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‘Glad To Do What I Love’: Justine Klaiber First Female Jockey To Win Million-Dollar Race At Los Al

It is not often that you hear right now that plans made at the beginning of 2020 came to fruition and even exceeded any hopeful early expectations. Yet, that is what happened with Grant Cox Revocable Trust's homebred Apollitical Gold, as the plans made by his connections back in January came true after the gelding by Apollitical Jess won the Grade 1, $1,104,550 Golden State Million Futurity Sunday at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Sent off at 23-1 odds, Grant Cox Revocable Trust's homebred Apollitical Gold broke sharply from post seven, took the lead early on and then held off Oklahoma Futurity winner Aint She Tempting by a head to win the richest running of the Golden State Million since 2012. With his hard-fought victory in the 440-yard race, Apollitical Gold gave Cox the richest win of his career as a racehorse owner, while also giving trainer Eddie Willis his richest victory ever at Los Alamitos Race Course. Piloting Apollitical Gold to victory was 25-year-old Justine Klaiber, who in the Golden State Million became the first female jockey to win a million-dollar race at Los Alamitos.

All in all, in covering the distance in a time of :19.650, Apollitical Gold's victory was the culmination of a plan drawn up by his connection well before his March 9 debut at Remington Park.

“Believe it or not, before he ever won a race, he had a schedule and this was on that schedule,” said Dr. Grant Cox, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist from Tulsa, Oklahoma. “(The win) was surreal because we own the mom and bred the mare. We watched him as a baby. My dad fed (him) every day. For this horse to win this race, it is unbelievable. I have to thank my mom and my dad and my wife for letting me spend money on horses when we probably didn't have it. I think (Los Alamitos Race Course owner) Ed Allred does a great job in trying to keep racing fair and I really respect that. I wanted to be here. It just worked out.”

It has been a well laid out plan so far, as Apollitical Gold also qualified to the Grade 1 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs, where he finished third to the outstanding filly Whistle Stop Cafe. For the Cox family, they surely could have never predicted that a mare purchased by Cox's father, Rex Cox, in the late 1970s would be a catalyst for so much success in racing more than 30 years later.

“My mom and dad have always had racing Quarter Horses,” Cox added. “They bought this horse's great grandmother in 1977 and most of our horses have come from that mare. Her name is Oh Mickey Go. Her last foal was a Strawfly Special baby (Oh Strawfly Go). We bred her to PYC Paint Your Wagon and we got this horse's mother (Src Gold). It's kind of beyond cool that this actually is happening. My brother (Dustin Cox) won the ($860,000) Remington Park Futurity with Im A Fancy PYC, but this is the first homebred from the great grandmother that we've had to do this well.”

While Grant Cox lives in Tulsa, Apollitical Gold was raised in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, about an hour northeast of Tulsa.

“That's where I grew up and that's where (Src Gold) is now,” the owner added. “He went off at 23-1 (in the Golden State Million). He ran third in the All American Futurity and he went off at 23-1. He did well. He is what I call a finisher, he always finishes well. When he broke well, I thought that we had a chance. He didn't have to come from behind. He doesn't like to be passed. Eddie has done a great job with this horse. He's been really patient with him.”

Willis has won over 1,500 Quarter Horse races and his horses have earned over $34 million. He's won the All American Derby, Texas Classic Derby and Ruidoso Derby just to mention a few, but Apollitical Gold's victory represents the second richest futurity win of his career, only behind Ragazzo's win in the 2009 Heritage Place Futurity. Willis was quick to pass the credit for Apollitical Gold's win to the other members of his team.

“(Apollitical Gold) has never not run a good race when we have run him,” he said. “I tried not to do too much with him before this race. I galloped him once and schooled him once. He has been very focused. My team that's here with the horses did it all. I just oversee things a little bit. When I stood my three horses in the final earlier this week, he stood the best out of all of them. Based on that I thought he had the edge among the three.”

And of course, Klaiber's win is a historical one, as it's the richest win by woman rider in Los Alamitos history.

“Justine had worked with this horse in the past,” Willis said. “That's why she had to come in to ride Apollitical Gold in the final. It's special to win this big of a race. That's why we are here for – to have moments like this. You have to be very lucky – everything needs to be right to win a race of this magnitude. It was right for us tonight. I had a good set of horses this year. That's the reason I came out to Los Alamitos. We'll be back three weeks from now for the trials to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (on November 22). I am really looking forward to that weekend.

“I've known the Cox family for a long time, but it wasn't until just a few years ago that I started training for them. Grant Cox bred and raised this horse. He brought him to my farm, and I kept him for two months. We worked with him and got him ready to race. I sent him back to Grant for a few months – kind of turned him out – before he came back for the start of his racing career.

“I'm not sending this one back to him again,” Willis said with a chuckle. “I'm keeping this one with me.”

For Klaiber, her win at Los Alamitos Race Course will be one to remember. The young pilot is having her best year yet, winning a career high 70 races and now going over $1 million in earnings.

“It's been amazing,” Klaiber said. “I'm grateful to have been able to ride all year long for Eddie Willis and be a part of the team. I couldn't be here without him and all my friends and family supporting me. This is great. I just hope it keeps building. It just seems like every year it gets better and better. I show up for work every day and be glad to do what I love and work hard. It's a lot of hard work. I don't think any of it was given. We've all have worked for it. I think I was second or third leading rider at Fair Meadows and now I'm at Will Rogers Downs. I think I've won 31 races there so far for the meet with a couple of weeks left.”

With Willis qualifying three horses to the Golden State Million Futurity, Klaiber was a perfect choice to ride Apollitical Gold after jockey Jimmy Dean Brooks, who rode Apollitical Gold in the trials, was set to ride HR Princess Jess in the final.

“I broke (Apollitical Gold) last winter,” Klaiber said. “I rode him at Remington. Eddie was at the trials in Oklahoma and asked me to come and ride him. Jimmy (Dean Brooks) stood him and Eddie said that he stood better than he ever stood. He definitely left on top. The horse felt great. He broke better than he has ever broken. He finished fantastic. I couldn't have asked him to run any better. He always runs like that – straight – he always has a good finish. He is phenomenal horse, and he gives you the best trip he can every time. I am happy.”

Klaiber has ridden two horses at Los Alamitos. In her first mount, she finished second in a stakes race on AQHA Bank of America Racing Challenge night. She made Los Alamitos history in her second mount.

Apollitical Gold earned $449,631 for the win to take his career earnings to $737,389. He's won three of seven starts, finishing in the money in everyone of his starts.

Levings Racing LLC and Dunn Ranch LLC's Aint She Tempting earned $181,994 for her runner-up effort. Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio for trainer John Cooper, the Tempting Dash filly won the Oklahoma Futurity and was second in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity prior to arriving to Los Alamitos for the Golden State Million trials. A top three finisher in all six of her career starts, the McColee Land & Livestock LLC-bred Aint She Tempting raised her bankroll to $487,178.

Owned and trained by Jaime Gomez, J Best Boogie finished third under Jesus Rios Ayala. Bred by Rick Beck, the filly by Docs Best Card earned $128,466 in her stakes debut. Larry Rice's HR Princess Jess, fifth in the All American Futurity, earned $74,939 for her fourth place finish in this race. Jimmy Dean Brooks piloted the Willis-trainee. The top four finishers were followed by Counting The Ways, Apollitical Patty, Favorite Doc, Constituent, Famous Cartel Jess and Jessa Bit Of Candy.

The post ‘Glad To Do What I Love’: Justine Klaiber First Female Jockey To Win Million-Dollar Race At Los Al appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Jockey Ferrin Peterson Brings Momentum, Unconventional Backstory To Aqueduct Meet

A whirlwind year that has already featured Ferrin Peterson's ascension from apprentice rider to contender for meet-leading honors on a major circuit will present yet another opportunity, as the California native will move her tack to New York for the first time when she competes at Aqueduct Racetrack's fall meet.

Peterson will join one of the world's most competitive jockey colonies for the 18-day meet at the Big A that commences Friday, Nov. 6 and runs through Dec. 6, offering 29 stakes including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 million in purse money.

This year started with Peterson as an apprentice jockey with 15 career wins to her credit and no mounts until July because of COVID-19-related postponements of living racing around the country. But Peterson made up for lost time, registering 42 wins during the summer at Monmouth Park, registering the meet's second-highest mark behind longtime New Jersey-circuit veteran Paco Lopez's 51 victories.

The 28-year-old Peterson's success resulted in her losing her bug and apprentice status but gained her notice from the racing community, especially after she notched her first stakes win aboard Share the Ride in the Mr. Prospector on September 12.

Peterson will now head to New York armed with both recent success and with the support of someone who knows exactly what it's like to try and establish herself in a New York jockey's room full of Eclipse Award champions and Grade 1-winners, as Hall of Famer Julie Krone is her agent.

“I think now, I've improved navigating races,” Peterson said. “Before, I was on a lot of longshots, so you can't really use them to go through holes or position them where you want because you just don't have enough horse underneath you. Now that I get to ride live horses, I can maneuver a race much better, and Julie's been a great teacher for that. It's been cool to be able to think through a race more and use those tactics.”

Peterson's road to the Big Apple won't be as far – literally and figuratively – as her move from her native California to the Jersey Shore to compete at Monmouth. Last year, Peterson completed her veterinary studies at U.C. Davis. The well-earned title of doctor was the culmination of a varied athletic and educational path that started in Roseville, California, where Peterson rode horses in the English style and Dressage. She attended high school in Oakmont, where she set a school record as a pole vaulter, and attended college at the University of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo while earning a degree in animal science before heading to medical school, where she received U.C. Davis' Zoetis Equine Scholarship and secured an externship in Japan, allowing her to tour training centers, rehab facilities and thoroughbred farms while also attending the Nippon Derby.

Presented with the opportunity to start her post-doctorate medical career, Peterson was drawn back to race riding, which started in 2018 with 10 wins in 144 starts riding all across California, racking up victories at Golden Gate, Fresno, Oak Tree At Pleasanton, while also riding in a pair of races at Del Mar.

“I like to do things unconventionally in general and be different and whatever you're passionate about, you should pursue that,” Peterson said. “I don't regret becoming a veterinarian [and delaying her racing career] because I'm also passionate about that and sometimes people think you should focus on one thing in life, but I think I benefit from having multiple things going on in my life, and they complement each other.

“In vet school, I had a lot of people who were giving me a hard time about trying to do both, but now that I've been able to achieve it, it means a lot more that my story can be spread and I can encourage other people, because it's always easy to find people who will doubt you,” she added.

After five wins in 96 starts last year, Peterson came to the East Coast this year and competed for a riding crown on a major circuit.

“It's a nice surprise; in my career so far, I've just seen an open door and keep pursuing it,” Peterson said. “I thought I wouldn't be a jockey after vet school and do veterinary medicine full-time, but I kept seeing opportunities and having people believe in me, so I tried going full time as a jockey and then I met Julie Krone and had a successful meet, so that's been the story of my jockey career. Just having that support system is what keeps me going, and now I'm all-in.”
Peterson said her educational background has also proved beneficial on the track itself.

“Just having that veterinary knowledge and being able to have those conversations with trainers and owners, I think they do appreciate that,” Peterson said. “The more you work on horses, on the ground or on their back, the more in-tune you are with them. They are just such complex animals. It's great to be able to understand what they are going through and talk about rehabilitation procedures and be able to offer different ideas and approaches to trainers with integrated medicines. It's been cool to see that develop.”

Krone can impart lessons on following an unconventional path to success after a trailblazing career that saw her achieve many milestones for female jockeys. The Benton Harbor, Michigan native was the first woman to win an American Classic when she piloted Colonial Affair to a win in the 1993 Belmont Stakes and 10 years later was the first woman to win a Breeders' Cup race aboard Halfbridled in the Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita.

A 2000 Hall of Fame inductee, Krone was successful across many tracks but especially in the Metropolitan area, winning riding titles at Monmouth from 1987-89 before becoming the first woman to win five races in one day at a New York track. Overall, Krone won riding titles at Belmont Park, Monmouth Park, Atlantic City and the Meadowlands and said she's hoping Peterson could eventually follow a similar trajectory.

“We're so excited to be in this jockey colony and to be in New York, it's perfect for us and we're really looking forward to the fall meet,” Krone said. “I've been on the backside of Belmont every morning and the future is exciting and hopefully we can continue that success at Aqueduct that we had at Monmouth.”

Krone, who won 3,704 career races, said handling the elements at the Big A can be challenging but soon becomes just part of what any jockey needs to handle to be successful.

“You'd think someone from Northern California wouldn't want to deal with the snow and cold like that,” Krone said with a laugh. “But we were talking to [fellow Hall of Famer] Ramon Dominguez the other day about how long it took him to get used to it. You do get used to it fast and with the purses being so big at Aqueduct and the racing being so good, you don't even think about the weather because you're paying attention to other stuff.”

Like Peterson, Krone started her career with successful stints on other circuits before coming to New York. Krone won more than 100 races every year from 1981-86 before becoming a regular at Aqueduct in 1987, where she won 15 races that year, including the Grade 2 Gallant Fox with Soar to the Stars.

Krone said Peterson has developed an acute ability to read a race and make a winning move.

“She has a great understanding of how a race unfolds and she gets along with every horse, regardless of their personalities, if they are nervous fillies or strong colts,” Krone said. “She gets along with every horse. We talked about different race scenarios and within one race, she applies what she learns. She's a fast learner and has a great work ethic and we're going into this meet with [momentum], for sure.

“She's so mentally tough,” she added. “One time she fell at the quarter-pole, but she was OK and the horse was OK, and she came back and won the next two races. I said, 'she's so tough.' I see a lot of qualities I had as a jockey. People really like her and she never makes the same mistake twice. She's sharp and heads up. Everyone enjoys her company, but she's tough as nails and so consistent. She loves riding racehorses and loves being at the track.”

Peterson said she's hoping to follow a path Krone blazed and said having an increased support system has made a huge difference as she's progressed in her career.

“Having her believe that I can make this step now, it's so important,” Peterson said. “I asked her if she thought we were ready, and she said this is how you make that step; you go there in the winter and get recognized there and if it goes well, you can transition into riding there in the spring and summer.

“I think whenever you have to face elements and less ideal situations, it just makes you mentally tougher,” she added. “I like pushing myself outside my comfort zone. If you asked me months before if I could ride in a facemask in July on the East Coast where it's humid, I didn't think I'd be capable of that riding 12 races on a card. But I did it quite a few weekends and never had a problem. As long as you stay present in your mindset and focus on what you can control; it's all about mental training. Just buckle down and do the best you can.”

Peterson will enter a room that counts the winners of the last seven Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Jockey as regulars in New York, with brothers Jose and Irad Ortiz, Jr. joining Hall of Famer Javier Castellano. Other decorated riders who are expected to square off against Peterson during the Aqueduct meet are jockeys such as Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Manny Franco, who has won NYRA's year-end riding title two years in a row, as well as veterans such as Jose Lezcano, Junior Alvarado and Kendrick Carmouche among others.

“One of the main reasons I wanted to step into the NYRA circuit – and one of the reasons I went to the Southern California circuit – was to challenge myself,” she said. “It didn't work out great that time [California] because I didn't have much momentum going into it and didn't have an agent. But the circumstances have changed for me and I improved as a jockey, and now I have a shot and I'm around people who make me that much better. When I'm competing amongst the best, it pushes me that much harder. I know I'll learn so much that way.”

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‘I’ve Grown Up And I’m Ready’: Sebastian Saez Returns To Aqueduct For Fall Meet

Jockey Sebastian Saez, the younger brother of prominent New York-based rider Luis Saez, will make his return to riding at the Aqueduct fall meet which kicks off on Friday, Nov. 6, and runs through Sunday, Dec. 6.

The 21-year-old Saez said he wants to uphold the highly-regarded riding talents of his family, including 28-year-old brother Luis and his late brother Juan, an apprentice rider who died tragically at the age of 17 from injuries sustained in a spill in October 2014 at Indiana Grand.

Saez last rode in January 2019 at Gulfstream Park before returning to his native Panama to spend time with family and look inward as an act of mindfulness before resetting course to his goal of becoming a successful rider.

“I went back to Panama for a year to clear my head and find myself,” said Saez. “But I realized how much I missed riding here in the States and I knew that I had to give it a shot again. I was just a kid then. Now, I've grown up and I'm ready.”

As a teenager, Saez won five races in New York at the 2016 Belmont spring/summer meet, including a frontrunning half-length score with the Bruce Levine-trained Foxy Posse on the inner turf where he held off a game bid from Luis aboard Maybry's Conquest.

“It was a great finish,” recalled Luis. “He has a lot of talent. I think when he first came here he was a little too young, but now he's grown and he's ready.”

“Most important for him is to be patient and to try and do his best and always be here to work horses in the morning, see everybody and work hard,” he added. “The main thing is to work hard. I wish all the best for him.”

The up-and-coming rider lived with his brother Luis in Florida before launching his career in 2015 at Churchill Downs, where he picked up his first win in May 2015 aboard Bob's Gone Wild.

The elder Saez, a multiple Grade 1-winning veteran with more than 2,500 career wins, said his younger sibling has the talent to make it in New York.

“When he was living with me in Florida, I was teaching him every day about how to ride. He learned a lot,” said Saez. “When he went to Churchill he was doing great over there but we had a bad moment when we lost our brother. I think that hurt him and that's why he had to take time off. Now, he's in the right spot and I have a good feeling about him coming back to ride.

“He's a strong rider, too,” Saez added. “He can ride horses anywhere – from the front, from behind. He has a good left hand and I think he has the talent.”

With 1,093 starts to his credit, the younger Saez owns a modest record of 121-137-138, good for purse earnings in excess of $2.6 million. For the last two months, Saez said he has been riding out for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen in Kentucky.

“I was working in Kentucky getting fit and ready to ride. I was breezing a lot of horses,” said Saez.

Saez will be making his return and Big A debut on Opening Day of a fall meet that offers 29 stakes, including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 million in purse money.

The good-natured young rider said he brings a few familiar Saez family traits to the table.

“I think I am very strong and I finish well,” said Saez. “I try to watch and learn as much as I can from my brother Luis. I also have good hands and I know how to get a horse to relax.”

When asked what he would choose if he could borrow a skill or strength from each of his brothers, Saez said, “From Luis, I would like to borrow his knowledge of the game and how he is loved by everyone. And from Juan, he rides with me. I will ride with the passion he rode with and smile and enjoy riding like him.”

All three Saez brothers graduated from Panama's famed Laffit Pincay Jockey School. Juan went on to earn honors as the leading rider at the 2014 Ellis Park meet and Luis has ridden on the biggest stages of the sport and guided his mounts to more than $126 million in purse earnings.

Saez, however, said he credits his older brother as his role model and mentor.

“I went to the school of Luis Saez,” said Saez with a laugh. “I think I had a really great teacher. He is one of the best in the country.”

Racing fans can follow Saez, who will be represented by agent Shawn Klotz, on his Twitter account @Jockeyssaezpty.

“I just want a shot to prove that I'm a good rider and I can make it here in New York,” said Saez. “This is the major leagues of horse racing and it's an honor to ride with the best riding colony in America. I'm going to work so hard to be the best I can be.”

America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the Aqueduct fall meet with coverage to air on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

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Whip Violations: Figueroa Suspended, Prat Fined By Santa Anita Stewards

Under the new whip rules implemented at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., this month, stewards have issued rulings to a pair of jockeys for violations on Oct. 18, reports the Daily Racing Form.

Jockey Heriberto Figueroa has been suspended for three racing days for using his whip more than the allotted six times and not in an underhanded position during that day's seventh race, which he won aboard Savvy Gal. It was the rider's third violation in the last 60 days, according to the ruling.

Flavien Prat has been fined $300 for not using the whip in an underhanded position in the G2 Twilight Derby on Oct. 18, in which he finished fifth aboard Farmington Road.