apprentice jockeys | Horse Racing Free Tips

Apprentice Jessica Pyfer Rides Longshot Indy Jones To Her First Victory At Santa Anita

It's often said racing is a game of peaks and valleys. And so it was for 22-year-old Jessica Pyfer on Friday at Santa Anita, as she experienced major trouble leaving the gate aboard 6-5 favorite Give Me a Hint in the third race, only to experience the ultimate exhilaration of winning her first career race in the day's ninth and final, aboard the Val Brinkerhoff-trained Indy Jones.

“I had two more mounts and I knew I had to make it up somehow,” said Pyfer, who was soaking wet from multiple buckets of ice water administered in a time-honored fashion by her fellow jockeys prior to a winner's circle interview on TVG. “Val told me at Del Mar that this horse was ready and I really can't thank him enough for this one. I'm just feeling so blessed and so happy that I decided to go down this road.

“I knew at the top of the stretch when I was in front, that I had to stay in front. That was my only motivation to get down to the wire. It was just such an amazing feeling and all the guys in the jocks' room have been so awesome to me, celebrating me by drenching me with water, but they've all helped out so much, I just can't thank them enough.”

A native of Denver, Colo., Pyfer has been raised around racing as her father, Roger Pyfer is an ex-jockey and her mother Sherrie is now married to top trainer Phil D'Amato and assists in the management of his stable.

In what was her sixth career mount, Pyfer had Indy Jones away alertly from her number four post position, was head and head into and around the far turn with Baby Gronk to her inside, took charge a quarter mile from home and prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths while getting 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:18.50.

Winless in his last 10 starts and ridden for the first time today by Pyfer, Indy Jones, a 4-year-old gelding by Temple City who was entered for a $16,000 claiming tag, was off at 14-1 and paid $31.60, $14.60 and $7.00.

“Sixth mount. But I've learned so much in the past six months that it's just crazy how things happen.”

Indeed it is as Jessica Pyfer is now on her way as a promising young apprentice with but one mount on Saturday, the George Papaprodromou-trained Lucky Ryan Seven in the ninth race.

The post Apprentice Jessica Pyfer Rides Longshot Indy Jones To Her First Victory At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Angel Cordero, Jr. Taking Book of Maryland Apprentice Charlie Marquez

Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero, Jr., who currently represents Manny Franco, regular pilot of GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution), is adding Maryland’s leading apprentice, Charlie Marquez, to his team. Marquez, age 17, rides with a five-pound weight allowance and was the third-leading rider at Laurel Park’s summer meet, which wrapped up Saturday.

“There’s nothing like Laurel,” said Marquez. “I love all the people. The environment’s great, the horses are great. I just wanted to try something new in my career. I always wanted to go to New York. It’s just another chapter of my life, so I want to see where that goes.”

Marquez, who debuted professionally Jan. 1, got his first winner Jan. 9 at Laurel with his eighth mount. The Maryland native is the son of Carlos Marquez, Jr., a winner of more than 3,150 career races who is currently riding in Puerto Rico. His grandfather, Carlos Marquez Sr., was also a jockey who taught at Puerto Rico’s jockey school.

“I’m excited. I hope to do good,” said Marquez. “I have a very good agent up there. [Cordero is] a great mentor, a good agent and has a lot of connections, so hopefully we can be a good team and work together to get some wins.”

Cordero, who won 7,057 races during his Hall of Fame career, also previously represented Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

The post Angel Cordero, Jr. Taking Book of Maryland Apprentice Charlie Marquez appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Changes to Apprentice Agreements to Start July 15

The previously announced changes to the apprentice and conditional jockey training agreements will now go into effect on July 15, 2020, the British Horseracing Authority confirmed on Monday. These changes, originally slated for Mar. 28, were temporarily postponed due to COVID-19. The initial decision for the new agreements to be brought in required approval by the BHA Board following considerable period of consultation and discussion between the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and National Trainers Federation (NTF) where agreement did not prove possible. The BHA has invited the PJA and NTF to create a working group to discuss the subject at length as new tweaks are needed.

“This has always been a subject which has created strong feelings both from jockeys and trainers and their representatives,” said BHA Director of Integrity and Regulation Tim Naylor. “Our job has been to mediate to try and arrive at the best compromise possible, whereby there is not the potential for an uneven balance of power and also that trainer’s contribution to the early stages of an apprentice’s career is suitably recognised.

“We also felt that it was not appropriate to bring in the new agreements in the initial stages of resumption, particularly as there were restrictions on apprentices riding. We fully accept that both from the point of view of apprentices and trainers there is more discussion to be had on this topic, and as such have re-instated the cross-industry working group to ensure there is a suitable forum to work together on any further concerns that arise.”

The post Changes to Apprentice Agreements to Start July 15 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post