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Madeline Rowland Honors Her Father’s Memory With First Career Victory

Each time Madeline Rowland has competed in her short career as a jockey, she has felt the presence of an angel on her shoulder.

Rowland, who turned 18 on Nov. 6, lost her father to cancer in 2012 at age 44. Primarily a steeplechase trainer, Paul Rowland conditioned such notables as multiple stakes winner Preemptive Strike, Suntara, Rainbows For Luck, Swimming River and Across The Sky.

“Every race I've ridden, before I leave the jockeys' room, I talk to my dad. Right before I leave the gate, I think to myself, keep the faith. Thank you. Because even though I don't have him here with me, at least I can count on him to look out for me,” Rowland said.

The youngster didn't need much help from outside forces in today's third race. Riding 4-year-old gelding Sancocho with the confidence of a grizzled veteran, rather than an apprentice with a 10-pound weight allowance making her ninth career start, Rowland moved Sancocho smartly to the lead in the stretch of the 7-furlong, $5,000 claiming race and rolled to a 3 ½-length score from runner-up Cliffy for the teen's first career victory.

Sancocho, who is owned and trained by Juan Arriagada, improved to 5-for-20 with the victory. He paid $10.60 to win. In another endearing twist to the story, Rowland and Sancocho were ponied to the starting gate by her boyfriend Nicolas Arriagada, Juan's son and a former jockey who earned his first career triumph aboard one of his dad's horses here on April 16.

Rowland's fellow jockeys did their part to make the occasion memorable, spraying her with a hose, dumping a couple of buckets of ice water on her head and smearing her with shaving cream on her return to the jockeys' quarters.

“Danny (Centeno) got me real good, and Skyler (Spanabel) was there with a hose waiting for me. I was like, I'm ready. I've been waiting for this.”

Juan was almost as far over the moon as “Maddie” after the race.

“I'm very happy for her. She's a good girl who deserves somebody to help her out, and I like to help young people who need support to keep pushing so they can do better,” he said. “She's been working for me the past couple of weeks and it's worked out well. There are a couple of things we have to fix, but everything went perfect today.”

Rowland, who grew up outside Fair Hill, Md., had ridden eight previous races at Delaware Park, Penn National and Laurel, with a second and a third. She said after today's victory that it felt at times like an out-of-body experience, as she reflected on the influence of her father, mom Jodi and others who have advanced her fledgling career.

“As I was crossing the wire, I thought that I hoped (owner-trainer Elizabeth) Merryman was watching me. She is like my racehorse mom – she taught me how to gallop racehorses,” Rowland said. “My own mom has been a huge support for me. At first when I wanted to do pony racing when I was 11 or 12, she tried to keep me away – 'No, do the show horses, don't go into racing' – but once she realized she couldn't keep me away she said 'Do it.'

“There are so many people I owe a lot to for me getting here. I thought about joining the military for a while because it would be great to serve my country that way, but now that I'm doing this, I can't imagine myself doing anything else,” she said.

“Breaking from the gate today, I already felt a smile on my face because I love doing it. Every race I've done, it's the same adrenaline whether I win or not.”

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Laurel Park: 16-Year-Old Apprentice Bryson Butterfly Celebrates First Career Victory Friday

In his only mount of the day and 11th since bringing his tack to Maryland at the start the month, 16-year-old apprentice Bryson Butterfly picked up his first winner at Laurel Park when Alpha Queue cruised to a front-running 7 ¼-length triumph in Friday's opener.

It was the 18th career win from 179 mounts for Butterfly, who launched his career in May at Grants Pass in Oregon and currently rides with a seven-pound weight allowance. Alpha Queue ($6), owned and trained by Lacey Gaudet, ran six furlongs in 1:10.84 over a fast main track.

In the claiming event for 3-year-olds and up, Alpha Queue was pressed through an opening quarter-mile in 23.19 seconds by Pet's Night before gaining separation after going a half in 46.59. Butterfly and Alpha Queue straightened for home with a five-length lead and rolled through the stretch to earn his second lifetime win from 10 starts.

“It's insane to just even win a race here. The course is beautiful,” Butterfly said. “The horse felt really good. I knew coming to the quarter pole when I smooched at him I had so much horse left. He finished really nicely. It was a great win. It felt awesome.”

Butterfly is a Native American originally from Washington State with family in the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana. Established by treaty in 1855 and located on 1.5 million acres along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in the northwestern part of the state, Blackfeet Nation is one of the 10 largest tribes in the United States with 17,321 members.

“My brother has won a few championships in roping, and my other brother was riding Indian relay, so we're all kind of a big part of horses,” Butterfly said. “My mom is a horse trainer. I was galloping horses when I was 8. I rode my first gate race when I was 12. I owe it all to my mom. She was the one that helped me get here.”

Butterfly's mother, Amy Nelson, is an ex-jockey who rode briefly in Canada and now has a stable based in Arizona. Her most recent starter was April 22 at Turfway Park. She has 21 career wins as a trainer since 2004.

“When I was little, we used to break horses for people and we used to go up in the mountains and ride them. She was the one that got me into a gallop saddle,” Butterfly said. “She used to ride before I was born. I always just wanted to try it. I galloped my first horse, which was my barrel horse at the time, and just fell in love with it from there. She's just helped me through so much. She's gotten me to where I am now.”

Butterfly picked up his first winner June 1 at Grants Pass aboard Hey Wilmaaa. He split time between there and Emerald Downs in Washington with stops at Oregon Livestock and Crooked River in Oregon and Arizona Downs before landing in the Midwest.

He rode at Ellis Park and Indiana Downs from July 30 to Sept. 23 before coming to Maryland, where his first race came Oct. 1 on You Can Never Tell. He is represented by agent Marty Leonard, who also has the book for Jevian Toledo and the injured Sheldon Russell.

“Jimmy McNerney is from Indiana. He's the announcer at Ellis Park. He's an agent and he was asking if I'd like to go back and forth and ride Kentucky and Indiana,” Butterfly said. “It's always been a dream of mine to ride in Kentucky, so I went over there and did that for a while. It was fun, a great experience. I loved it.

“He and I split ways and then Ron Anderson was talking to a friend of mine and asking about me and asking how I was and if I had an agent, so I gave him a call,” he added. “He referred me to Marty and Marty asked if I'd like to come over to Maryland.”

Before Friday, Butterfly's best finish was a third with Little Man Farm's Double Fireball, trained by Anthony Aguirre, Oct. 3. Butterfly, who stands 5-foot-7 and doesn't turn 17 until April 6, 2022, is staying with fellow jockey Richard Monterrey.

“The transition has been great. Everyone has been so nice. It was great for Richard to give me a spot to stay. It's been my dream since I was 11 years old,” Butterfly said. “It was a big adjustment at first, but it's getting easier. A lot more people around and a lot of help.”

Butterfly noted the influence of late jockey Eduardo Gutierrez-Sosa on his career. Gutierrez-Sosa, 29, was killed in a fall during a quarter horse race July 14 at Crooked River when his mount, Godfather Advice, struck the inside rail. Butterfly also rode in the race, finishing second.

“He was the one jockey in the room where you'd go in there and he was always smiling and always taking care of everyone before himself,” Butterfly said. “He's just been a big inspiration for me. I talk to him before every race and I pray. He was always there and always helped me out. He helped everybody.”

Butterfly is the second teenager riding regularly in Maryland. Charlie Marquez, 18, leads all jockeys with 84 wins in Maryland this year and was the state's top apprentice with 58 victories in 2020. He won his first meet title at the Preakness Meet at Pimlico stand that ended Aug. 22.

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Hard Work Pays Off As Maria Rosana Scaldaferri Rides First American Winner

Jockey Maria Rosana Scaldaferri, a native of Pergamino, Argentina, reached the winners circle for the first time in America on Wednesday afternoon at Colonial Downs, which ushered in its annual summer season on Monday.

The 30-year-old rider had been winless in 27 U.S. starts until the ninth on Wednesday when she piloted Leanne Hester's homebred Tempting Moment to a gate-to-wire effort at odds of 15-1. The 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint attracted a field of thirteen $10,000 claimers who competed for a $25,000 purse.

Hester's 6-year-old Gone Clubbing gelding led by 1 1/2 lengths early on, carried a five-length cushion into the top of the stretch and crossed three lengths ahead of Fashionable in 1:04.05. The winner paid $32.20 and marked his first win in 12 starts.

The day's last race matched a jockey with a horse, both of whom were in search of a much-needed victory.

“I'm so happy,” said an emotional Scaldaferri after the race. “You can't imagine how happy I am. I've put in so much hard work to get to this point. I rode at Gulfstream for three years then at Monmouth for a short time before coming here and didn't win at either place. I thought it was going to be easier by now. This means so much to me because I got sick so many times last year and only made one start. I had pneumonia at one point, would feel better, get going then get sick again and have to start all over.”

The win came in Scaldaferri's third start this week at Colonial. She had four starts at Monmouth before arriving in Virginia and only had one in 2020.

“This is my first win ever in America,” she proclaimed again as she walked back into the paddock all smiles. “I'll be back riding here all season, for sure.”

Colonial Downs continues its 7-week season Monday July 26 with nine races beginning at 1:45 PM. Three open stakes will be contested — the $150,000 Buckland, and $100,000 Da Hoss and Andy Guest Stakes.

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Trainer Faith Wilson Saddles First Winner With ‘Project Horse’ At Her Home Track

Ever wonder how a Thoroughbred trainer celebrates their first career victory?

For 33-year-old Faith Wilson, it was cake at home with her two children, ages five and two.

Wilson, the daughter of former trainers, recorded her first victory in her first year as a trainer – and in her 14th start – when La Luisa captured the ninth race, a $10,000 maiden claimer, at Monmouth Park on Monday.

“I'm beyond ecstatic, especially because this was a project horse that my husband and I own,” she said. “She was a bad bleeder when we got her. We gave her six months off and since then she has been very consistent (with a win, second and third in four starts for Wilson).

“I literally can't wait to get home and have cake with my kids and tell them about this.”

Wilson, an assistant for nine years for a variety of trainers, intended to launch her career at Monmouth Park a year ago “but we got here too late to get started.”

“So we decided to go to Tampa Downs and start there this winter,” she said. “We had a good winter at Tampa (with four seconds and a third from 13 starters) but I guess it was meant to be that I would get my first winner at my home track.”

Wilson's parents, Bill and Donna Wilson, both dabbled as trainers, with her mother spending her career (1989 through 1994) on the New Jersey circuit, which then included Garden State Park, the Meadowlands and Atlantic City Racecourse.

But Wilson will not have much time to savor the victory — though she will be able to have her cake and eat it too. She said she will be back at her barn on the Monmouth Park backstretch first thing Tuesday to tend to her seven horses.

“We have four running next weekend that I have to get ready,” she said.

La Luisa, a 3-year-old daughter of Suns Out Guns Out, returned $10.60 to win for her 1 ¼-length victory.

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