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Madeline Rowland Honors Her Father’s Memory With First Career Victory

Each time Madeline Rowland has competed in her short career as a jockey, she has felt the presence of an angel on her shoulder.

Rowland, who turned 18 on Nov. 6, lost her father to cancer in 2012 at age 44. Primarily a steeplechase trainer, Paul Rowland conditioned such notables as multiple stakes winner Preemptive Strike, Suntara, Rainbows For Luck, Swimming River and Across The Sky.

“Every race I've ridden, before I leave the jockeys' room, I talk to my dad. Right before I leave the gate, I think to myself, keep the faith. Thank you. Because even though I don't have him here with me, at least I can count on him to look out for me,” Rowland said.

The youngster didn't need much help from outside forces in today's third race. Riding 4-year-old gelding Sancocho with the confidence of a grizzled veteran, rather than an apprentice with a 10-pound weight allowance making her ninth career start, Rowland moved Sancocho smartly to the lead in the stretch of the 7-furlong, $5,000 claiming race and rolled to a 3 ½-length score from runner-up Cliffy for the teen's first career victory.

Sancocho, who is owned and trained by Juan Arriagada, improved to 5-for-20 with the victory. He paid $10.60 to win. In another endearing twist to the story, Rowland and Sancocho were ponied to the starting gate by her boyfriend Nicolas Arriagada, Juan's son and a former jockey who earned his first career triumph aboard one of his dad's horses here on April 16.

Rowland's fellow jockeys did their part to make the occasion memorable, spraying her with a hose, dumping a couple of buckets of ice water on her head and smearing her with shaving cream on her return to the jockeys' quarters.

“Danny (Centeno) got me real good, and Skyler (Spanabel) was there with a hose waiting for me. I was like, I'm ready. I've been waiting for this.”

Juan was almost as far over the moon as “Maddie” after the race.

“I'm very happy for her. She's a good girl who deserves somebody to help her out, and I like to help young people who need support to keep pushing so they can do better,” he said. “She's been working for me the past couple of weeks and it's worked out well. There are a couple of things we have to fix, but everything went perfect today.”

Rowland, who grew up outside Fair Hill, Md., had ridden eight previous races at Delaware Park, Penn National and Laurel, with a second and a third. She said after today's victory that it felt at times like an out-of-body experience, as she reflected on the influence of her father, mom Jodi and others who have advanced her fledgling career.

“As I was crossing the wire, I thought that I hoped (owner-trainer Elizabeth) Merryman was watching me. She is like my racehorse mom – she taught me how to gallop racehorses,” Rowland said. “My own mom has been a huge support for me. At first when I wanted to do pony racing when I was 11 or 12, she tried to keep me away – 'No, do the show horses, don't go into racing' – but once she realized she couldn't keep me away she said 'Do it.'

“There are so many people I owe a lot to for me getting here. I thought about joining the military for a while because it would be great to serve my country that way, but now that I'm doing this, I can't imagine myself doing anything else,” she said.

“Breaking from the gate today, I already felt a smile on my face because I love doing it. Every race I've done, it's the same adrenaline whether I win or not.”

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‘He Deserves It So Much’: 77-Year-Old Gerald Bennett Becomes 14th Trainer To Reach 4,000-Win Milestone

During a telephone interview last week, with his 4,000th career victory on the horizon, trainer Gerald Bennett reflected on the personal side of chasing a milestone only 13 other North American conditioners have achieved.

“I was telling them about a lot of my experiences, that I've claimed a lot of horses over the years,” Bennett said in the winner's circle at Tampa Bay Downs late this afternoon, “but over the whole long run, my best claim was Mary.”

For the last 35 years, wife Mary Bennett, also a trainer, has shared the major victories and the disappointments, the unexpected scores and the heartbreaks. The landmark victory by 8-year-old Florida-bred D'craziness in today's ninth race, while notable, seemed to blend into a career that shows no signs of slowing as the 77-year-old Bennett takes aim at a seventh consecutive Oldsmar training crown.

“That is a lot of races, and a lot of dedication that went into it,” said jockey Antonio Gallardo, who rode 6-5 favorite D'craziness to a 2-length victory on the turf from Fly Fly Away for Bennett and owner Averill Racing.

“He deserves it so much. You see him working hard all the time, trailering the horses – he goes everywhere, and he's here every day. I'm just really excited to win No. 4,000 for him,” Gallardo said.

Bennett notched career victory No. 3,999 in today's second race with Little Miss Sassy, a 2-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by his Winning Stables outfit in partnership with Majestic Racing Stable. Roberto Alvarado, Jr., was the jockey. Little Miss Sassy was claimed from the race for $25,000 by trainer Jose H. Delgado for new owner Carole Star Stables.

Besides being No. 14 on the all-time training list, Bennett is 11th among active trainers.

“When you really stop and think about it for a minute, it's a big accomplishment,” Bennett said. “It's something most people haven't done. It's just hard work, keep getting up. … now, try for 5(000),” he said with an impish grin.

Bennett stressed the importance of detail and teamwork in getting to 4,000.

“You never know when the next one is going to come, and you have to work hard and see how all the horses are doing every morning. There is always something going on with one horse here or there, and if you miss it, you can lessen a horse's career,” he said.

“I just appreciate all the people who work for us, 'Carlos' (assistant trainer Juan Cacho Castro), and all of the barn help. They are all part of the team that got us here, and it's a great job by everybody getting up early and keeping their noses to the grindstone.”

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‘Riding Horses Is What I Know’: Jesus Castanon Named Tampa’s Jockey Of The Month

Entering Friday's action, the Tampa Bay Downs jockey standings looked as if they were recovered from a time capsule. Tied at the top, with six victories each, were 48-year-old Jesus Castanon and Jose Ferrer, 57.

Between them, they've won 7,266 races, been hurt too many times and taken the long walk back to the jockeys' room too often to mention. Yet each brings the same dedication, the same love for the sport and the horses and considerably more expertise than they first had as promising teenage riders.

Sometimes, they have to pinch themselves looking around at the new kids on the Oldsmar block who seek to knock them off their perches.

“Every year you have new riders coming in, and this place is very competitive,” Castanon said. “Jose and I were joking about it – you add our ages, and it makes about four of those younger guys.”

Castanon won back-to-back Tampa Bay Downs riding titles in 2004 and 2005, and he spent most of his winters over the next decade competing at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, Oaklawn Park in Arkansas or south Florida. When he returned here five years ago, the memories of those championship seasons came flooding back.

“When it gets close to Opening Day, I get excited to come here and enjoy the people and the weather and have a happy winter,” said Castanon, who edged Ferrer for the first Salt Rock Tavern Jockey of the Month Award of the meeting by virtue of win percentage (6-for-11 through Wednesday). “This place has been real good to me. I just have to thank all the trainers and owners and people on the backside for their support.”

Castanon also praised his new agent, Bob Jobson, for getting him on the right horses.

The fraternity of Thoroughbred race riders forms one of the strongest bonds in any sport. In October, Castanon had cause to reflect on the unwavering support of his own family when his father-in-law, Rolando Simpson, passed away unexpectedly.

Castanon dedicated the Jockey of the Month Award to the memory of Simpson and his own father, Jesus Castanon, Sr., who died of kidney disease in the fall of 2010, six months before the rider's victory aboard Shackleford in the Preakness at Pimlico.

A former trainer, the elder Castanon gave Jesus – the second-youngest of 10 children – and his brothers Antonio and Jose German the green light to ride races. Both siblings are still in the business, with Jose German working here as the assistant to trainer Jordan Blair and Antonio galloping horses for Godolphin in Lexington, Ky.

Castanon's wife, retired jockey Rolanda Simpson, is back home in Shepherdsville, Ky., with three of their four children and two grandchildren. Oldest son Micah is a law student.

Castanon turned to his family to shine a light in 2015 when he was injured twice in a period of two months, the second time incurring a broken tailbone and a concussion in an accident at Ellis Park in Kentucky.

“The second time made me think,” Castanon recounted later. “I looked at my children and thought, do I really want to keep doing it? But riding horses is what I know. My wife was basically with me the whole time I was recuperating, and she gave me a lot of encouragement and told me that whatever I wanted to do, she was going to be there for me.

“This is the main thing I have in life and I love doing it, so I knew I was doing the right thing.”

One of the main things his experience has taught Castanon is not to force the issue.

“I feel if I get too excited (during a race), I kind of lose the touch. So I just go with the motion and don't over-think things,” Castanon said. “I do what I know to do on a horse, and the results have been working out really well.”

Castanon clinched the Jockey of the Month honor with his winning ride on 3-year-old gelding Styner for owner-trainer Juan Arriagada in the eighth race on Wednesday. Content to trail all but one horse early, Castanon shook up his mount approaching the 3/8-mile pole of the 1-mile turf event. Riding in perfect harmony with Styner's instinctual desire, he reached the front a couple of jumps from the wire to win by a half-length at odds of 11-1.

“It was (Styner's) first time racing on the grass, and after I worked him I knew he was going to be able to run. I knew he would be a little sharp from the gate, so I wanted to kind of take that away from him,” Castanon said.

“He was able to settle down behind horses and when I got him to pick it up and swing to the outside and get in the clear, he came running,” said Castanon, who won three races on the card.

Trainer Jordan Blair, who counts Castanon as his “go-to” rider at Tampa Bay Downs, said: “He has been a gifted rider his whole career. His racing IQ is very high and we usually don't have to discuss much before a race because we're on the same page.

“He puts horses in good spots during a race and can come back with good information about the race and the horse. He's just a talented rider and I don't think there is anyone better at Tampa Bay.”

Long-time Tampa Bay Downs race-goers know how fortunate they are to watch and wager on such dedicated veterans as Castanon, Ferrer and Daniel Centeno, but the street runs both ways. Those guys love coming to Tampa Bay Downs each winter to win races and school youngsters.

The relationships feel just like family.

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Pair Of Juvenile Stakes Headline Saturday’s Card At Tampa

Saturday's $100,000 Inaugural Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings and the $100,000 Sandpiper Stakes for 2-year-old fillies each attracted 10 entrants and are part of Tampa Bay Downs' 10-race card that begins at 12:10 p.m.

Heading the field for the Inaugural, which is the ninth race on the card, is the gelding Concrete Glory, a Pennsylvania-bred son of Bodemeister who has won three races in a row by a combined margin of 20 lengths. Owned by Carl L. Hess, Jr., and trained by Gerald Brooks, Concrete Glory will be ridden by Antonio Gallardo while breaking from the outside No. 10 post.

Inaugural bettors will also pay close attention to Optigogo, a colt who finished third in the Display Stakes in his most recent start on Oct. 30 at Woodbine. Rocco Bowen is named to ride for owner Calumet Farm and trainer Eoin Harty.

The Sandpiper is the seventh race on the card. Gallardo appears to have another top contender in Florida-bred Strategic Bird, who broke her maiden by 12 ¾ lengths last month at Gulfstream for owner Gary Barber and Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Strategic Bird drew the inside No. 1 post.

Also looking tough is trainer David Fawkes's Florida-bred filly Chasing Happiness, who will break from the No. 4 post under Pablo Morales.

Saturday also marks the start of the “10 Days of Festivus Challenge,” an online handicapping contest that runs from Saturday through Dec. 24. There is no cost to enter and handicappers of all experience levels get to test their skills against some of the best.

The contest is a lot of fun and offers a first-place prize of $1,000. Each player begins the “10 Days of Festivus Challenge” with a free lifeline, and players who get off to a slow start may purchase additional lifelines as the contest moves forward.

Participants must register by 10:30 a.m. on the first day of the contest. All wagers are mythical, and players select one horse in one of each day's “Challenge Races,” with results determined from a $2 mythical win-place-show wager on their pick.

A full set of rules is available on the contest website, which can be accessed at www.tampabaydowns.com (click Festivus Challenge on the home page, then click “Create an account” near the top right of the contest page).

The contest focus is on picking winners, so it is likely to produce several “diamond-in-the-rough” contenders who know how to map out a race and factor in all the variables that make handicapping such a fun and challenging endeavor.

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