‘Horses Can Help You Forget A Lot Of Bad Things’: Juan Arriagada Accepts Ups And Downs In Equal Measure

Juan Arriagada experienced personal and professional heartbreak in the days leading to last month's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar.

On Oct. 26, the trainer's mother, Erna, died at home in Lima, Peru after an extended illness. After wrestling with his options, Arriagada, who had been stabled at Delaware Park, elected to travel to southern California to saddle his 4-year-old Estilo Talentoso for the $1-million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 6.

“In life, we have to do what we have to do,” said Arriagada at the time. “The owners trust me with their horse, and I feel like I have to do it. I'm a professional, and I have to do my job.”

Arriagada believed he would feel his mother's presence the day of the race, but his hopes took a cruel turn when he was forced to scratch Estilo Talentoso early in the week because of an issue with her right foreleg. A few days later, she was sold to Japanese interests at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Lexington, Ky.

“I'm not the type of trainer who has 20 stakes horses in his barn,” Arriagada said earlier this week of his Breeders' Cup disappointment. “When something like that happens, it's pretty hard. But everybody in our sport has ups and downs. If you want good things to happen, you have to keep working hard.”

Returning to the embrace of his wife Alison, a former trainer, and their 3-year-old daughter Tezza picked up his spirits. So did the chance to work with his other horses on the Tampa Bay Downs backstretch in preparation for the current Oldsmar meeting.

And, a quick start that resulted in six victories, three seconds and three thirds from his first 18 starters didn't hurt a bit, either.

“It's like the best therapy there is,” said Arriagada, honored as the Salt Rock Tavern Trainer of the Month. “Horses can help you forget a lot of bad things. It's good working with them, and it's much better when you do well.”

Of course, Arriagada will always have a soft spot in his heart for Estilo Talentoso. He purchased the daughter of Maclean's Music-Bazinga Baby, by Afleet Alex, for $15,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Two-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age Sale. With Arriagada as her owner and trainer, she finished second in her first four starts – three at Tampa Bay Downs – before breaking her maiden in June of 2020 at Gulfstream Park.

Estilo Talentoso won the one-mile Escena Stakes at Gulfstream on Aug. 30, earning a vacation. She returned last January to finish third here in the Wayward Lass Stakes, launching a year that would change her fortunes while elevating Arriagada's profile.

Back-to-back runner-up efforts in the Grade 3 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel and the G1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland attracted the attention of representatives of Medallion Racing, a partnership group that looks to purchase horses possessing graded-stakes-level talent and residual value post-racing (Medallion Racing is associated with Taylor Made Sales Agency).

Following a third-place performance in the G1 Derby City Distaff Stakes presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery on May 1 at Churchill Downs, Arriagada agreed to sell Estilo Talentoso to Medallion Racing and its partners for $400,000. Arriagada expected her next start in the G3 Bed o'Roses at Belmont on June 4 to be his last time training the filly, but following her gutsy, come-from-behind neck triumph on a sloppy track, the partners rewarded Arriagada by letting him keep Estilo Talentoso in his barn.

“He's given us no reason to change anything up,” Medallion Racing Manager Phillip Shelton said before the Breeders' Cup. “We want trainers who can give our horses a lot of individual attention, and I can't speak highly enough of what Juan has done.”

That testimonial aside, back in Oldsmar, life goes on as before for the Arriagada family. Juan and Alison work as a team, exercising horses in the mornings and bouncing ideas back and forth about the horses.

“I have to be on a horse. It's my life,” said Arriagada, a former jockey who was unable to ride for a while with a balky knee. “And Alison complains if she only gets on three or four. When she gets on seven or eight, then she's happy.”

They also receive occasional help from son Nicolas, 22, who works as an exercise rider for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. Nicolas earned his first career victory last April as a jockey at Tampa Bay Downs on one of his father's horses, but struggles to maintain weight redirected his career path.

Nicolas saw his dad's reaction to his mother's death and the scratch of Estilo Talentoso as lessons he wants to carry forward himself.

“Nobody wants to feel that way, but he knew he had to do what he needed to do. He showed me you have to be strong in this life,” Nicolas said. “Bad things will happen and you're going to hit the ground a lot of times, but you have to stand up and keep going.”

Besides his on-track Oldsmar triumphs, Arriagada had claimed four horses here through Wednesday; he is currently working with 20.

“The most important thing in this business is to have the right horses,” he said. “I don't know if I'm a lucky guy or I know a little about horses, but if you don't have the right ones you can't do anything.”

Arriagada has a solid working relationship with his employees, including grooms Clifford Rhymer, Ian Hughes and Mauricio Madrid. Rhymer, who trained horses in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, says being around the Arriagada barn fits his philosophy of putting the horses first and foremost. Both men continue to hone their horseshoeing techniques in an effort to keep the horses happy and focused on competition.

“Doing the right thing – that's his key,” Rhymer said. “The No. 1 thing is making sure they have good feet. That's the only way they can run. After that, you move to the body and start to work on that. Once you've got all the problems solved, you've got a good horse.

“I feel like we can talk about everything happening with the horses, and from there we know what to do,” Rhymer said.

This time of year, Arriagada feels grateful for his family (including Alison's mother, who cares for Tezza while they are at the track), his employees and the ability to pursue his passion. He knows nothing will be given to him, but is glad to work for his opportunities while enjoying his surroundings.

“Tampa Bay Downs just feels like home,” he said. “A lot of good things happen here, it's a beautiful place and I really like the people.”

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Breeders’ Cup Presents The News Minute: Good Trips From Bad Posts

With Estilo Talentoso being withdrawn from Saturday's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, that leaves the race with just five starters, led by defending champion and odds-on morning line favorite Gamine. This will be the smallest field ever assembled for a Breeders' Cup race in the event's 38 runnings. There have been fields as small as seven previously, in both the Sprint and Turf,  but this year's championships will have two races with shorter fields: the Filly & Mare Sprint and the Juvenile Fillies, which has only six entries.

In today's Breeders' Cup News Minute, Ray Paulick reviews some of the most disadvantageous post positions for various distances over the Del Mar racetrack layout. The review comes with the caveat that horses can overcome bad posts: witness Rushing Fall's win from post 11  in the 2017 Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar and Caledonia Road's win from post 12 in that year's Juvenile Fillies on dirt.

Paulick also has a local dining tip for a new Italian restaurant with roots in Cape Cod on the East Coast.

Watch the Breeders' Cup News Minute below:

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Inthemidstofbiz Will Line Up For Title Defense In ‘Win And You’re In’ Thoroughbred Club Of America Stakes

Trainer Cipriano Contreras and Andrew Knapczyk's Inthemidstofbiz will face five other fillies and mares as she goes for a repeat victory in the 41st running of the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) Saturday afternoon at Keeneland.

Run at 6 furlongs on the main track, the Thoroughbred Club of America is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race with the winner earning a fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be held Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

The Thoroughbred Club of America is scheduled as the seventh race on Saturday's 11-race program with a 4:12 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.

Inthemidstofbiz, who has won one of two starts in 2021, comes into Saturday's race off a fourth-place finish in the Satin and Lace (L) at Presque Isle Downs, the same race she used as a prep for her TCA victory last year. Emmanuel Esquivel has the mount and will exit post position three.

Only Excitable Lady in 1982 and 1983 has posted victories in the TCA in consecutive years.

Favoritism figures to be divided among multiple graded stakes winners Bell's the One, Frank's Rockette and Estilo Talentoso. Estilo Talentoso was runner-up in the Madison (G1) here in the spring.

Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One has won two of five starts in 2021 highlighted by a triumph in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga in July. Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell's the One finished second in the Open Mind at Churchill Downs in her most recent start.

Regular rider Corey Lanerie has the call Saturday and will exit post position six.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Frank's Rockette is a three-time graded stakes winner whose lone off-the-board finish in her 16-race career came against the males in last fall's Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.

Trained by Bill Mott, Frank's Rockette enters Saturday's race off a third-place finish in the Seeking the Pearl Stakes at Colonial Downs on Aug. 23. Junior Alvarado has the mount from post position one.

Estilo Talentoso, owned by the partnership of Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Little Red Feather Racing and BlackRidge Stables and trained by Juan Arriagada, also has been off the board only once in her 16-race career. That came in her most recent start against champion Gamine in the Ballerina (G1).

Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for the first time in the Ballerina, has the mount Saturday and will leave post position four.

The field for the Thoroughbred Club of America, with riders and weights from the inside, is:

  1. Frank's Rockette (Alvarado, 120 pounds)
  2. Club Car (Tyler Gaffalione, 120)
  3. Inthemidstofbiz (Esquivel, 120)
  4. Estlio Talentoso (Ortiz, 122)
  5. Miss Mosaic (Colby Hernandez, 120)
  6. Bell's the One (Lanerie, 123).

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Ce Ce Punches Her Ticket To Breeders’ Cup At Del Mar With Princess Rooney Victory

At Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla, a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar was up for grabs in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Princess Rooney Stakes. Facing a field that included Bed of Roses Stakes winner Estilo Talentoso and Ouija Board Distaff winner Laura's Light, Ce Ce earned another spot in a Breeders' Cup gate with her 3 1/4-length victory in the Princess Rooney.

At the break, Laura's Light stumbled while the rest of the field got away clean, with Pacific Gale quickest to the lead. Under rider Victor Espinoza, who had won the Smile Sprint just half an hour earlier, Ce Ce stalked the early pace in fourth, content to wait for the final turn to put in her move, while Thissmytime and Pacific Gale briefly battled for the lead, Sound Machine just behind them. Romero Maragh powered Pacific Gale to the lead as they neared the final turn, with Sound Machine making her move just behind them.

Ce Ce and Estilo Talentoso went wide on the final turn as they geared up for their stretch runs, narrowing the gap between them, Sound Machine, and Pacific Gale. They went into the stretch four-wide, but Ce Ce was fastest in the stretch, splitting horses to take an easy lead over Estilo Talentoso and Sound Machine. The winning margin was 3 1/4 lengths with Ce Ce finishing the seven furlongs in 1:21.94. Hallawallah, Pacific Gale, Laura's Light, Heiressall, and Thissmytime rounded out the field.

Find this race's chart here.

The G2 Princess Rooney Stakes is a Win and You're In race for the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif. Winners receive a free and guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race.

Victor Espinoza was thrilled with his mount's performance. “She's pretty impressive. She loves this track, it's a little different than what she's been running at,” Espinoza said. “Today, she ran her race. They were rolling, the ones in front of me. I know they're going to get tired turning for home, so I just gave her enough time to split the horses.”

Trainer Michael McCarthy watched the race at Los Alamitos Race Track in Cypress, Calif., happy with the show she put on in the stretch. “I thought we were in a good spot. I was hoping to have a bit of a target to run at. I told Victor not to get in a hurry and not rush her out of there and ride her where she was comfortable. We were hoping for a nice stalking trip, and that we did. Around the turn, it looked like we had plenty of run. It was just a matter of trying to get outside and finding our best stride, and we did that today.”

Ce Ce paid $7.40, $3.40, and $2.60. Second-place Estilo Talentoso paid $2.60 and $2.20. Sound Machine paid $5.00 to show.

With this win, Ce Ce earns another chance at a Breeders' Cup win after finishing fifth in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland. Sired by Elusive Quality out of the Belong To Me mare Miss Houdini, Ce Ce was bred in Kentucky by owner Bo Hirsch. The Princess Rooney is Ce Ce's second win in three starts in 2021 and her sixth career victory in 13 starts and $1,113,100 in total winnings.

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