Tag: People

Jockey Stewart Elliott picked up his second leading rider title at Sam Houston Race Park, holding off a very contentious effort by Ry Eikleberry heading into the final week of the meet, which concluded Saturday.

Elliott had the support of the meet's leading trainer, Steve Asmussen, riding first call for the Hall of Fame conditioner as he piloted 296 mounts, winning 62 races and  bankrolling $1,490,006.  The successful union between Elliott and Asmussen began in Houston two years ago and has continued at Lone Star Park and Remington Park.

A compelling rivalry between Elliott and Ry Eikleberry took place throughout the season, with the two respected veterans just separated by one win heading into the final week. Elliott drew off to defend his title, but graciously asked Eikleberry to join him for the awards presentation.

“Stewart is a great guy and deserves this,” said Eikleberry. “He's been the man in the arena for a long time and a complete class act!”

The Phoenix, Arizona native finished second to Elliott here last year and has been his top rival from the beginning of Sam Houston 2022 season.

Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez finished third in the standings with 41 wins.

Asmussen won his 14^th training title at the northwest Houston racetrack, furthering his respected legacy and support of Texas racing. He was honored as top trainer here in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017,2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Asmussen started 259 runners, finishing with a record of 51 wins, 41 seconds, 55 thirds and earnings of $1,554,306. He conditions Stonestreet Stable LLC's homebred Pauline's Pearl, winner of the richest race of the annual Sam Houston Thoroughbred season, the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) Jan. 30.

“We are very proud of the success we have in Texas,” said Asmussen. “To win the marquee race of the Sam Houston meet for Stonestreet meet means a great deal.”

The nationally prominent horseman, who tops the Equibase leader board in 2022 in wins and is a close second to Todd Pletcher in earnings, has always shown his allegiance to Texas racing. He continues to be grateful by the passage of House Bill 2463 by the Texas Legislature on September 1, 2019, which was initiated to boost the state's racing and breeding industry.

“It is extremely significant where the money comes from,” stated Asmussen. “To have purses generated by equine generated tax revenues is excellent and hopefully will impact the quality of Texas racing.”

Karl Broberg also had a very solid meet, finishing second in the trainer standings with 41 victories. J. R. Caldwell followed with 34 victories.

End Zone Athletics Inc. drew to a clear lead in the owner standings, starting 137 Thoroughbreds and notching 22 wins, 29 seconds, and 18 third-place finishes.  The ownership group, founded by Karl Broberg, has been a force at Sam Houston for over a decade with previous titles in 2018 and 2020.

“I want to thank my assistant Artemio Ramirez, who handled the Houston string as well as Clemente Montoya and Abel Ramirez for their hard work,” said Broberg.

He also acknowledged the skill of Ry Eikleberry, his first call rider at Sam Houston Race Park.

“Ry has done an amazing job,” he added. “I am lucky to have him on our team.”

L and G Racing Stables finished second with 16 wins. Steve Asmussen, who has won top owner honors at Sam Houston seven times, finished tied for third with Danny R. Caldwell. Both won 12 races.

Farmers Fillies Racing had 40 starts, winning 11 races to round out the top four spots.

The post Elliott, Asmussen Take Sam Houston Titles appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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When she arrived at Tampa Bay Downs before the current meet, apprentice jockey Madeline Rowland hoped to ride a few winners while picking up lessons she needed to advance her career.

Where she was going to find the time to accomplish those goals, she wasn't quite sure.

“When I came here, I thought I was going to have to find a salaried job, because I didn't know what I was doing in a race,” Rowland, 18, said. “I kind of knew, but I didn't have a lot of experience. Everybody was saying 'You're a girl and you're an apprentice, and you're not going to do good in Tampa.' ”

It was a nice story when Rowland gained her first victory in her first start at Tampa Bay Downs (and ninth overall) on Dec. 10 aboard 4-year-old gelding Sancocho for owner-trainer Juan Arriagada. It got better on Jan. 28 when she scored her fifth victory on Arriagada's 5-year-old Ride Em, a milestone that reduced Rowland's apprentice weight allowance for a race from 10 to 7 pounds.

A couple of weeks after that, the floodgates opened. Since Feb. 13, Rowland has ridden 15 winners, punctuating that run of success with the first three-victory day of her career on Wednesday. The impressive display earned her the Salt Rock Tavern Jockey of the Month Award.

“I'm delighted with how it's turning out,” Rowland said, a couple of hours before notching her 20th victory on 4-year-old gelding Lemon Creek Louie in Wednesday's ninth race for owner-trainer Mike Dini. “Two weeks ago, I was thinking it would be amazing if I could finish the meet with 20 wins.”

Don't get the idea Rowland is short on confidence. She acknowledges entertaining visions of being a star in the sport one day, capable of competing against top riders in some of the biggest races. All that will take time, of course – something she has plenty of, now that she doesn't have to work a side job.

Rowland keeps a journal in which she tracks her accomplishments and her plans to keep improving. She realizes 20 victories, even as a teenager, is a drop in a very large bucket compared to most of her rivals. And, truth be told, there is not a single aspect of her game that doesn't need work, save for her natural enthusiasm that effervesces each time she wins.

“I journal about what I want to accomplish every week and about my career goals and my life goals,” said Rowland, the daughter of the late steeplechase-racing trainer Paul Rowland and Jodi Rowland, a Registered Nurse Case Manager who lives in Landenberg, Pa. “I journal about some things I'm proud of, things that I can be even prouder of eventually if I keep working.

“I'm always thinking of how I can be better, in this sport and as a person. As a jockey, how I look, my decision-making in a race, getting stronger. I want my career to last and I want it to be the best it can be.”

Fellow jockey Skyler Spanabel, her roommate, says Rowland is advanced beyond other riders with her relative lack of experience in her ability to strategize a race and carry her plan through. “She's smart. She's really smart,” Spanabel said. “A lot of apprentices don't take the time to think in a race. They come out of the gate looking good, but they don't really know where to position a horse to get its best run or how to think the race through.

“She is kind of the opposite, which is the best way to do it. You want to be smart first, and everything else can fall into place later.”

Case in point: Wednesday's second race, a 5 ½-furlong, $16,000 claiming race for fillies and mares which had never won three races. The distance suggested that Rowland's mount, the speedy 5-year-old mare Jara, would be best used by breaking on top and daring the other five horses to catch her.

Instead, Rowland let the race come to her, sensing quickly that the opening fractions set by duelers Lady Noy and Pretty Princess of 21.86 for the first quarter-mile and 45.52 for the half were too fast to sustain. Approaching the turn, Rowland sent Jara zooming up the rail, and they were 7 ¾ lengths clear of runner-up Lady Noy at the wire.

Rowland says several Oldsmar jockeys have been eager to mentor her, foremost among them Spanabel, Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr., and Jose Ferrer, the 2018 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award winner. All might be fans under other circumstances, rooting for a young woman with dreams as big as Secretariat's heart.

With Maddie, what you see is what you get. She works hard and practices skills and techniques to get better, but nothing is staged.

“The first thing I can say about her is that she is willing to listen and learn. She is willing to listen to everybody,” said multiple graded-stakes winning jockey Diaz. “And she pays a lot of attention when she is not riding. I know that what I tell her she puts into practice, because I see it happen.

“She has a long way ahead, of course, and the pounds (the apprentice weight allowance) are helping her,” Diaz said. “But the more she rides, the more she is going to learn and improve. And horses run for her. That's partly the hands – I think most of the women jockeys, they aren't trying to manhandle a horse, and they are able to work together because the horse is comfortable.

“Plus, she has been around horses her whole life, and she loves her job. You can see how happy she is when she's atop a horse.”

So, Rowland – who finished fifth in today's third race on a horse named And the Oscar Goes – would like to thank Skyler, and Hector and Mr. Ferrer, and the horsemen and fans for helping her win the Salt Rock Tavern Jockey of the Month award.

And, oh yeah, Mom too.

“She's the one I don't think I've given enough credit to, because she has completely been there for me and my brother (Hayden, 15),” Rowland said. “I would not be here if she had not given me the constructive criticism, the love and support and everything you want from a mother, times 10.”

The post ‘Willing To Listen And Learn’: Apprentice Madeline Rowland Surges To Jockey Of The Month Award At Tampa appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Jockey David Cabrera, currently leading the riding standings at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., had to be hospitalized after a spill in Friday's first race. According to Cabrera's agent, Jose Santos, Jr., the rider regained consciousness after arriving at the hospital and is now alert and able to move all his extremities.

In the $8,000 claiming race, Cabrera's mount, Mostly Awesome, was cut off at the top of the lane, clipped heels and fell.

The incident also unseated jockey Chel-c Bailey, aboard Daigle, when the horse jumped the fallen rival. Bailey returned to the jockey's room under her own power, and took to Twitter to express that she had thankfully remained uninjured.

Both Mostly Awesome and Daigle, trained by Karl Broberg and Tony Rengstorf, respectively, walked off the track under their own power, according to Oaklawn paddock analyst Nancy Holthus on Twitter.

The Oaklawn stewards held an inquiry into the incident in the at the top of the stretch, but made no change to the order of finish.

I just spoke with David. He is alert. He can move all extremities. Thank you to all who have reached out. Any following updates I will post here @TVG @FS1 @DRFRampellini @DRFenEspanol https://t.co/xPYoQpHJWS

— Jose Santos Jr. (@joesantos_33) April 8, 2022

The post Leading Rider David Cabrera Hospitalized But Alert After Spill At Oaklawn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In a colony known for its production of talented young riders, Maclovio Enriquez Jr. is looking to add his name to the list.

Maryland-based riders have captured 12 Eclipse Awards as champion apprentice, the most recent being Alexander Crispin in 2020. Teenage sensation Charlie Marquez was a finalist in 2021, despite spending half the year as a journeyman.

Enriquez, 22, rode his first professional race Nov. 2, 2021 at Mountaineer Park in his home state of West Virginia aboard Tiger Shark, finishing eighth. Five days later he broke through with his first win on Petal, and later on the card also won with Bobbobsbaby, his third and fourth career mounts.

After going 12-for-82 at the Mountaineer meet that ended Dec. 15 and included three other multi-win days, Enriquez made his Laurel Park debut Dec. 16. His first win came in Maryland came Dec. 19 on Steely Band, a 4-year-old Maryland-bred daughter of Grade 3 winner Bandbox racing first off the claim for trainer Anthony Farrior.

“I started very quickly and the riders around me at Mountaineer were telling me, 'You only have one apprenticeship; make it last. You want to make it worth it. You want to be somewhere where you're going to be around great people and great horses and just make the most out of the experience,'” Enriquez said. “It was, 'You should just go see the world while you can right now.'”

Enriquez began his journey to becoming a jockey in late 2018, working on a farm in exchange for getting on horses.

“We would go by and do stalls and stuff like that. When the time came to pay us, I told my mom, 'I don't want [any] money. Just tell [them] to let me get on a couple horses.' About a month later, I was ready to keep going with it and just take things full speed.

“Were there any doubts? Yes. For sure. Absolutely. A lot of people see the smiles and how far you can level up to the next spot just by working hard and showing up,” he added. “A lot of people didn't see the times I would fall off three or four times in one day, the times that it is tough and you're exhausted and I'd call my mom and say, 'I don't know if I can do this.' Thankfully I always had that backbone. My mother has always been my biggest supporter.”

This year, Enriquez has ridden primarily at Laurel, often riding an evening card the same day at Charles Town. He finished with 12 wins and $486,163 in purses earned during Laurel's 2022 winter meet that ended March 27. For his career, he has 37 wins and purse earnings of more than $930,000.

On March 4, Enriquez rode stakes winner Eastern Bay to victory in his comeback race at Laurel for Maryland's five-time leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, then won twice at Charles Town to mark a career first.

“One of my goals was to win three races in one day. To actually do that it was out of this world,” he said. “That's one of those things that kind of keep me going. Now it's, maybe I could win four, I could win five.”

Enriquez is one of four apprentices at Laurel riding with a seven-pound weight allowance, along with Yan Aviles, Jeiron Barbosa and Bryson Butterfly. Jean Alvelo, who had two winners Thursday, is another apprentice who rides with a five-pound bug.

The post ‘Working Hard And Showing Up’: Apprentice Rider Maclovio Enriquez Jr. Brings Talent to Maryland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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