Rosario, originally from the Dominican Republic, began his career as a professional jockey at the age of 14 after six months in jockey school. He moved to the United States in 2006 following four leading rider titles in the Dominican Republic. Since his move to the U.S. he has won 3,253 races, which includes 15 Breeders' Cup races, two Belmont Stakes, and one Kentucky Derby. His mounts have collected $264,331,327 in earnings, and he is a strong contender for the 2021 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. 

Rosario went into detail on his life as a jockey, discussing the likes of everything from his most memorable mounts to his advice for aspiring jockeys. 

Question: How did you get into horse racing?

Joel Rosario: “I got into horse racing through my brother. He took me to the jockey school in The Dominican Republic and that's how I got started.”

Q: What has it been like to have the mount on a horse like Knicks Go, who you've now guided to two Breeders' Cup wins?

J: “I'm just very thankful for the connections who gave me the opportunity to ride a horse like him. I'm thankful for everything. I'm thankful for the horse and everything he did as well.”

Q: You've had a great year of racing overall, but what is one moment from this year that sticks out to you the most?

J: “I have a lot of good moments with the year that I had, winning a lot of races and Grade 1s, but when you win the Breeders' Cup it's very special. I really appreciate all of the people who have given me an opportunity.”

Q: What has been the biggest career challenge that you've faced during your time as a jockey?

J: “I like what I do and I've been doing this all my life so I never have any challenges doing this. I just like to do it.”

Q: What is your favorite part about being a jockey?

J: “Being around the horses and the people. In racing you meet a lot of nice people and that is what makes me want to keep doing it.”

Q: I would assume that having a good mindset going into a race plays a big role in winning so how do you maintain a good mindset going into a race?

J: “I like to work out to stay strong. I have a routine that I do almost every day.”

Q: Who are some of your most memorable horses that you've ridden during your career?

J: “I have a lot of memorable horses, but you know Knicks Go is one of my favorites that I've ever ridden. Then there's Twirling Candy, Frosted, Orb, Animal Kingdom, Tonalist, and Uni. They mean a lot to me. They helped my career.”

Q: What is a piece of advice you would give to anyone trying to become a successful jockey?

J: “Work hard and stay disciplined. Just don't stop and keep doing it every day. Not even just for jockeys, but for anything in life if you want something, I think if you work hard for that you'll get it. Have a dream and keep working.”

Q: What jockey do you look up to the most?

J: “There are a lot of the older jockeys that give me good advice like Mike Smith and John Velazquez. Even some that aren't riding anymore have been very helpful to me, like Gary Stevens and Jerry Bailey and all those guys. I cannot say just one because they all have given me good advice.”

The post ‘Have A Dream And Keep Working’: The Mindset Of Top Jockey Joel Rosario appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The leading rider of Gulfstream Park's 2021 Fall Meet and Spring/Summer meet is a native of Puerto Rico as well as a former student of the Escuela Vocacional Hípica jockey school there. He moved to South Florida to pursue a career in racing in 2012. Over the span of his decade-long career, Zayas has won 1,930 races and $55,080,460 in earnings. He is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and is likely to not make another start until the spring. 

Zayas discussed his stellar year of racing accomplishments, as well as his hopes for the future following rehabilitation from his current injury. 

Question: How did you get into horse racing?

Edgard Zayas: “I used to live close to a racetrack in Puerto Rico. I used to go to that racetrack all the time with my grandfather and I really loved it. I was always into sports, but I got to a point where I was 14 or 15 years old and I was a little too small to play any sports so I decided that I really wanted to try to be a jockey. I was 17 years old when I decided to join the jockey school in Puerto Rico. It was amazing. I think they have a really good system. They teach us everything from treating a horse to riding a horse. It's awesome because at that point I had never really been involved with horses so I didn't know how to work with horses and groom them and all that. At the jockey school they teach you everything from grooming a horse and doing stalls to riding them.”

Q: How did it feel to have such a good year and bring home a leading rider title from Gulfstream after having two years in a row interfered with by injuries?

E: “It felt great. This year I was still kind of dealing with a little injury in my shoulder and I decided to get surgery because it was bugging me all year, but luckily I have support from big trainers down here in South Florida. I had a great year that would've carried on to the winter so it was a tough decision to do it [get shoulder surgery].”

Q: What does the rehabilitation process for your shoulder injury consist of?

E: “Right now I'm in a sling for four weeks. After that I'll start some therapies and whenever I get my motion and my muscles back I can start galloping horses in the morning again and then decide from there. I'm looking at probably three or four months.”

Q: Do the areas that you injured remain vulnerable to potential arthritis or re-injury now? If so, what kind of special care or precautions do you have to take now that you didn't before?

E: “Yeah absolutely. The more injuries I get, I have to take care of myself more. I'm young, but I'll start getting older little by little. There's things I like to do outside of horse racing like I used to play basketball and stuff like that, but those are things that I now have to compromise for horse racing. I have to concentrate on what I do to not get re-injured.”

Q: Did you find that having to take that much time off from racing had any impact on your mental health? 

E: “Absolutely, and I've been doing really good every time I've gotten an injury, but it's really tough mentally. Hopefully I get a couple years of being healthy. That's all I can ask for.”

Q: Is it difficult to get momentum back with trainers after time away due to injuries?

E: “Luckily I've always got support when I come back and I'm able to get the ball rolling quick. Hopefully this time will be the same way. I'm going to try to come back stronger than ever, and finally I can ride confidently because this whole year I had that shoulder problem that was really bugging me. Hopefully when I come back I can come back one hundred percent and get the support and get the ball rolling for a better year.”

Q: Who is one other jockey that you look up to the most?

E: “Johnny V absolutely. Inside he's the best and outside he's the best.”

The post Edgard Zayas On Injury Rehabilitation And Coming Back ‘Stronger Than Ever’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In this New Year's Eve look-back at the year in horse racing, we show you our most-liked Facebook posts of 2021.

These social media posts run the gamut from tragedy to hope: the list includes the death of Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit, a one-handed teenager overcoming the odds as an exercise rider, and small-town horseman George Leonard's trip to the World Championships with a daughter of California Chrome.

We at the Paulick Report could not do the work we do without our readers and our advertisers. Thank you this holiday season (and always) for your support, and may 2022 be your best year yet!

The post What Did You Like? The Paulick Report’s Top Facebook Posts From 2021 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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This year, for the first time, we are giving our readers a look at some of the rejected ideas for new series, along with the group consensus for turning down those ideas

(And yes, this is satire. We need to point this out at the get-go. See Idea 5.)

The Cricket Report: A monthly series reminding readers about all the court and commission cases that are open, but silent. Rejected because: Frankly, between the slew of old drug positives without rulings issued by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the boatload of civil lawsuits involving Zayat Stables, more than two dozen federal defendants, and lots, lots more, we can't keep straight who did what, when, where, and whether they're on their first round of adjudication or appeal.

They'll Really License Anybody, Won't They?: A series of profiles on racing's repeat offenders, usually trainers who were suspended for a period of time and have now returned, or who were run out of a series of racetracks but welcomed by others. Inspiration drawn from the many, many emails we still get asking about our pal Marcus Vitali, who, yes, we're aware is saddling horses at Turf Paradise for a second winter season. Rejected because: 1) It's unfair to focus on trainers when there are plenty of repeat violations by jockeys; we just can't trace riders as well because in this, the year of our Lord 2022, there is still no centralized national database for rider infractions; and 2) The subjects might sue us.

Getting To Know Top Achievers: Profiles of the weekend's Grade 1-winning connections you've never met before, in their most triumphant of moments. Rejected because: You've met them all. Years ago now. Also, we'd eventually be running back-to-back accounts detailing Brad Cox's childhood spent in the shadow of the Twin Spires … again.

Armchair Jockey: We make readers who email us to complain about jockey rides hack my OTTB around at a trot for 10 minutes. Rejected because: 1) We can't be liable for any kind of physical damage that may (/will) befall horseplayers after 30 seconds of jogging a horse; and 2) It would be a skewed representation of your typical horseplayer – we only seem to get jockey complaints from bettors who have lost money on the race.

Sarcasm From Ray: Ray writes out his original and biting takes on the day's news to inject a bit of humor into the Paulick Report. Rejected because: We still get emails/tweets from people who did not realize that his column on drug testing in New York was intended as sarcasm. No joke – lots and lots of people missed what we thought was pretty obvious there.

New Website Widget Idea: A counter that lists the number of days since a source without any direct knowledge of the situation told us with great authority that another round of arrests and federal indictments were “imminent.” Rejected because: It'd be stuck at 0.

Well, I Guess We're Doing Ok Then: A monthly pair of screenshots showing Facebook comments which accuse us of two opposite kinds of journalistic bias. Inspired by (though certainly not limited to) our having been informed during the same week that our staff were both the biggest Baffert fan club and showed irrational hatred of him because we published news items covering important developments in his ongoing civil lawsuits. Rejected because: Holy crap, are we tired of having to write about Bob.

The Sponsor Spotlight: A weekly video series where we beg for advertising dollars from people and companies the Paulick Report is accused of being in the bag for. Rejected because: Lack of funding.

The post Rejected: Paulick Report Story Ideas That Didn’t Make The Cut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In this week's look-back at the year in horse racing, we show you our most-liked Instagram posts of 2021.

The year's top images range from Flavien Prat's mid-race tack malfunction at Santa Anita to founder Ray Paulick saying goodbye to Arlington Park. Superstar filly Swiss Skydiver features twice, the Headless Horseman gallops in for an appearance, and Firenze Fire's savagery in the Grade 1 Forego also made the list.

Which one is your favorite?

 

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The post 2021 In Pictures: The Paulick Report’s Top Instagram Posts Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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This was the year of the litmus test for Thoroughbred racing: from the ongoing federal doping case against Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis to the actions of the sport's top jockeys, as well as the ongoing drama surrounding Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit.

• Reports: Navarro Sobs In Court As Judge Sentences Him To Five Years In Prison For PEDs Case: This aggregation of the results of Jorge Navarro's sentencing hearing – in which the former trainer became emotional and eventually began openly weeping in court as Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil characterized his actions – was far and away our most-read story of 2021. Other stories about the Navarro were also well-read this year, including the feds' argument that performance-enhancing drugs “have corrupted much of the horse racing industry,” the news that Navarro's attorney believes he is facing “almost certain deportation” after his prison sentence is completed, and a recap of the prosecution's sentencing letter for Navarro which calls his use of PEDs “animal abuse in the service of greed.”
  
  The federal trials are expected to continue through 2022, with another prominent former trainer, Jason Servis, among those who have entered a not guilty plea and are awaiting trial.
• Report: Irad Ortiz Jr. Fined $1,000 For Punching Paco Lopez: Actions of the sport's jockeys were a particularly hot topic this year, with reigning Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz, Jr. on the top of that list. Other news about the elder Ortiz brother that made it into our most-read stories includes: a video and opinion piece about Ortiz' dangerous riding that caused another jockey to fall (and later resulted in a 30-day suspension for Ortiz), his escape from serious injury in a June fall at Belmont Park, and a three-day suspension for his ride in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes.
• Medina Spirit Collapses, Dies After Santa Anita Workout: The tragic death of the Kentucky Derby first-place finisher was a shock to the racing community, and another hit at the end of a year in which the colt failed a post-race drug test after the Run for the Roses, trainer Bob Baffert's record of five positive tests in the preceding year was examined, Baffert issued a public apology for his handling of the scandal, Churchill Downs banned Baffert for two years, bettors filed lawsuits against Baffert in attempt to recoup losses on the Kentucky Derby, and Baffert filed a lawsuit against the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for extra testing of Medina Spirit's samples.
  
  It isn't over yet. The KHRC has yet to schedule a hearing that may disqualify Medina Spirit from his Derby win, and the New York Racing Association has been legally required to hold a hearing to determine whether Baffert will be allowed to race at their tracks. It remains unclear when, whether, or how Baffert could fight CDI's action against him, or what the future holds for his stable's top 2-year-olds as owners contemplate the Derby.
• Beloved Son Of Secretariat Passes At 30: One of the four final offspring of the legendary Secretariat passed away at the beginning of 2021. The Darley-bred Secret of the Sea, from Secretariat's final crop, fell victim to Cushing's disease at the age of 30.
• Linda Rice's License Revoked, Trainer Fined $50,000: The New York State Gaming Commission revoked trainer Linda Rice's license for a period of three years and issued her a $50,000 fine for “actions inconsistent with and detrimental to the best interest of racing generally and corrupt and improper acts and practices in relation to racing.” The NYSGC first launched an investigation into Rice's operation in early 2018, on the claim that she traded money for information from the racing office, and an eight-day hearing at the end of 2020 concluded with a hearing officer's report that Rice's misconduct – which involved receiving and requesting confidential entry information in overnight races – was intentional, serious and extensive. Rice was subsequently granted a temporary restraining order on the license revocation until her appeals process is played out in court, and has continued to train in New York.
• Mejia Taken Off Monmouth Park Mounts, Has Hearing Scheduled After Suspicious Photo Surfaces: A photo of jockey Tomas Mejia taken by the track photographer was posted on Monmouth Park's Facebook page, but it was subsequently removed after officials were alerted to what appeared to be an object in Mejia's left hand. The jockey was later handed a 10-year ban by the Monmouth Park stewards for possession of an electrical device.
• Racehorse Escapes To Expressway At Ellis Park: The aptly-named Bold and Bossy drew widespread media attention for her jaunt down the interstate after getting loose at Ellis Park. That night, the 2-year-old filly survived a barn fire with some minor burns. The Paulick Report followed up on Bold and Bossy's condition and learned more about her trainer a few weeks later. 
• Joel Rosario Fined For Misjudging Finish At Oaklawn: A curious incident in Hot Springs resulted in Rosario receiving a $200 fine. Aboard Oaklawn Mile second-place finisher Rushie, Rosario rode his mount out for another sixteenth of a mile past the wire, apparently forgetting that a one-mile race at Oaklawn finishes at the first wire.
• Owner Placed On No-Entry List At Fair Grounds After Horse Turns Up In Bail Pen: This Paulick Report investigation resulted in Churchill Downs Inc. placing owner Kim Jackson on the no-entry list at Fair Grounds after her horse appeared in a Texas bail lot while still in the entries at the New Orleans track. Little Red Kid was advertised on social media Jan. 30 by a kill pen, but at that time was still supposed to be headed to the ninth race on Feb. 3. Trainer Jacoby Landry was fined $500 for “entering a horse no longer under his care.”
• Meet Kong, The Pony Who Stole The Show On Breeders' Cup Weekend: If you found yourself distracted during the horseback interviews of this year's Breeders' Cup winners, you weren't the only one. This year, people were interested in Donna Brothers' mount, black and white pinto – both readers and Paulick Report staff members. Kong is a 10-year-old American Spotted Draft/Percheron cross trainer Kristin Mulhall picked up at an auction. He was a pick-up horse at rodeos for many years, and the Breeders' Cup was his first weekend working the races. What a star!

We at the Paulick Report could not do the work we do without our readers and our advertisers. Thank you this holiday season (and always) for your support. 

The post What Did You Read? Paulick Report’s Top Stories Of 2021 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stevens is best known for his career as a jockey spanning from 1979 to 2018, in which time he earned $258,217,768 and won 5,187 races in North America, including each leg of the Triple Crown three times, 11 Breeders' Cup races, and many other notable national and international races. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997, and won an Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey the following year.

Stevens' father, Ron, was also involved in the horse racing industry as a trainer. His father introduced him to racing at a young age and even gave Stevens his first mount as a professional Thoroughbred jockey aboard Lil Star, who was the young jockey's first win that same day. 

Stevens discussed his role as an agent and his passion for the industry. 

Question: What do your responsibilities as an agent look like day to day?

Gary Stevens: “I wake up at 4:00 a.m. and I'm out at the track by 5:00. There are certain trainers that I hit early on and then I sort of just work my way through the barn area. Really the most difficult thing is arranging workouts. Geovanni had some nice winners this past weekend. To be successful at Oaklawn, the jock has to work horses. Trainers like it when they're out in the morning. I just make sure workouts are organized timing-wise, no conflicts. It's not easy to keep everybody happy. It seems like everybody wants the same times.

I also book mounts for the future so that's how the day starts. I'm also doing television for America's Day At The Races on FOX every day as well. There's no conflicts as far as entries go, other than on Saturdays when they take entries for Fridays so I have to go between where I do my television and the racing office. They're busy, busy days, but I'm enjoying them.”

Q: Do you think that your experience as a jockey – as well as your wide variety of other experiences in the industry – helps you market your riders?

G: “Yeah, but I'll tell you what, an agent's job is not easy, but if you have a good product it makes your job much easier. I've always respected my agents, but I have more respect for every agent out there now that I'm doing it full time. It's not an easy job and even though I've been around it all my life, there's nuances that I'm still learning on the fly. There's guys that have been doing this as long as I rode and their experience level, you can see it. I feel like the apprentice right now believe it or not, but being able to walk into pretty much any barn that I want to is a big help. I feel like I've got respect and I respect every barn that I walk into. I feel like I have a definite advantage with the reputation that I have.”

Q: You've already touched on some challenges to being an agent, but what is your favorite part about it?

G: “I love being out on the backstretch in the morning. I always have. When I was riding even at the highest level I enjoyed being in the barn. I've been going to the barn since I was a young kid working for my father and it's part of my life. Without the mornings you don't have the afternoons. I love watching the grooms work, the hot walkers, the trainers, the assistants, and just everything about it. One of my favorite things about being at Oaklawn is being at Wayne Lukas's barn every morning and not necessarily talking about the present, but the past and Wayne making me what he calls a 'gourmet coffee.' We'll sit and start telling old stories and I really enjoy that.”

Q: You've worn a lot of different hats within the horse racing industry. What is it about this industry that keeps you coming back?

G: “It's my life. I really enjoyed training, but the way it is now with these big outfits and everything, it's a definite challenge. I don't know how some of these guys make it with small outfits, especially in California and New York with the labor laws and taxes and insurance. It's a very difficult job to have. Being an agent goes hand in hand with what I did all those years riding, going by the barns, and being a part of it. I'm addicted to it and it's all I know. I've got the television stuff that I've done and that also kind of goes hand in hand because I have to do a lot of studying and homework for my shows. That prepares me for my job as a jockey's agent as well. It's this giant web kind of like the internet and one thing just leads to another and the more you do, the more you learn, and the more opportunities you get.”

The post ‘The More You Do, The More You Learn’: Gary Stevens On Going From Rider To Agent appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Chantal Sutherland is a well-known multiple graded stakes-winning jockey currently based out of Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. A native of Canada, Sutherland's professional jockey career began in 2000 at Woodbine Racetrack. She went on to become the first female jockey to win the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup in 2012 and she now has lifetime earnings of $55,838,263 and has won 1,160 races. 

The two-time Sovereign Award winner went into detail about what overall fitness as a jockey means to her and how she personally maintains the balancing act. 

Question: What does your weekly exercise routine look like?

Chantal Sutherland: “Outside of riding I do two types of yoga. I do normal zen-type yoga and also intense yoga. It's like hot yoga, but it's an intense workout where you're being pushed and you're not holding poses for a long time, but you're doing intense-type poses. I also do boxing, but because I'm down to two days off a week, I don't get to do as much as I was. It is not only good for your core and your athleticism, but it's also good for your mind and your confidence. I eat extremely healthy, mostly a pescatarian type of diet, and lots of vitamins and supplements. I think it's important for everyone, not just athletes.”

Q: Do you find that exercise plays a role in your mental health and fitness as well as your physical health and fitness?

C: “Yeah I think that your mental health is just as important as your physical health. It's that mindset of calmness and our sport can be pretty tough, so you can get beat up and you just have to stick through the tough times and just be kind of mentally in tune to be able to prepare yourself for a race. I do my homework at night, sometimes up to two days before a race. I go over the race myself and watch the replays and talk to my trainer to kind of get a sense of what they want in a race. Sometimes they see the pace differently than I do and we talk about it and come to a good place. Communication I've found is so important and just being present for what they have to say. Also, I work a lot of horses. I work every day except for Monday, and I think it's a huge advantage for me. I like to know my horse. I like to know what's going on and be able to tell my trainers how they're feeling and they can tell me how they're feeling. Information is just so much power.”

Q: As mental health has become more talked about and there's been less of a stigma behind it, have you found that correlates with better performance when it comes to riding races?

C: “Yes, for sure. I feel like people are more sensitive to the fact that mental health is so important and you need to take a time or day where you don't do anything. We're on the go a lot and it's hard to take time for yourself, but it's really important. I live alone and I like to be alone in the room and I'm so lucky and blessed to have the girls' room where I can be alone. I just like to study there. I meditate there and I pray there. My relationship has taken a new level with God and myself. The more grateful you are, you feel better about yourself and the world. Being happy and treating others with respect does come back to you. I try to treat everyone on the backside with respect and love and I feel it come back to me in abundance.”

Q: Are there any types of exercise you have to avoid typically to make sure you don't bulk up too much and have trouble maintaining riding weight?

C: “You want to balance everything with cardio and weight training. You don't just want to do a ton of weight training because then you're going to get too big, but you don't want to do too much core because then you're going to get skinny and you're too weak so it's a bit of both and racing horses is the combination.”

Q: What would you say the biggest fitness challenge is for a jockey and how do you tackle that?

C: “I think it's that deep air in a race when you're down and riding and you're pulling and pushing on a 1,200 pound animal and they're getting tired and you have to lift them and help them. I think for me boxing gets that deep cardio and that feeling on a stairclimber when you're getting to that really fast anaerobic part. To be a jockey, you have to have really good air to the point where you almost feel like you're throwing up. That's what it feels like to be in a race.”

The post Chantal Sutherland On Jockey Fitness, The Importance Of Mental Health appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Napravnik became the first female jockey to ever win the Kentucky Oaks in 2012 with Believe You Can. She was also the first female jockey to win more than one Breeders' Cup race, along with many other notable achievements. With lifetime earnings of $71,426,717 Napravnik is undoubtedly one of the most successful female jockeys the industry has seen, and she continues to pursue her passion for Thoroughbreds outside of the racetrack.

Since Napravnik's retirement from racing following the 2014 Breeders' Cup where she won the G1 Distaff aboard Untapable, she has started a new career of retraining off the track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs). In Napravnik's operation, the owners who send their racehorses to her continue to financially support them throughout their second careers as she offers owners the experience of Thoroughbred ownership from an entirely new perspective. This is the case with the newest addition to her herd, Fast Boat, who has spent time at her farm previously during his career following big performances on the track.

“He's a very happy horse in general, but he was the type where he could not wait to go out every single day,” Napravnik said about Fast Boat's personality. “It never wore off the entire time he would spend here (Four Ponds Farm). He was just as happy to go out every day, always ears forward. He loved the company of a pony. We have several ponies here so they all get to play the role of being the life coach for the racehorses. It relieves the anxiety for the racehorses when they're turned out.”

The 6-year-old gelding is a son of City Zip out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare, Yellow Boat. He was claimed by Joe Sharp in 2018 and went on to win the G2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes as well as the G3 Troy Stakes in 2021. He ended his career with a record of 10-1-3 from 28 starts and $706,349 in earnings. Fast Boat is now turned out with Napravnik's herd of “lifers” and will get a couple of months off before figuring out what his second career is. 

“He's living his best life being turned out 24/7,” Napravnik mentioned. “He's kind of a boss out there, which I wasn't really sure he'd be. There's one pony out there and the pony doesn't really get grain so he's kind of the hungriest one, but now Fast Boat is the hungriest one, which is not usually the case when you turn a Thoroughbred out 24/7 for the first time. I would say he's adjusting well.”

Once Fast Boat does begin training for his second career, Napravnik said that he will follow the same routine that all of her new horses do. 

“I start all their training off with flatwork, but first I take them all hacking and they go through water, up banks, and through ditches,” Napravnik said. “They do that until they can do it on the buckle and they're chilled out and trusting of any of these new questions that you're asking of them. So that's initially what I do to wipe the slate clean. It sort of opens their mind to the idea of 'we don't have anywhere to go.' They're in such a routine during their life on the track that they're used to always having something to do, so I let them figure out that we're just out here to enjoy ourselves. Then we start flatwork and I kind of let them take me from there.”

Napravnik is a regular competitor at the annual Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park. She has finished in the top ranks of multiple divisions and has her sights set on entering Fast Boat in the 2022 Makeover. This would not be Napravnik's first time entering with a high-profile racehorse, as she competed at the 2019 makeover with 2016 Kentucky Derby contender My Man Sam in the show hunters division. 

“I have been itching to train a horse for barrel racing at the Makeover, which I know nothing about, so it would be kind of a fun experience to do that,” Napravnik said about Fast Boat's potential entry. “He's kind of built more like a Quarter Horse. He's got a huge hind end and he's built kind of downhill, so we might think about that. Like I said, he'll kind of tell me as we go.”

The post Fast Boat Is ‘Living His Best Life’ While Working Towards Second Career With Rosie Napravnik appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Brian Hernandez Jr., 36, began galloping horses at the age of 12, growing up on the backside of Evangeline Downs in Louisiana. He began his career as a professional jockey in 2003 at Delta Downs and began going back and forth between the Louisiana and Kentucky circuits the following year. Brian currently has lifetime earnings of $99,790,140 and has won 2,271 races, as well as an Eclipse Award in 2004 as outstanding apprentice jockey. 

Colby Hernandez, 31, followed quickly in his older brother's footsteps with his first start as a professional jockey coming in 2006 at Evangeline Downs. Colby rode primarily on the Louisiana circuit until 2020 when the pandemic-related track closures prompted him to give the Kentucky circuit a try. He has gone back and forth between the two states ever since. Colby has current lifetime earnings of $51,375,010 and has won 2,334 races.

With their careers overlapping, Colby and Brian have both faced off with not only each other, but their father as well before his retirement. Colby and Brian's father, Brian Hernandez Sr., had a riding career spanning from 1989 to 2014 with lifetime earnings of $13,431,686. The multiple stakes winning jockey was most notably the main rider for trainer Dale Angelle at Delta Downs.

The brothers, currently members of the Fair Grounds jockey colony in their native Louisiana, discussed their relationship, and reflected upon a year of many achievements.

Question: How did growing up with a father for a jockey influence your decision to become a jockey?

Brian Hernandez Jr.: “He was a big part of it because we grew up watching him ride and always going out to the track in the mornings with him. Instead of going to daycare when we were on summer break from school, we would go out there to the racetrack every morning. We kind of grew up on the backside of Evangeline Downs, so that was a big influence on both of us for choosing our career paths. Growing up on the backside had an advantage because we kind of knew everybody and everybody watched over us so it was a pretty easy decision.” 

Colby Hernandez: “Growing up, we were at the racetrack every single weekend when we didn't have school. Since I was a little kid, I remember always wanting to be a jockey.”

Q: What is it like to be able to share this experience of being professional jockeys with each other?

Brian: “It's a lot of fun, especially down here in New Orleans. Both of our families stay up in Kentucky for the winter time because our kids are all in school, so we come down to New Orleans and we actually share an apartment together right there by the track. We're in the same corner and our dad is actually our valet, so it's fun to come down here and compete against each other. It kind of brings out the best in both of us. Growing up, we would always race Shetland ponies in the field and we always wondered if we would ever get the chance to be jockeys so to see the level of success that we have so far has been really rewarding.”

Colby: “It's a great thing to have day in and day out in the jock's room together. We have a pretty close bond. We're always happy for each other. You do get competitive, but you want each other to do well.”

Q: Colby, in what ways have you looked up to your older brother during your career?

Colby: “The whole time I've ridden, I've competed in Louisiana and just in the past two years I've been going back and forth between Kentucky and Louisiana. Watching him ride the better races and the better horses influenced me to want to get to that next level.”

Q: Was your brother influential in your decision to start riding more on the Kentucky circuit? 

Colby: “A little bit. What really helped me make that move, though, was Covid. All the racetracks were shut down and he was talking about how Churchill was going to start up so I said, 'Alright let me try and give it a shot' and I gave it a shot and I loved it. I love being there now.”

Q: What is the best advice your brother has given you during your career?

Colby: “On the better horses, he kind of helped me out and just taught me how to ride the better races.”

Q: How did it feel to go 1-2 with each other in a graded stakes race at Keeneland this fall?

Brian: “To be able to make that transition from the Louisiana circuit up to Kentucky and do as well as we did is very rewarding.” 

Colby: “It was very exciting for us.”

Q: Brian, have you enjoyed getting to see more of your brother since his fairly recent start on the Kentucky circuit?

Brian: “Yeah. It's good because of our families. I have three kids and he has two, so it's great for the kids to be able to grow up together and play together because they never really got to do that before. For years, I was always telling Colby, 'You're good enough to make it on the Kentucky circuit, you've just gotta make that move,' and to see him finally do it and be as successful as he has been, it's just really rewarding. 

Q: What has been your biggest career highlight this year?

Brian: “Probably the opening weekend of Keeneland (Fall meet). I think we won six races the first three days and for one of them to be the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity and then to follow that the next day and win the Bourbon, that was probably the biggest weekend of the year success-wise. Just to be a part of those horses who jumped up and ran when we needed them to, it was a very successful weekend. It was great to see those 2-year-olds win between Tiz The Bomb and Rattle N Roll. We always thought they had talent in them so to be able to showcase that was just special.”

Colby: “I had my first graded stakes win at Belmont, and I ended up winning four graded stakes this year so that was a pretty big highlight for me.”

The post From Shetland Ponies To Graded Stakes Winners: Brian, Colby Hernandez On Continuing Family’s Racing Legacy appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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