Tag: People

Veteran jockey Frank Alvarado, a mainstay in Northern California throughout the 21st century, picked up his 4,000th career victory in Race 2 on Sunday at Golden Gate Fields aboard DNA Racing Stable's Shout It Out.

Shout It Out, a 5-year-old Boisterous mare, sat off a fast pace before nailing early leader Jays Angel in the shadow of the wire for victory by a nose. She paid $29.40 to win for the Kelly Bainum barn.

Alvarado, 54, had to wait out a photo finish before giving an exuberant fist pump when the order of finish was posted. He was greeted in the winner's circle by family, friends, racing officials, and fellow members of the Golden Gate riding colony.

Alvarado's mounts have accrued nearly $87.8 million throughout a long and successful career that began in his native Panama in 1984. His first career win came at Panama's Hipodromo Presidente Ramon Racecourse on April 2, 1984. He has been based in the Bay Area since 2000.

Among Alvarado's top mounts currently in training are Northern California sprinter Top Harbor and Santa Anita stakes-winning 2-year-old Grand Slam Smile.

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Shadwell Estate Co. Ltd. secured the British Champion Owner title at Ascot on Saturday, two years on from the passing of its founder and seven-time champion owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Now overseen by his daughter Sheikha Hissa Bint Hamdan Al Maktoum, Shadwell has achieved outstanding results from a select team of horses in 2023.

Following on from Baaeed last year, Mostahdaf has established himself as one of the world's best with brilliant displays in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes (G1) and Juddmonte International (G1).

Hukum's victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1) at Ascot in July was the first leg of a memorable quickfire double, with Al Husn annexing Goodwood's Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) five days later.

Mutasaabeq and Alflaila secured Group 2 prizes at Newmarket and York respectively, while the juvenile division has been headed by Dewhurst Stakes (G1) runner-up Alyanaabi.

Sheikha Hissa said: “It's great, especially as we have been represented mainly this year in the top-class races with our homebreds. It means even more for the whole team, not just us, in terms of everyone who has worked hard with those homebreds to get to where they are.”

On this season's highlights, she said: “This year, Hukum has been an extreme highlight, seeing him back. As well as Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, which was great for us all, and in the Juddmonte. So it's been exciting racing. Winning the Nassau was another highlight as we have never won it before, and that was with a homebred as well, so we were very happy.”

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Alfredo Luevano, 53, died early Friday morning in a training incident at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif. Mr. Luevano was exercising a filly on the backstretch when the incident occurred. He was on the ground when assistance first arrived, while the filly ran off under her power. As of now, there have been no eyewitness accounts with any precise details on the incident. Mr. Luevano was rushed to Long Beach Memorial, where he was pronounced dead.

The horse, a 2-year-old filly named Fly From The Fire, was not injured. She had previously made five starts this year for trainer Mike Casselman and was entered in the seventh race here on Saturday night. Track management has since confirmed that Fly From The Fire will be scratched from this race as a precaution.

“On behalf of the Los Alamitos Race Course family, we express our deepest condolences to Mr. Luevano's family members and friends,” said Los Alamitos Race Course spokesperson Orlando Gutierrez.

Born in the city of Luis Moya in Zacatecas, Mexico, Mr. Luevano had a total of 33 mounts during his professional riding career with most of his rides taking place in Mexico and Colorado. He was issued an exercise rider license by the California Horse Racing Board earlier this year.

Alfredo Luevano is survived by his wife, Marisela Martinez, their children, Lisbet, Alfredo Jr., Alex, Aldo, and Camila, six grandchildren and his father, Augustine.

A moment of silence will be held in his memory before Sunday's race card at Los Alamitos.

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Jockey Ramon Vazquez and agent Bill Castle want it made known Vazquez is staying at Santa Anita this winter and not returning to Oaklawn Park where he had previously ridden.

“I'm not going anywhere,” Vazquez said Friday morning.

Castle said in recent days “four or five different trainers have told me they heard he was going back to Oaklawn.

“We are not leaving the state of California,” Castle said. “There have been a lot of false rumors going around. We're so grateful for the opportunities and support Ramon has been given. This is home.”

Vazquez, 39, arrived in Southern California from Oaklawn in April 2022. He led all riders a year ago, finishing first in Santa Anita's Autumn Meet jockey's standings with 25 wins. Vazquez finished fourth at the 2022-23 Santa Anita Classic Meet behind the powerhouse trio of Juan Hernandez, Flavien Prat and Frankie Dettori. At the Hollywood Meet this past summer,  Vazquez was second behind Hernandez.

In addition to his success at Santa Anita, which included his first Grade 1 at the Arcadia track in the Santa Anita Derby  earlier this year aboard Practical Move, Vazquez has won or shared five-straight riding titles at Los Alamitos since his arrival.

A native of Puerto Rico, Vazquez enters this week with 3,613 career wins dating back to 2002.

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