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Breeders’ Cup Buzz: The Rides Of A Lifetime

Behind every winning race is a winning ride, and the Breeders' Cup has produced some of the most impressive piloting efforts the sport has seen.

When considering those winning trips, a share of the credit must, of course, go to the jockey's agents who booked the mounts for their riders. An agent knows a good ride when they see it.

With 37 years of Breeders' Cup races to draw from, we polled six jockey's agents to get their picks for the greatest riding effort in Breeders' Cup history. The answers cast a wide net from personal victories, to betting scores, to rooting for childhood heroes.

Doug Bredar

“For obvious reasons, it would be Gun Runner in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. I'm still surprised that Arrogate went off as the favorite. The bettors thought that Gun Runner would have issues going a mile and a quarter, but the connections felt otherwise. Arrogate had beaten him a couple of times, and it was not only an incredible thrill watching Florent Geroux win the race, but redemption for the way he did it. The fractions were 22.4, 46.1, 1:10.2 and 1:35. He went wire-to-wire and I thought it was an exceptional ride. Very fond memories of a special race.”

John Herbstreit

“Arazi and Zenyatta are the most impressive horse races I've seen. Even when Zenyatta ran second, she was impressive. Alysheba and Personal Ensign are my favorite wins. My favorite ride was Pat Day on Wild Again in the 1984 Classic.”

Ron Ebanks

“Randy Romero on Personal Ensign in the mud getting up the last jump to nail Gary Stevens on Winning Colors (1988 Distaff). He was my idol as a kid and I couldn't have been more happy and proud of him.”

Jimmy McNerney

“Pat Valenzuela aboard Fraise in the 1992 Turf stands out the most. It was the first Breeders' Cup that I was old enough to 'legally' bet and I put $100 across the board on him. He came from last and P-Val made every right move weaving his way through the pack through the turn. When they straightened, he dove down and snuck through along the fence and nipped Sky Classic right on the money. There's no other path that he could've taken and had the same result.”

Mike Luider

“Gulch in the 1988 Sprint. Angel Cordero Jr. was masterful!”

Brian Beach

“Julie Krone's ride on Halfbridled in the 2003 Juvenile Fillies was one of the best I've seen. It's not always about weaving though traffic and getting up at the wire. It's sometimes about getting your horse to perform its best under adverse circumstances, and that's what happened in this race. They broke from the 14 post and Julie was able to get her filly to relax while going wide and still not expending too much energy until she could get a better position down the backstretch. By the time they turned for home Julie had Halfbridled in a perfect winning position with something left in the tank for the run to the wire.”

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‘It’s Been A Great Run’: Victor Espinoza, Agent Brian Beach Part Ways

Victor Espinoza and Brian Beach, who reached pinnacles in racing others can only dream about, have parted company.

The Hall of Fame jockey and his agent of eight years went their separate ways Saturday morning after Espinoza informed Beach he is eager for more business which the 58-year-old agent, through no fault of his own, presently is limited in generating.

Through Saturday, Espinoza had only 37 mounts this meet, winning four races with five seconds and seven thirds, good for purse earnings of $365,844.

“It's tough; it's not easy,” said Espinoza, who turns 49 on May 23. “We had great success together and we were a good team. I missed a lot of time because of injuries and the pandemic, but now I'm healthy and want to win more races.”

Beach has been unable to beat the backstretch bushes on a regular basis to drum up business as most agents do since he primarily is focused on resolving health issues for his wife, Lotta, in Idaho, from where he has been commuting when possible.

Lotta has been coping with a multitude of lingering ailments stemming from a horse accident more than three years ago, in March of 2018.

“I understand Brian's situation but I'm back and my goal right now is to win as many races as I can,” Espinoza said.

Before the split, Espinoza and Beach enjoyed a wild ride.

A member of the Hall of Fame since 2017, Espinoza burst onto the international scene with Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem in 2002 and again with two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome seven years ago. He then swept the Triple Crown on American Pharoah a year later, thus becoming a global celebrity appearing on “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Tonight Show,” with lucrative commercial offers his for the taking.

Among his honors are Santa Anita's George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, three ESPY's as best jockey and three Kentucky Derby victories.

Espinoza overcame a career-threatening neck injury during a workout spill at Del Mar on July 22, 2018 and miraculously resumed riding seven months later.

“Victor wants someone at the track every day and I've got family concerns that don't allow me to be there every day,” explained Beach, an agent since 1990. “I moved to Idaho in January to benefit my wife's health more than anything else.

“We already owned a place there (in a town called Worley, about an hour southeast of Coeur d'Alene), and I needed to provide an atmosphere that was more conducive to her recovery.

“I was traveling back and forth every week until the pandemic hit. That closed us down for a while and when we did open up, agents weren't allowed on the grounds and we were doing (post position) draws via conference calls.

“It wasn't planned that way but it was working out. Things began to loosen up over time, so now everybody's kind of back to normal but I still haven't been able to be there on a fulltime basis because I have family health concerns to worry about.

“Right now, Victor's business is not in great shape and he wants to see if it will improve if he's got an agent at the track in person every day.

“We've had a great eight years, and I think if he hadn't had the accident in 2018, we'd still be going strong. But that was so serious, and when he did come back, Santa Anita was shut down for a while, there was a lot of rain and it all prevented us from regaining our business.

“We were just getting going again last summer towards the end of the Big Meet at Santa Anita when the pandemic hit, so it's been kind of an unfortunate way to end it.

“But we've had tremendous success together. Winning the Triple Crown is as big as it gets in this game and something not many agents ever experience, plus two Kentucky Derby wins, a Dubai World Cup, a Breeders Cup Classic—the biggest races out there and we've won 'em all.

“It's been a great run.”

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Hall Of Famer Espinoza Scores Riding Double On First Day Back: ‘It’s Like He Never Missed A Beat’

Victor Espinoza is back.

The Hall of Fame jockey made a storybook return to the races Saturday after an extended absence of a month, during which he spent time in his native Mexico providing love and care for his ailing 90-year-old mother, Gloria.

The three-time Kentucky Derby winner and 2015 Triple Crown king on American Pharoah had two mounts Saturday, winning both with moves right out of National Velvet.

Espinoza, who turns 49 on May 23, rallied from eighth and last on Achilleus to win the sixth race at a mile on dirt by a half-length for trainer John Sadler, with whom he has enjoyed great success in the past. It was Victor's first ride since March 19 when he finished second by a head on 7-1 shot American Heights.

Espinoza scored another dramatic victory in the seventh race, courageously slipping Ce Ce through a narrow opening on the rail in the stretch to win by 3 ¾ lengths for Michael McCarthy.

Espinoza had ridden the 5-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality to back-to-back Grade I victories last year, in the Beholder Mile and the Apple Blossom Handicap.

But it was business as usual Sunday morning for Espinoza, who was working horses at Santa Anita.

“It was a good day,” Espinoza said of his return. “I started in the right direction. My plan was to have Achilleus close to the lead, but he broke so slow it seemed like he wasn't moving. My experience has taught me one thing though: never give up until the race is over.

“Many times, horses don't have that motivation early on, and if I give up, we don't have a chance. Animals are smart, but no matter how far you are into a race, don't give up on them.

“Ce Ce showed her class. She's always been an amazing mare, she came back fresh and her race was excellent.”

Espinoza had more good news on the familial front.

“My mother just turned 90 and never had any serious problems until she fractured her back,” he said. “Then everything fell apart. But now she's recovering and getting much better.”

Added Espinoza's agent of eight years Brian Beach: “The important thing winning with Sadler's horse was it showed Victor's timing was still spot on.

“I've often told people Victor can step away like this and be ready to ride when he comes back, because he's always working out and taking care of his body.

“He's not a partier or anything like that. He's always in tip-top shape. … It's like he never missed a beat.”

That's all well and good, but two victories on Saturday, especially as incredulous as they were, assuredly can't hurt business.

“The timing is good with the Kentucky Derby week coming up,” Beach said. “Hopefully we can pick up a few mounts here and there from guys who are going to be riding in the Derby (on May 1). Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we're going to be riding in it this year, but maybe we can stay at home and win a few.”

After his victories, Victor generously spent time chatting with media and greeting fans, his wide smile beaming all the while.

Some of his well-wishers were in their early teens, providing Espinoza an up close and personal opportunity to cultivate a nucleus of fresh faces for a sport in dire need of them.

They greeted him like a rock star, eager for pictures and autographs, with one distinct exception: Victor's instrument is a Thoroughbred, and he still plays it like a Stradivarius.

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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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