Tag: Tampa Bay Derby

‘The MLB Of Racing’: Venezuelan Native Camacho Living The Dream With 2020 Derby Mount

Samy Camacho left Venezuela in 2012 to chase a dream – a dream that will become very real when he rides Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner King Guillermo in Saturday's Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.

“This is the dream for every jockey in my country – to ride in the United States. This is the MLB of racing. When you're here, that's your dream – to ride the big races and ride in the Kentucky Derby,” Camacho said. “That was my dream. I never thought I'd ever ride in the Kentucky Derby, and when I won Tampa Bay Derby, I said, 'Wow!'”

Camacho, among the leading riders during the Spring/Summer Meet at Gulfstream Park, shares a dream of participating in the Kentucky Derby with fellow Venezuelan natives Victor Martinez and Juan Carlos Avila, King Guillermo's owner and trainer, respectively.

Martinez lived his boyhood dream during 16 Major League Baseball seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians as a catcher, first-baseman and designated hitter, making five All-Star appearances. Martinez, who retired from baseball in 2018, has turned to raising cattle at his 2,500-acre ranch in Okeechobee, FL and owning a few racehorses, most notably King Guillermo, who is trained by Gulfstream-based Avila, who won nine titles and more than 3,000 races in Venezuela before venturing to South Florida in 2018.

“The owner, Victor Martinez, I have a good relationship with him. He's a really nice guy. He has a lot of class. He's humble. He's amazing,” the married father of three said. “Thanks to God for letting me ride in the Derby. Thanks to Victor Martinez, the owner, and the trainer, Juan Carlos Avila, for giving me this big opportunity.”

The son of a jockey, Camacho began his career at La Rinconada in Caracas, Venezuela after attending the country's jockey school and moved on to the U.S. at the end of 2011. He won 32 races in 2012 as an apprentice while riding at Calder Race Course (now Gulfstream Park West) and several mid-Atlantic racetracks. He returned to Venezuela in 2013 before resuming his dream job in the U.S., riding at Tampa Bay Downs at the tail end of 2015.

The 33-year-old journeyman has ridden with success at both Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park, winning more than 650 aces over the past five years – none more rewarding than King Guillermo's 4 ¾-length victory in the Tampa Bay Derby March 7.

“I'm so happy. It's so exciting what is happening with my career. I'm ready,” said Camacho, who also guided King Guillermo to a second-place finish behind Nadal in the May 2 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. “My horse has been working great at Churchill.”

Camacho will spend Derby Week at Churchill Downs as required under Covid-19 protocols.

“I'll try to take some mounts beginning Sept. 1 to ride before the Derby,” he said. “I want to get to know the track.”

The post ‘The MLB Of Racing’: Venezuelan Native Camacho Living The Dream With 2020 Derby Mount appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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King Guillermo Fires Bullet Ahead of Kentucky Derby

Victoria Ranch’s King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) tuned up for the $3-million GI Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong drill that was clocked in :58.20 (see below), the quickest of 40 works at the distance. It was the second consecutive Churchill bullet for the strapping bay, who went the same distance in :59.40 (1/46) Aug. 15.

With Miguel Mena in the irons, the GII Tampa Bay Derby upsetter broke off in :11.40 for the opening eighth of a mile, then was timed in subsequent splits of :23 (flat) (:11.60 interval), :34.80 (:11.80) and :46.60 (:11.80) before covering his final furlong in :11.60. He galloped out three-quarters of a mile in a very strong 1:10.80 (:12.60) and was up seven furlongs in 1:24.20 (:13.40) according to a tweet from Churchill Downs’s Kevin Kerstein. Samy Camacho, who rode King Guillermo in the Tampa Bay Derby and guided the colt to his runner-up effort in the faster division of the GI Arkansas Derby May 2, has the call in the Run for the Roses.

“You can sometimes get a little bit worried when horses work that fast, but he did it so effortlessly,” Mena said. “He has an unbelievable stride and is pretty tough in the bridle. When I broke off from the pony, he really wanted to go. He continued out really well around the turn and onto the backside.”

Mena has picked up the call on GIII Indiana Derby and Runhappy Ellis Park Derby third Necker Island (Hard Spun).

In other activity Saturday morning, GI Longines Kentucky Oaks hopeful Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) breezed six furlongs in 1:11.60 beneath exercise rider Edwin Vargas in sectional times of :12.60, :24.20, :35.40 and :59 flat. Florent Geroux has the call for trainer Brad Cox, who also oversaw a routine track gallop for Juddmonte Farms’s GSW/GISP Bonny South (Munnings).

 

The post King Guillermo Fires Bullet Ahead of Kentucky Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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