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Apprentice Charlie Marquez Teams With ‘Legend’ Angel Cordero For New York Debut

The New York Racing Association's jockey colony is one of the most talented in the world, with a room that claims Hall of Famers, Eclipse Award champions, and American Classic winners. But 17-year-old Charlie Marquez said he won't be intimidated when he makes his New York debut on Friday, where the apprentice rider will look to build on a successful start to 2020 that has seen him become a regular at Laurel Park in Maryland.

“I'm extremely excited,” Marquez said. “It's been a dream of mine to ride in New York and ride at Belmont. I've had a great mentor in my agent Angel Cordero, who is a legend, especially in New York. Hopefully, we go places and everything goes as planned.

“I don't fear any jockey,” he added. “Of course, they're better than me, but I'm just focusing on myself and learning as much as I can. I'm just practicing and working hard to do what I can to become the best.”

Marquez has registered 63 wins in 394 mounts in 2020. Officially starting his career with seven mounts in 2019, Marquez won his first career race on January 9 at Laurel aboard Sierra Leona, who gave him his second win 10 days later over the same track. This year, he has compiled a 63-57-44 record with earnings of more than $1.5 million and has also earned winner's circle trips at Delaware Park and Penn National.

On Friday, Marquez will make his debut at historic Belmont Park, where he is scheduled for six mounts on the 10-race card. By moving his tack north, he will be competing against the likes of Hall of Famers John Velazquez and Javier Castellano, Eclipse Award-winners Jose and Irad Ortiz, Jr., and Belmont Stakes-winner jockey Manny Franco, who shares the same agent as Marquez in Cordero, Jr.

A three-time Kentucky Derby-winner, Cordero, Jr, who captured 7,057 races, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Marquez is one of three apprentice riders in New York during the 27-day fall meet, joining Luis Cardenas and Heman Harkie.

Marquez was third in jockey standings for the Laurel's winter/spring meet and was also third in the summer meet, serving as springboard to a bigger stage.

“Laurel helped me so much and the fellow jockeys and all the people taught me so much about riding,” Marquez said. “Having the opportunity to come up to New York, it's exciting and I think I'm ready.”

Marquez comes from a family of jockeys. Both his father and grandfather had mounts in the Kentucky Derby, with his grandfather, Carlos Marquez, Sr., running third with Hold Your Peace in 1972 and Law Talk running 19th in 1983. His father, Carlos Marquez, Jr., was ninth aboard Concerto in 1997.

Marquez, Jr. has amassed more than 3,000 career wins. In 1997, he piloted Salt It to a victory in the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico Race Course, a race which his father won in 1970 aboard Office Queen. This makes the Marquez pair the only father-son duo to have won the Black-Eyed Susan.

The younger Marquez will look to continue his family's success and do it with his own style.

“I like to try and come off the pace; I think it's more fun and gives you more of a rush than sitting a horse on the front end,” Marquez said. “But I think I have patience for being a 17-year-old apprentice. A lot of riders go quick and make their move quick. I like to sit and just wait and see how the horse is traveling and see where they take me.”

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Apprentice Morales Living Up To His Commitments At Indiana Grand

The 2020 season has brought challenges to those involved in racing. With COVID-19 regulations in place, Indiana Grand jockeys must only ride in Indiana, and those coming in must adhere to specific rules, including a 14-day quarantine. It's a commitment that Apprentice Jockey Joshua Morales didn't back down from.

A native of Puerto Rico, Morales knows all about commitment. He attended his country's Escuela Vocacional Hipica Agustin Mercado Reveron jockey school at Camarero Race Track near San Juan. Known for its rigorous curriculum that spans up to two years, Morales entered the school and graduated last August at the age of 19, ready to tackle the world of Thoroughbred racing.

“My two uncles (Wilfredo Rohena and Jose Rohena) are jockeys at Finger Lakes,” said Morales through his valet, Ramiro Torres. “I came to the United States a couple different times and worked as a hot walker at Finger Lakes, but I never had any plans to be a jockey. My friends influenced me because of my size and build. That's how I ended up going to jockey school.”

Morales began riding in Puerto Rico and in January, relocated to Turfway Park, which eventually took him to Belterra Park. Although he was riding a lot, his business wasn't taking him in the direction he wanted, so a suggestion from Nelson Figueroa, clerk of scales at Belterra, got him connected to agent Francisco Torres.

“Nelson and I go way back and a recommendation from him was all I needed,” said Torres. “I'm always shopping for another apprentice. I feel in this stage in my life, it's time to give back and working with these younger riders is what I like. He sure looks great on a horse and he has great hands. When he puts everything together, look out.”

Morales made the move to Indiana Grand and put in the mandatory time for the 14-day quarantine. During that time, Morales worked on an equicizer and Torres began to share some pointers for the apprentice, who turns 21 next week.

“Cisco has helped me out a lot,” said Morales. “Not only on the track but off the track, helping me find an apartment for my family and getting settled. He has corrected a few things already about my riding and helped me improve.”

Morales got out of the gate with a win on his very first day of competition at Indiana Grand, Sept. 7. Since that time, he has scored two riding doubles with seven wins total in only 10 days of racing. He and Torres are working on short term goals with hopes of opening some doors in the near future.

“The goal is to become leading apprentice here,” added Torres. “Then, he will either go to Turfway or possibly Oaklawn with me. We will just wait and see how it works out.”

Morales and his partner, Chareen, have two young sons, Owen, age four, and Harlan, 16 months. He also has support from his father, Javier, who is a former exercise rider. He is currently overseeing his son's start in racing.

“His two uncles wanted bigger and better things for him, so that is why he didn't go to Finger Lakes,” said Javier. “Jockey school was very good for him. It is very disciplined. The last semester, they have 20 races a day, 10 for a start of a race and 10 for a finish of a race. There were five that graduated from his class and four are now riding in the United States. He even had a personal trainer in school that helped him learn about keeping his weight down and keeping in shape.”

One of those graduates with Morales, Alex Crispin, competed at Indiana Grand in the first few weeks of competition this year before relocating to Delaware Park. Another from the same class includes Marielis Cosme currently riding at Mountaineer Park.

Racing is held Monday through Thursday until Wednesday, Nov. 18. All-Quarter Horse racing is set for Saturday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 24. For more information, go to www.indianagrand.com.

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Apprentice LaBarre Closes Out Colonial Downs’ Pick 4 With An Upset

Rebecca Grace LaBarre may be an apprentice jockey and may be competing at Colonial Downs for the first time ever, but she has made her presence felt in a big way so far at the track's summer meet, especially to Pick-4 players.

The New Kent track opened its racing season on July 28 and in each of the two Monday cards Colonial has conducted since, the 26-year-old has put an exclamation point on the final leg of the early Pick-4 with upset wins. Those wager-ending triumphs have sent Pick-4 payouts into five-digit territory both times.

Monday evening (August 10), her victory atop Bay Bridge in the fifth paid $21.00 but more importantly, triggered a .50 Pick-4 bonanza of $32,957 for the 9-2-1-5 combination. Solitary Jack ($47.60) won the first leg and was followed by Dude's Secret ($39.00) and Chaps ($4.20).

A week prior on August 3, her score aboard Thump returned $36.60 to win and resulted in a .50 Pick-4 payoff of $19,310.50 for the 4-6-2-2 combo. Raison d'Etat Girl kicked the first leg off with a $64.00 win followed by modest middle leg returns — The Great Samurai ($6.40) and Feeling Mischief ($4.40).

LaBarre began her riding career in January, 2019 at Laurel. She had competed primarily there and at Penn National before relocating to Colonial Downs two weeks ago. In the six cards Colonial has held, LaBarre has five wins. Her others have come aboard first or second favorites — Snaggletooth ($7.40), Hypnotist ($6.40) and Tolaga Bay ($3.60).

Colonial Downs, home of the Secretariat Turf Course, continues its summer season with cards every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 5:30 PM through September 2. The Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby is slated for Tuesday September 1.

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‘They Just Run For Her’: Apprentice Jockey Ferrin Peterson Celebrates Four-Win Day At Monmouth

The hints were there that something special was going to happen for apprentice Ferrin Peterson, Julie Krone said. Her work ethic, the way horses seem to respond to her, the increased experience she has gained by riding all summer at Monmouth Park – all were tell-tale signs, she said.

So the Hall of Fame rider-turned-jockey-agent was not the least bit surprised when Peterson, whom she represents, won four of the 10 races last Sunday at Monmouth Park, giving her 12 winners from 64 mounts heading into Friday night's six-race twilight card.

“It's the way horses respond to her that you notice right away,” said Krone. “They seem to find another gear for her. They just run for her.”

Peterson, 28, now finds herself in the midst of what looks to be a hotly-contested race for the second spot in the track's rider standings behind runaway leader Paco Lopez (30 wins). She's right there with accomplished veterans Antonio Gallardo (15 wins), Joe Bravo (13) and Jose Ferrer (12). Hector Diaz Jr. is also part of that logjam with 12 wins.

“I'm very pleased with the way things are going,” said Peterson, who is listed to ride in four of the six races on Monmouth Park's Friday card. “It feels like I am starting to pick up momentum. The trainers here have really helped me get started. Pat McBurney let me gallop for him when racing was postponed here for two months because of COVID-19. It feels like it was a long wait to finally get started in July.

“It just has been a really weird start. Not having Julie on the backstretch, where she could have really helped out business get going, was a bit of a setback, too. So I was unsure of how the meet would go. But I'm very happy with the way things have gone since the racing started.”

Peterson, a licensed veterinarian, is a latecomer to riding, turning to the profession full-time a year and half ago. Krone says her intelligence and willingness to learn are two of her biggest strengths.

“We're superstitious at the racetrack so I'm afraid to say too much because you know you will jinx it,” said Krone. “But she has never made the same mistake twice. All I have to do is show her a video or explain a technique and she gets it immediately.

“Her other big strength is that she communicates with the horses. And there is never any hesitation to accept instruction or a correction. She is totally into her development as a jockey.”

Peterson said she is always tugging at Krone to show her more when it comes to technique or the nuances of riding.

“I told Julie as long as there is something I can improve in my riding each week I want to work on it so the trainers can see I am trying to improve and that I have the work ethic – even if I am not winning,” she said. “Last Sunday there were a few things that Julie worked on with me that just really clicked with me.

“People want to see numbers, so riding four winners on a card was significant to me. Getting longshots to run second and third is good but trainers and owners want to see wins.”

The California native and former college pole vaulter has never shied from hard work, at one point juggling college schoolwork and being a track athlete while also trying to make inroads on her goal of being a jockey as he worked toward veterinary school. That work ethic has carried over to her constant presence in the backstretch and working with Krone on dark days.

And finishing second to Lopez, she says, would be a major achievement this early in her career. Lopez is seeking his seventh riding title at Monmouth Park.

“I do definitely think it's possible (to get second),” she said. “We're only halfway through the meet. Now that things seem to be connecting that's definitely my goal – to chase second. And, really, to chase first. Who knows? Anything can happen.”

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