Escobar was born in the Bronx and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He never knew his father. He never enjoyed the guidance of a good father. He never heard a stern but loving voice.

As he grew, Escobar quickly became known as “Flaco,” or slim. He turned his lack of bulk to his advantage by attending jockey school from 1984-'86. He ventured to New York to seek racetrack employment in 1988 at age 19. Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. was among those who helped him to feel at home.

“He's my angel,” Escobar said. “I learned a lot from him as an exercise rider and a jockey.”

Escobar, 54, has become a mainstay on the backstretch at New York Racing Association tracks. He is an asset as an exercise rider but, more importantly, he is embraced as an extraordinary person. Nick Caras, who oversees various programs that aid backstretch workers, describes Escobar as a “go-to person” for those in need.

“It's a blessing whenever he's involved,” Caras said. “He can definitely move the ball down the field, if that's an expression.”

Escobar delights in the unpaid work he does almost daily once he is done galloping horses each morning. “That's what we call volunteers,” he said. “You want to do something from the heart, you get something from their heart.

“Some people, the first thing they say is, 'How much are you going to pay me?' Not me.”

Escobar does everything he can to be readily available. “Everybody says, 'When you have a problem, go see Flaco,'” he said proudly. “Sometimes they don't speak English and they're afraid to talk. So they look for me and say, 'Flaco, I need to talk to you. I have a problem.'”

Escobar works closely with Caras and with Humberto Chavez, chaplain of the Racetrack Chaplaincy of New York. He said of his interaction with fellow workers, “I talk to them and say, 'What happened? I can't help you but I can talk to somebody who can help you.'”

Caras cannot begin to estimate how many people Escobar has assisted. He finally settles on “countless” and adds, “He knows the ins and outs. He is easy to talk to, but he is not a pushover.”

When Escobar is not being a good listener, he contributes in other ways by helping to arrange various bus trips such as sightseeing in New York City, visits to amusement parks, and taking in the massive Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.

He views any activity as a good activity. “They stay in the rooms, most of the people. That's what we're trying to avoid,” Escobar said. “Come with us, enjoy, see new things.”

He wakes up at 4 a.m. daily and takes pride in everything he does. He has been employed by many trainers over the years, but he found a home with Bruce Levine for the last 12 years. They are a perfect fit.

“He's the first one here,” Levine said. “He sets the tack out. He puts out the set list for every groom. He goes beyond what he needs to do, you know what I'm saying?”

Escobar takes everything in stride. “He has the patience of a saint with a horse. He's just very kind to the animal,” Levine said. “He's just a really good guy. He should be up for the Good Guy Award.”

Escobar speaks glowingly of the accomplishments of his children: Stephanie, 32; Christopher, 20; Jaz Marie, 19; and Rosa, 18. “I'm very focused on my job,” he said. “I'm very focused on them, too.”

He also is focused on one goal that has been incredibly elusive – his first victory as a jockey. According to Equibase, he is 0 for 81 in records that date to 1995. He has never had an agent and gains mounts sporadically, receiving horses no one else wants in exchange for galloping horses in the morning at no charge.

He is still searching for a live mount. “If I don't have the horse,” he said, “I don't have the purse.”

His greatest memory involves battling Richard Migliore for second in a maiden special weight race on the tough New York circuit. The photo revealed he narrowly missed gaining second aboard a 32-1 shot whose name he does not recall.

In Escobar's lone mount this season, he came in last of five aboard Reapply for owner and trainer James Chapman in a maiden special weight race on June 4 at Belmont Park. He lagged at the back of the pack throughout and was eventually beaten by 22 ¾ lengths.

Escobar is undeterred. “Never give up. Never give up,” he said. “I just have to find the right spot and the right horse.”

If he ever does, expect cheers to rise from barns across the land.

Tom Pedulla, 2022 recipient of the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

If you wish to suggest someone as a potential subject for In Their Care, please send an email to info @ paulickreport.com that includes the person's name and contact information in addition to a brief description of the individual's background.

The post Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Whether Working With Horses Or People, Edward Escobar Always ‘Goes Beyond’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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She did not grow up around horses. She came to the racing game late, at 24. She is 37 now. She estimates she has suffered at least four concussions, including one in a horrific accident at Arlington Park in 2021, and tells of significant memory loss.

And yet Bonilla, a 5-2, 109-pound exercise rider for trainer Domenick Schettino at Belmont Park, never loses sight of her dream. She yearns to be a jockey again.

“It's the only sport where men and women compete at the same level. I love that,” she said. “It makes you work harder. It makes you work way harder.”

Bonilla earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the School of the Art Institute in her hometown of Chicago. She was working in marketing when she read that no female jockey had ever won the Kentucky Derby. She kept turning over that fact in her mind until it became life-changing.

She called her older sister, Crystal. “What do you think if I become a jockey?”

Crystal answered the question with a question. “What?”

Calls were made and Bonilla gave up everything to leave Chicago for New York, where she met trainer Gary Gullo at the Belmont stable gate.

“Are you homeless?” he asked.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Bonilla responded.

He called fellow trainer Dominic Galluscio, who hired her as a hotwalker and allowed her to stay in a room at his house with the provision that she work hard. She fulfilled her pledge for six months but was determined to start her riding career.

Galluscio contacted Jimmy Miranda and arrangements were made for Bonilla to work for the retired jockey in Orlando. Bonilla learned the basics by riding Quantum, a retired Thoroughbred, in a round pen for two months. Although it was a slow process, she worked her way up to galloping horses.

Bonilla also sold artwork online, including a portrait of Randy Romero that attracted Romero's attention and inadvertently brought the two of them together. He asked her to send videos of her on horseback. He was sufficiently impressed that he agreed to become her agent and they went to work at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana in 2017. She was 31.

That led to one of the best days of Bonilla's life. She won with her sixth mount, a runaway 11-length victory at a mile and 70 yards aboard Superstitious Swan. “I remember dropping my reins mid-stretch because I was so excited,” she said.

Her return to the jockeys' room was equally memorable. In keeping with tradition, she was pelted with eggs, powder, you name it. “They got me really good,” she said, “and they put it on TVG.”

Romero died two years later at the age of 61 after battling numerous health issues.

After Evangeline, it was on to Fair Grounds and eventually Arlington Park with its Polytrack surface. She believes the Polytrack contributed to one of the worst days of her life. It was the summer of 2021 and she was aboard an ill-fated horse named Charlie's Heir that suffered a heart attack as they approached the wire.

“When they have a heart attack, they give you no warning, no sounds, not even slowing down,” Bonilla said. “It's just like bam, out of nowhere. He goes to the left, I go to the right.”

She landed head first on a track she described as unforgiving. “I love riding on the Poly,” she said, “but it's not fun to fall on.”

She woke up in the hospital three days later, not recalling how she got there. Five weeks later, she was galloping for trainer Wayne Catalano and soon won a race for him. She has been with Schettino for most of the last three years and believes she has made great progress there.

“I feel great,” she said. “The only thing is remembering stuff. I feel like it's a lot less than before.”

She has developed a strong relationship with Schettino and spends holidays with his family. He values her ability to read horses, to elaborate on what she is feeling beneath her each morning and to calm nervous fillies.

“She's trustworthy and to me that's a lot,” the trainer said. “That's my number one thing I think about is trust. I know that they're looking out for these horses. She loves the horses and loves what she does.”

Bonilla also has gained experience as a veterinary assistant. “It's something to fall back on,” she said, “because you never know what your next injury is.”

According to Equibase, she has ridden competitively just once this year, finishing last of six aboard 41-1 Bear's Correct in a one-mile maiden claiming race at Aqueduct on March 3. In 392 lifetime starts, her record stands at 17-30-31 with earnings of $346,183.

Bonilla is doing everything possible to hire an agent who can create opportunities for her in New York. She said she is willing to pay 40 percent of her earnings to that person for the first year. As much as Schettino cares about Bonilla, he is skeptical about that plan.

“For her to ride again and stay in New York, hopefully she'll get a chance. But New York is a tough place for her to fulfill her dream. That's just my opinion,” Schettino said. “New York is a tough place for a lot of people to fulfill their dreams. You're in the top place with the best of the best.”

And yet, through it all, Bonilla is undeterred.

Tom Pedulla, 2022 recipient of the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

If you wish to suggest someone as a potential subject for In Their Care, please send an email to info @ paulickreport.com that includes the person's name and contact information in addition to a brief description of the individual's background.

The post Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Cristina Bonilla’s Dream To Ride Lives On appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Blake Dutrow can still remember how much fun it would be when he would accompany his grandfather, Dick, a top Maryland horseman, to the barn to treat the horses to carrots and peppermints. He has spent his young life learning about racing from his father, Chip, and his uncles, Tony and Rick.

“The best horse racing families you see pass it along from generation to generation,” said Blake, 31.

Blake is an understudy to Rick as his uncle makes a comeback from a 10-year suspension punctuated by White Abarrio's rousing triumph in the Whitney at Saratoga. Their relationship extends far beyond mentor and mentee.

Blake has been unwavering in his love and support for Rick as his Kentucky Derby-winning uncle served a suspension that represented one of the sternest disciplinary actions in the sport's history.Blake lived with his uncle during the early years of the punishment. He was always willing to listen when Rick needed to talk.

“I wasn't looking for friends when I was out,” Rick said. “But he was there.”

They would retreat to Rick's basement on Sunday afternoons during football season, just the two of them. And they would talk racing.

“He would always tell me, 'Blake, I'm going to get back and we're going to win big races,'” Blake recalled. “There were times when I thought he might not even have the chance to get back.”

If there was to be a comeback, Blake decided his uncle would not go it alone. “I kind of knew whether it was five years in or the full 10, that I would do whatever I could to help Rick,” the nephew said.

They started at Belmont Park in early April with one horse, a filly named Recognize. “I'll rub her,” Dutrow told Blake, “and you'll walk her.”

Owners who had not forgotten that Dutrow trained 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown or that he won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2005 with Horse of the Year Saint Liam, among other accomplishments, gradually returned.

Blake stood with his uncle when Prince of Pharoahs, his first starter, won on May 6 at Belmont Park. They were again side by side when White Abarrio, transferred to their rapidly-growing barn ahead of a solid third-place finish in the Met Mile, drew off to win the Whitney by 6 ¼ lengths on Aug. 5, Rick's 64^th birthday.

“It's crazy how fast it all happened. If you would have said we were going to run in the Whitney this summer, let alone win it, I would probably have said 'You're crazy,'” Blake said. “But if anybody is crazy enough to do it, it's definitely my uncle Rick. He tells me all the time, 'We're going to win another Derby. We're going to win Breeders' Cup races and get back to where we were before.'”

This story is very much a family affair. Chip accompanies any horses that need to be shipped out of town for races. Blake stays behind to oversee a small string at Saratoga and will remain there until that meet closes on Labor Day. Rick trains the majority of horses at Belmont Park.

Rick said of his nephew's role, “We're trying to give Blake the chance to learn the horse racing game. He wants to learn it and he has plenty of opportunities to do that.”

Due to the lack of staff at this early stage, there are times when Blake must figure out things for himself. That may not necessarily be a bad thing.

“We don't rush him to learn,” Rick said. “He learns on his own, just like I did, just like most horsemen do.”

However checkered Rick's past might be due to assorted violations, his passion for his horses is undeniable. Blake sees that every day.

“To guys like Rick, they live for it,” Blake said. “If he could make the days longer so he could spend more time with the horses, I'm sure he would.”

Blake has accompanied his uncle back to the barn after dinner. “That's his favorite time of day – at night – because nobody is there,” the nephew said. “When you come and see your horses, all of their necks are out. They're just so happy to see him because they know exactly why he's there, to feed them candy.”

Sweet moments, indeed, taking Blake back to those carrots and peppermints with his grandfather. The Whitney provided an incredible moment. Rick also wants his nephew to understand that the Whitney stems from attention to the daily grind.

“He's got to go all in all the time,” Rick said. “There are no shortcuts to being a good horseman and that is what we want Blake to be.”

Blake understands that he has so much to learn from Rick, his father and his uncle, Tony, if he is to train on his own. That is a goal worth chasing.

“I love horses. I have the passion for it,” he said. “It's definitely in my blood as something I believe I was born to do.”

Tom Pedulla, 2022 recipient of the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

If you wish to suggest someone as a potential subject for In Their Care, please send an email to info @ paulickreport.com that includes the person's name and contact information in addition to a brief description of the individual's background.

The post Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Aspiring Horseman Blake Dutrow Learning ‘There Are No Shortcuts’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Antonucci would be the first to emphasize, however, that her historic breakthrough was the product of a special team and a rare atmosphere she created after she opened her stable in 2012.

“It's a family more than it is a work environment,” Antonucci said.

She was referring to her staff at large, but prominent among them are assistant trainer Fiona Goodwin and Goodwin's husband, Robert Mallari, who has galloped Arcangelo since he was a baby.

Goodwin, 48, from County Kerry, Ireland, has been with Antonucci from the start. When Antonucci recently sent a string of eight horses to Saratoga Race Course that included the Belmont winner, she dispatched Goodwin to oversee them.

“She is a heck of a horsewoman. She has an extensive background. I've always very much trusted her opinion,” Antonucci said. “We've been able to respectfully disagree only a handful of times. How a team can handle things like that is extremely important.”

Goodwin welcomes Antonucci's can-do attitude. “She's just a very positive person to be around. She's not a yeller or a screamer. She wants to lift people up,” the assistant trainer said. “She does more for people than any trainer I've ever worked for.”

Mallari, 59, a former jockey who hails from the Philippines, is a great fit for Arcangelo. The Arrogate colt was quite the project as a May 11 foal. He did not launch his career until the final month of his 2-year-old season and did not break his maiden until March 18 at Gulfstream Park. While his studdish behavior only complicates matters, Mallari has met all challenges.

“He just has a great feel. He's been doing it a very long time. He just knows what a good horse feels like and he listens to the horses,” Antonucci said. “That's invaluable to help the program and help the horse.”

Goodwin and Mallari agree that a key to developing Arcangelo is knowing to stay out of his way. “Good horses always train themselves,” Mallari said. “When I ride him, I just guide him. He does everything by himself. He knows when to change the lead. You don't need to ask him. He does it himself.”

There is nothing like experience to aid a young horse's development. Arcangelo's past performances reflect that. Since his initial victory, he added the Peter Pan (G3) at Belmont Park and then the mile-and-a-half final leg of the Triple Crown.

“He used to be a handful,” Mallari said. “Now that he has some races under his belt, he's getting smarter. Now, he's a brilliant horse.”

Arcangelo has become responsive not only to Mallari but also to Basha, a pony who has evolved into his best buddy and his traveling companion.

Mallari has worked for a long list of trainers, among them Todd Pletcher, Nick Zito, Kiaran McLaughlin, Tom Albertrani and H. James Bond. That background helps him appreciate Arcangelo and all he means to Antonucci's modest stable.

“Jena is not as big as Todd Pletcher or any one of those people. That's why, when you have this kind of horse, it's very special,” Mallari said. “Todd Pletcher, Brad Cox, horses come to them every year. For us, it's once in a blue moon. So we always cherish that kind of horse.”

Goodwin and Mallari have one child, Sean, 17. They are making sure to enjoy the ride and will never forget that magical Belmont.

“When the race ran, your heart was in your mouth. Butterflies don't even describe it. You can't even describe the feeling,” Goodwin said. “When he got ahead in the straight, you feel like your heart was just going to explode.”

Although Mallari knows his riding career is nearing an end, Arcangelo is worth continuing to awaken at 3 a.m. Antonucci is carefully managing the sophomore with an eye toward what she and others believe might be a huge 4-year-old campaign.

“We know he's a good horse. I want to find out myself how good he is,” Mallari said. “Knock on wood he stays sound, he will win a lot of races.”

For now, no one will forget the afternoon at Belmont Park when Antonucci proved to naysayers that a woman can play the game at the highest level. “It really was a boost for women everywhere and in this industry, too, because it really is kind of a man's world over here,” Goodwin said. “For a woman to do that, it was phenomenal. It's good for the sport, I think.

“No matter what, she is in the history books for this. No one can ever take that away from her. It's so brilliant.”

And so is Antonucci's team.

Tom Pedulla, 2022 recipient of the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

If you wish to suggest someone as a potential subject for In Their Care, please send an email to info @ paulickreport.com that includes the person's name and contact information in addition to a brief description of the individual's background.

The post Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Goodwin, Mallari Embody Antonucci Stable’s Family Atmosphere appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“Did you know he was going to be this good?” Mott asked.

“I wish,” Mulvihill replied.

Mulvihill could not have predicted that the son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin would blossom into the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner last November at Keeneland. He could not have foreseen that the immensely popular bay horse would add the Met Mile to the Churchill Down to give him four consecutive Grade 1 triumphs and nine victories in his last 10 starts.

But when Cody Dorman visited Gainsborough in 2018 as part of its involvement with the Make-A-Wish program, Mulvihill's keen powers of observation did lead him to create what he believes was a match made in heaven.

Mulvihill had been alerted that Dorman, born with Wolf Hirsch-horn syndrome, is unable to walk. He knew the wheelchair might spook many foals, creating a potentially dangerous situation. The Curlin foal out of Dance Card was an obvious choice to him.

“As a foal, he was very, very laid back,” Mulvihill recalled. “He took everything in stride. He never fussed about anything.”

The foal eyed Cody and began to inch forward until he was close enough to begin nuzzling the boy's hands and sniffing him. Then he gently laid his head in Cody's lap.

“The two of them just bonded for a couple of minutes,” Mulvihill said.

Mary Bourne, Gainsborough's office manager, was so struck by their instant connection that she requested permission to name the foal Cody's Wish.

No one envisioned then that Cody and his namesake would meet many more times, that Cody would credit the horse with saving his life and that the two of them would inspire many physically challenged youngsters.

Certainly, Mulvihill never saw that coming. “For all of that to line up, I've said to many people that we are just pawns in this story,” he said. “I think the man upstairs has had his hand in this and has had his hand in it from a long way back.”

At the least, the pairing was fortuitous and a vivid example of how well Mulvihill knows his horses. He has worked for Godolphin for 24 years, spending 10 years in his native Ireland and then three and a half years in Japan. He has been based in the United States since 2013.

Mulvihill, 47, is so passionate about horses that his wife, Carol, calls his career his “first wife.” They delight in living at 1,500-acre Gainsborough, in Versailles, Ky., as do their five children: Matthew, 21; Emma, 18; Cian, 16; and twins Daniel and Grace, 13.

Carol said of her husband's devotion to the farm, “He lives for it. It's not really a job. It's a lifestyle. I can't see him ever doing anything else. He just gets it done quietly, head down.”

Some workers cringe when breeding season approaches, knowing the grueling commitment that entails. Not Mulvihill.

“You hear many times about the long hours of the breeding season, but it's without a doubt my favorite time of year,” he said. “I'm quite happy to be up at all hours of the night and all hours of the morning to see them born and stand for the first time, to see that connection between mom and baby.

“Every time it's something different. It's hard to explain how good it is. I'm just blessed that I get to experience it year in and year out.”

Gainsborough breeds as many as 65 mares a year and raises the foals. Mulvihill looks on in wonderment when mares deliver their first foals.

“You've got this mare that doesn't know what is going on but Mother Nature takes over,” he said. “You see that foal born and it stands. They're all different, but you hear this lovely little exchange between the two of them, the little nicker from the mare welcoming the baby into the world. It just give you a fantastic feeling that this is what you get to do as a job, this is what you get to do with your life.”

Godolphin has won consecutive Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Breeder and Outstanding Owner. Mulvihill credited top management for its patience in allowing foals ample time to grow and never attempting to rush their development. He oversees approximately 45 workers and praised the performance of broodmare manager Gary Harlow, assistant yearling manager Benji Amezcua and Bourne, among others.

“I've got a fantastic team of people who help me look good at what I do,” Mulvihill said. “Without that team, that does not happen.”

Then, too, there is the support of his family, which grew by one not long ago. Grace persuaded them to adopt a retired Thoroughbred that competed on behalf of Godolphin from 2020-'22. He never quite broke his maiden, placing second twice and third once in four lifetime starts.

Brother in Arms, perhaps not the fiercest of competitors, is now known by a gentler name. They all call him “Mike.”

Tom Pedulla, 2022 recipient of the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

If you wish to suggest someone as a potential subject for In Their Care, please send an email to info @ paulickreport.com that includes the person's name and contact information in addition to a brief description of the individual's background.

The post Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: The Matchmaker For Cody’s Wish And His Namesake appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Javier Castellano, winless with his first 15 Derby starters, desperately wanted to reverse his fortunes. He phoned trainer Gustavo Delgado and offered to fly from his New York base to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., to put Mage through his final work a week ahead of the Derby.

Delgado appreciated Castellano's willingness to do that. But he declined, saying he would stick with exercise rider Jose Javier (J.J.) Delgado for that all-important task.

“J.J. knows the horse so well. I don't want to change anything,” the trainer told Castellano. “I want to stay with my guy.”

Castellano said he “absolutely” understood that answer, especially since Mage went on to end the Hall of Fame rider's Derby drought by springing a 15-1 upset in only his fourth career start.

The response said everything about the trust that Delgado the rider has earned from Delgado the trainer. When J.J. was a jockey, he piloted one of Delgado's Triple Crown winners in Venezuela. When the trainer moved to the United States, he knew exactly where to turn for a top exercise rider since J.J. had retired as a jockey.

The strength of the decades-long relationship the two men enjoy is rare.

“He never uses jockeys to breeze horses. He uses me always,” Delgado said proudly. He described exercise riders as “invisible jockeys” because they so rarely receive any attention.

In the case of J.J., 60, it is almost as if he can read the trainer's mind. “They've been working together for so long, he doesn't give many instructions for what we are trying to accomplish,” said Gustavo Delgado Jr., who assists his father.

J.J. is a perfect fit for the Delgado operation, which conducts itself differently from most United States outfits with its emphasis on long works to prepare young horses for classic distances. Mage, purchased as a 2-year-old in training, went unraced last season to give him time to mature. Of the Good Magic colt's final five pre-Derby works, three were at six furlongs and two covered five furlongs.

On April 22, J.J. and Mage traveled six furlongs in 1:14.78 at the 3-year-old's home base of Gulfstream Park in South Florida. A week later, the same move went in 1:16.80 at Churchill Downs. According to Delgado Jr., J.J. was the perfect passenger each time because his father's emphasis was on building stamina. He was not concerned about speed, certain that was there whenever needed.

“He's very good at teaching them how to rate,” Delgado Jr. said of J.J.

According to J.J., Mage was a nervous baby when he first arrived at the Delgado's barn at Gulfstream Park. All of the on-track activity during training hours was disconcerting. He required extensive schooling at the starting gate.

“We spend the time with him,” J.J. said. “He is a smart horse. He learned a lot.”

Mage did not debut until Jan. 28, when he easily won a seven-furlong contest at Gulfstream Park. With Castellano aboard for the March 4 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream, the youngster showed how much he was a work in progress. He struck the gate at the break, then ran unevenly.

Castellano now raves about how far the horse has come and the job that J.J., in particular, has done. “Everything is important, all the elements,” he said. “The exercise rider is most important. He gets on the horse every single day. He knows that horse so well. He can tell you if the horse is making progress.”

J.J. knows what it takes to win the Derby, having played a role in Big Brown's success in 2008. When he huddled with Castellano before this year's edition, he told him the colt had made dramatic strides since his erratic effort in the Fountain of Youth.

“I said, 'Don't worry about that race. The horse is very different here in Kentucky. The horse is happy, strong,'” J.J. related. “'The horse is ready to win.'”

Mage had shown dramatic improvement when he placed second by a length to Forte in the April 1 Florida Derby with Luis Saez aboard. J.J. believes the significantly brisker weather in Kentucky may have helped the sophomore take his game to an even higher level.

J.J. likes what he is seeing and feeling so far as Mage prepares for the Preakness on Saturday at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course. He is excited about the chances for an encore.

“If he's the same horse, no problem at all,” he said, appreciating how far Mage has come.

Tom Pedulla, 2022 recipient of the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

If you wish to suggest someone as a potential subject for In Their Care, please send an email to info @ paulickreport.com that includes the person's name and contact information in addition to a brief description of the individual's background.

The post Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: ‘Invisible Jockey’ J.J. Delgado A Key To Mage’s Kentucky Derby Success appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Although Raabe had ridden since she was young, she never planned to enter the racing world after her graduation from Miami University in Ohio with a bachelor's degree in wide-ranging integrative studies. But she found herself moving from one racing job to another, experiencing the good and the very bad until she threw up her hands in despair in recent years.

“I just felt like I was so burnt out,” said Raabe, now 34. “I'm not enjoying this. I don't like this. I just needed to figure out what to do with my life.”

The native of Oxford, Ohio, worked as a photographer at Saratoga Race Course in the summer of 2022 while galloping horses for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher each morning. As that meet neared an end, the uncertainty of her future weighed on her. She discussed her roiling emotions with Alison O'Dwyer, a long-time friend and the wife of trainer Jerry O'Dwyer.

O'Dwyer mentioned that her husband was looking for help with a small string of horses that he was sending to Keeneland last autumn. There would be an opportunity for her to work with then 4-year-old Sibelius, an emerging talent.

Raabe will never forget the first time she rode the gelded son of Not This Time. “Nice horses, they give you a different energy than horses lacking in quality,” she said.

She was filled with excitement when she returned to the barn and spoke to co-worker Ricardo Barajas. “Ricardo, this horse is going to be a freak,” she told him. “He's not a freak yet, but he's going to be.”

Raabe identified a couple of major sources of improvement.

“He was so confident, but to me he was not relaxed,” she said. “He was a little unsettled while he was training.”

In addition, she wanted Sibelius to generate more power from his back muscles. “I want them working from their hind end because their hind end is the motor,” she explained.

Raabe also credits jockey Junior Alvarado with helping Sibelius to become braver during races. “He was a little wimpy about passing horses,” she admitted.

The 5-2, 125-pound Raabe used her legs and soft hands to communicate with her rising star. “I cannot force a horse to do anything,” she said. “I can finesse a horse to do a lot of things.”

Word has it that she may bribe him with an array of treats. “He's definitely more spoiled since she started riding him, that's for sure,” Jerry O'Dwyer said.

Whatever the means, Raabe helped take the handsome chestnut where owners Jun Park and Delia Nash wanted him to go. With Alvarado aboard for all three races, he narrowly missed in the Nov. 13 Bet on Sunshine Stakes at Churchill Downs before sweeping the Dec. 31 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park and the Feb. 11 Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

O'Dwyer credits much of that success to Raabe's smart handling during training.

“When he gallops, he wants to do a little too much. Good horses get that way,” he noted. “But Chelsie does a good job of keeping him calm and relaxed.”

O'Dwyer added of Raabe: “She is a horsewoman and an exercise rider. Sometimes they don't go hand in hand.”

The front-running victory in the Pelican was followed by an invitation to compete in the $2-million Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 25 at Meydan Racecourse. Raabe's great adventure began when they flew halfway around the world two weeks before the 1,200-meter (approximately six furlongs) confrontation with the world's greatest sprinters.

Sibelius, praised by Raabe for his intelligence and lovable demeanor, handled everything with aplomb. Knowing that there is a 30-minute walk from the stable area to the track at Meydan, Sibelius had been walking a comparable distance at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Fla. Curious by nature, he loved the sights and sounds. He handled the rigorous travel as if he was a million-mile frequent flier. When photographers rushed toward him in Dubai, he was happy to oblige them.

“Everything went exactly the way we wanted it to,” Raabe said. “There wasn't a day where I was like, 'Oh, I didn't like that.' It was just easy. Every step of the entire process was incredibly easy.”

Sibelius stayed connected to Ricardo Barajas through daily phone conversations, including one on race day. “I don't know what Ricardo said to that horse in Spanish, but that horse stood statue still,” Raabe said. “He was intensely paying attention to whatever Ricardo said.”

When it came time for Sibelius to enter the track, Raabe was overcome with emotion. When she thought of how far she and her beloved horse had come, she sobbed.

Her heart sank when the gates snapped open. Sibelius normally rockets to the front. This time, at the worst possible time, he failed to break sharply and was shuffled back. Ryan Moore, who had replaced Alvarado because Alvarado had major commitments in the United States, was left with much to do with a mount that had not been the most courageous earlier in his career.

Raabe was heartened as Sibelius began to gain ground. Then there was an opening on the inside. The much-improved Sibelius, no longer a wimp, fought for all he was worth.

“He dug in deep,” Raabe said. “He wanted to win that race.”

And he did, fending off defending champion Switzerland by a nose for his first Grade 1 triumph. Whatever happens from here, Raabe will always treasure her time with the horse of her dreams.

“Sibelius has changed my life. He gave me that love back for working with horses in general,” said Raabe, knowing how awful it can be to feel lost.

The post Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Sibelius A Life-Changing Horse For Chelsie Raabe appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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He was so determined that he walked through the desert day and night, only to be apprehended by border patrol agents and returned to Mexico.

Morales was undeterred. He hired a coyote, someone who specializes in smuggling people into the United States. This time, the teenager successfully eluded immigration officials and began work at Turf Paradise race course in Phoenix.

When it was time for horses to be shipped to Chicago, he slipped into a large box meant to contain horse blankets and was carried into the plane. He was able to leave the box once he was out of view.   Upon arrival in Chicago, he slept in that same box on Friday and Saturday nights, when barns were often checked for undocumented workers. He lived with the fear of detection until he became a citizen in 1982.

“It means everything,” he said of his citizenship. “I have a lot of respect for the country. You have everything you want, everything you need.”

Morales' decision to leave home could not have been more beneficial. He found work that he cares about as a groom. More than that, he found the love of his life. He spotted Nancy Duarte at a restaurant where she was working, and they were immediately drawn to each other. She soon left the restaurant to join him in working at the barn.

They have been married 38 years. They have a daughter, Haley, and a precious 6-year-old granddaughter, Asenet, who live a few minutes from Gulfstream Park. Morales and Duarte work for trainer Gustavo Delgado at Barn 22. They drive a 2010 Ford Explorer and live at the track, as happy together today as the day they were married.

“I can't keep separate from him,” said Duarte, 67.

They are very much a team. Duarte walks the horses her husband grooms while jumping in wherever else she is needed. She also makes sure Barn 22 is a place of beauty. She has thriving plants everywhere that she tends to daily.

“I have them in my heart, plants,” said Duarte. Her love of nature stems from her mother, Lucilla, who still lives in Nicaragua.

“She takes care of horses and she takes care of the garden, too. She loves her plants as much as I think she likes horses,” said Gustavo Delgado, Jr., who works beside his father as his top assistant.

Morales, now 63, is as skilled with horses as his wife is with plants. His impressive resume includes a decade with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott that greatly expanded his knowledge of horses while allowing him to work with the great Cigar on a limited basis.

“He was like my second father,” Morales said of Mott. “He is one of the best trainers you can find. I learned a lot from him. But I learn a lot from everybody. Everybody has something to show me and I learn.”

Delgado, Jr., 33, tries to soak up as much knowledge from Morales as he does from his father. “I'm grateful to my father because he is a good horseman. At the track, I would say he is one of the best because he knows how to condition a horse,” Delgado Jr. said. “But I will say I owe many of the things about how to take care of a horse to Moises.”

Morales excels at spotting issues with his horses. “One of the things you look for in a good groom, if you miss something, he will let you know right on time before it gets too late and you can't do anything,” said Delgado Jr. “Sometimes we create a major problem if we fail to attend to the minor ones.”

Morales could not be happier with his career. “I love what I do. I love working with the horses,” he said. “When it is work you really like, you do it for yourself.”

Some couples might find working together stressful and potentially volatile. Not these two. “We've been working together for a long time, since I met her. I enjoy it and she enjoys it because we help each other,” Morales said. “We are not people who are fighting and all of this. No, no.”

Although they said they have saved enough money to retire, they remain plenty vigorous enough to handle the daily grind. And nothing about their chores is a grind to them. When it comes to material things, they are content with what they have. They are not driven by bigger and better.

“Simple life is beautiful life,” said Morales, so pleased with the life-changing decision he made long ago.

Tom Pedulla, 2022 recipient of the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

If you wish to suggest someone as a potential subject for In Their Care, please send an email to info @ paulickreport.com that includes the person's name and contact information in addition to a brief description of the individual's background.

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Simon Harris, a long-time exercise rider and valet on the New York circuit, remembers the day as if it was yesterday.

It was a day of roiling emotions – sadness, anxiety, excitement. He was 24 years young and was leaving behind friends and family in Dublin, Ireland, for Ocala, Fla. He knew he had a job there with breeder and trainer Noel Hickey. Nothing else was certain.

Was he making the right move? Among others, he was leaving behind a girlfriend and a loving relationship that had lasted for a decade. It had been the saddest of goodbyes.

“It was hard to leave home,” he said simply.

Perhaps harder than anyone can imagine. And yet he never looked back. He was first struck by the warmth of the Florida air – and then by the warmth of those he met.

“I love the way people are here,” said Harris, now 55. “If you work hard, people give you a shot.”

The husband-and-wife training team of John and Tonya Terranova head the list of people who gave him a shot. The 5-6, 135-pound Harris began galloping horses for them in 1993 and was instrumental in the development of Gander, a star gelding. He continues to be a key figure in their operation.

“He's like family to us,” said Tonya. “He's like a brother to me.”

He interacts with the horses in the barn almost as well. “It's very rare that there is one he can't get along with,” Tonya said. “It's not just a job for him. He really has dedication and a love for the animal.”

The Terranovas count on Harris to breeze their horses. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert frequently sends top runners to them from his West Coast base ahead of scheduled starts in major New York stakes. Harris is a major reason why. Harris ranks Point Given, Baffert's 2001 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner, among the best he has ever climbed aboard despite the horse's headstrong nature.

When Baffert was considering retiring Indian Blessing at the end of the 2009 campaign, he left the deciding vote to Harris. Indian Blessing had been champion 2-year-old filly in 2007 and the nation's leading female sprinter in 2008.

“She's still good,” Harris told Baffert after hopping off. “She's not the same.”

Baffert had suspected as much. “She's done,” Baffert told him before the retirement was made official.

When trainer Tom Albertrani sensed he had a gem in Bernardini, he turned to Harris to help prepare the colt. Harris still ranks the winner of the Preakness, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2006 as the best horse he has ever ridden.

“He had everything. He had a great mind. He knew what he was,” Harris said. “When he went on the track, he had such a presence about him. He just looked special.”

According to Harris, much of his success has to do with demeanor. “The better exercise riders have a way about them that is calm,” he said. “They do things a little bit slower.”

He establishes relationships with his mounts almost immediately. “Horses have different personalities. They can tell right away that they can do whatever they want with you or they can't,” the rider said. “They know.”

Harris got his shot as a full-time valet in 1996. He continues to hurry to the jockeys' room as soon as his morning work is done. The jockeys' room is a world unlike any other. Opposing teams cool off in separate locker rooms. Opposing jockeys may sit beside one another.

“You're trying to win a race and something happens,” Harris said. “You're going back to a place where you're going to see that person right away.” It is not uncommon for valets to jump in as peacemakers.

Harris has worked for numerous riders, with Hall of Famers Jerry Bailey and Gary Stevens most prominent among them. He views Bailey as the greatest he has ever been around for his ability to anticipate the moves of his rivals.

“What made Bailey different from other riders I've taken care of, he was like a poker player,” Harris said. “He knew you. He knew your tendencies.”

Harris currently assists future Hall of Famer Flavien Prat and Jaime Torres, a promising youngster from Puerto Rico.

As far as tales from the jockeys' room, do not expect to hear any of those. “What goes in there,” he said, “stays in there.”

Harris is a divorced father of two daughters. Brianna, 22, and Eva, 20, live in England. Many family members remain in Ireland. But he stopped feeling as though he was a foreigner in a foreign land long ago.

Tom Pedulla, 2022 recipient of the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

If you wish to suggest someone as a potential subject for In Their Care, please send an email to info @ paulickreport.com that includes the person's name and contact information in addition to a brief description of the individual's background.

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Luis Barajas, a groom for Moquett, stood apart from the crowd.

“He was a good horseman from the beginning and he wanted to learn,” Russell said. “He didn't want to just groom forever. We had a conversation and I knew if my business grew, he could grow as well.”

When Russell was ready to strike out on her own, she persuaded Barajas to take a chance on her in 2018. It was just the two of them in the beginning, overseeing five horses in Maryland. She gained insight as she galloped them each morning; he tended to their needs as a groom.

Their combined work ethic and talent has allowed them to come far. Russell, 32, is attaining heights never reached before as a female trainer in Maryland.

Last season, she became only the fourth woman to win a meet in that state when she topped the trainer standings during the Laurel spring stand, following paths blazed by Karen Patty (1992, Pimlico spring), Mary Eppler (2016, Laurel fall) and Linda Rice (2017, Laurel winter). Rice tied Keiron Magee with 27 winners despite starting 77 fewer horses.

Russell followed her Laurel breakthrough by earning the title at Pimlico's Preakness meet. She narrowly missed year-end honors. Claudio Gonzalez showed the way for the sixth consecutive season with 74 victories, one more than Russell and Jamie Ness.

The Pennsylvania native competed primarily in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. She established career highs with 453 starters, 100 wins and $4,373,996 in purse earnings. According to Equibase, her winning percentage has always exceeded 20 percent with her horses cracking the top three more than 50 percent of the time every season.

Russell traces much of her dramatic growth and success to the day she made Barajas, 33, her first and, for some time, only hire. “He was trustworthy,” she said. “From the beginning, I knew whatever I needed, it was going to get done. I knew right away I could trust the guy. Obviously, I had good reviews from other people.”

She is a good judge of men, period. She married Sheldon Russell, one of Maryland's leading riders, on Aug. 26, 2018. They have two children, Edy, 3, and Rye, 1. Sheldon has been a boon to her operation because he gallops her best horses in the morning. The knowledge he gains contributes to afternoon success.

Still, Sheldon refers to Barajas as “the main man at the barn.”

Barajas grew up on a farm in Mexico and came to the United States in 2008 to pursue a better quality of life. The Russells have made him feel very much at home.

“They are the best people I ever met,” Barajas said. “They are like a part of my family.”

Russell's operation neared 100 horses last summer as more and more owners were drawn to her. She emphasized that her growth would not have been possible without the charismatic Barajas. Many trainers struggle to attract and keep good hotwalkers and grooms. She does not. That may not sound like much, but it is extremely significant if an operation is to deliver consistently strong results.

“I have grooms who have been in my barn for years and these are his guys,” she said. “He has made my team.”

Russell went on, “He is a kind leader. People like working for him. I have good grooms in the barn and I anticipate they will stay for a long time.”

Barajas credits his success in building a strong team to his ability to read people. “I try to make all of them happy and try to help them so they feel comfortable,” he said. “I have to treat all of them different. I know how to treat all of them.”

Barajas added: “I think that is one of the hardest parts, to work with people. I'm doing great with that. I think that is one of the best points I've got.”

He is quite a horseman as well. “He knows the things I look for. He knows the things that are really important to me,” Russell said. “He's not afraid to say, 'Hey, do you want to do this?' or 'I noticed this.' Those are the people you need when you are overseeing a large number of horses.”

As if all of that is not enough, Barajas comes with an added benefit. His mother, Eduvina Amaro, is often available as a much-needed babysitter.

Tom Pedulla, 2022 recipient of the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

If you wish to suggest someone as a potential subject for In Their Care, please send an email to info @ paulickreport.com that includes the person's name and contact information in addition to a brief description of the individual's background.

The post Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Barajas A ‘Kind Leader’ In Brittany Russell Stable appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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