning. The British Horseracing Authority has subsequently suspended De La Sayette until the end of the disciplinary process.

The 18-year-old apprentice jockey to John and Thady Gosden was shown in a video on social media in late March allegedly in the presence of the drug at a party after winning the Unibet Lincoln H. at Doncaster aboard Haqeeqy (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) on Mar. 27. At that time, the PJA defended the young rider and denying the allegation that he “did not and does not take cocaine.”

After the video surfaced, the BHA tested De La Sayett for cocaine metabolites on Mar. 31. His urine sample was negative, but his hair sample was positive for metabolites of the drug. De La Sayette was notified of the positive hair sample by the BHA on Apr. 17, the PJA said. The Frenchman has now admitted to taking the drug and to not being as forthcoming to those advising him, but maintains that the video was from October 2019 and that he did not take the drug then or after winning the Lincoln.

De La Sayette opted not to ride at Brighton where he had mounts on Saturday and has not accepted any more rides in the interim. He is fully co-operating with the BHA's disciplinary process.

De la Sayette said in a statement issued by the PJA, “I cannot apologise enough for my actions, both in respect of taking cocaine and of misleading those around me. Earlier this year I moved back home to live with my parents in order to take myself away from an environment where it was present.

“There are no excuses and I am sorry for letting down my family, the team at Clarehaven Stables, Mr. Gosden and my colleagues in the weighing room.”

PJA Chief Executive Paul Struthers added, “Benoit is a very young man who only turned 18 in December 2020. He has made mistakes but the PJA will continue to support him throughout the process.”

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