Xavier Perez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jockey Xavier Perez Celebrates 1,000th Win Milestone

Jockey Xavier Perez celebrated the 1,000th win of his career on Monday at Delaware Park, capturing the sixth race by a nose aboard the Jerry Robb-trained In The Loop.

“It's a big achievement for me,” Perez told The Racing Biz. “It's been ups and downs – more ups than downs. I had a couple of bad years, but it was just a little bump in the road. I went through it, and I'm here. I'm here.”

The 33-year-old native of Puerto Rico began his riding career at Charles Town, and moved to Maryland in 2011. His career-defining horse came in 2013 when he piloted Dance to Bristol to seven consecutive victories, including the G1 Ballerina at Saratoga.

Perez won just 22 races in both 2016 and 2017, but bounced back to double and then triple that total in the next two years.

His 1,000 victories have come from 8,134 mounts, with earnings approaching $26 million.

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‘More Ups Than Downs’: Jockey Xavier Perez Nearing 1,000-Win Milestone

Maryland-based jockey Xavier Perez is closing in on his 1,000th career victory, not that the popular and personable rider needs a reminder.

“I've been counting,” Perez, 33, said. “I told my wife, 'Look I'm getting close. It's coming. It's coming.' She was like, 'Don't start thinking about it.' So I said, 'I'm superstitious and I'm going to count it because I've been counting since I had 50 left and it's been working out for me.”

According to Equibase statistics, the count stands at 995 wins with mounts in four of nine races when live action returns to historic Pimlico Race Course Friday to kick off a Memorial Day weekend program that includes a special holiday card Monday, May 31. Perez also had one mount in Delaware Park's 10th race finale Wednesday.

Perez would be the second jockey to reach 1,000 wins in Maryland this year, following Carol Cedeno Jan. 2 at Laurel Park. Perez and Cedeno grew up together in Puerto Rico and were classmates at the country's famed Escuela Vocacional Hipica, graduating in 2006 and beginning their professional careers in 2007.

“We are childhood friends. It meant a lot to me that she got that milestone, and now that I'm getting close to it I'm getting anxious. I just want to do it,” Perez said. “A thousand wins is a big milestone. It means a lot for every rider in the country and the world.”

Perez rode the winter and spring of 2007 in Puerto Rico before coming to the U.S. that summer, registering his first career winner aboard Danger Quest Aug. 25, 2007 at Charles Town, where another former classmate, Arnaldo Bocachica, had urged him to start.

“He is one of my best friends and he contacted me when I started riding. He told me he was talking to his agent and was telling him about me,” Perez said. “He said I didn't have to bring anything, just my tack. I had a place to stay and a fresh start. That meant a lot. I'm blessed that he's in my life. He's been an amazing brother and amazing friend to me.”

Represented by agent J.D. Brown, Perez rode 3 ½ years at Charles Town – winning the $500,000 West Virginia Breeders' Cup Classic in 2010 with 57-1 long shot Sea Rescue – before moving to Maryland at the start of 2011. That fall, he won a total of 32 races for 20 different trainers at Laurel with an average win mutuel of $14.75.

The first big horse of Perez's career was Susan Wantz's Dance to Bristol, trained by Ollie Figgins III. During the winter, spring and summer of 2013 they won seven consecutive races including the Skipat at Pimlico, Bed o'Roses (G3) at Belmont Park, and Honorable Miss (G2) and Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga – the jockey's first graded triumphs. They would end the year finishing sixth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita.

Perez's most memorable ride came earlier that year, gaining national attention for a mid-April trip aboard Spicer Cub that saw the gelding blow Pimlico's far turn while on the lead, then bolt suddenly to the outside fence and around the parked starting gate before making a mad dash to the wire and finishing second by a nose. Perez lost both his irons in the process.

“That pushed me to have the campaign that I had. After Spicer Cub, a lot of trainers and owners were asking for me, and me and my agent were really busy. We were going to New York, Monmouth Park, Philadelphia, Colonial Downs, Charles Town. We were riding everywhere on the East Coast. It was a great year,” Perez said. “Still people talk about it. It makes me feel good. I got famous for something that was crazy. It was a jump start for me.”

Perez finished 2013 with 133 wins and $3.8 million in purse earnings, both of which remain career highs. He won his last graded-stakes with Bandbox in the 2014 General George (G3) at Laurel, and in recent years has been part of a formidable team with trainer John 'Jerry' Robb that has put him aboard multiple stakes winners Anna's Bandit and Street Lute as well as Anna's Bandit's 2-year-old half-sister, Bandits Warrior, a debut winner May 23 at Pimlico.

Street Lute has raced 10 times with seven wins, six in stakes, and Perez has been aboard for each of her last seven races including five of her stakes victories. Anna's Bandit owns 17 wins from 36 starts and Perez has accounted for 14 of her wins and 10 of her 11 stakes triumphs, riding in 30 of her last 31 races.

“Dance to Bristol was a special horse to me because it gave me my first graded races,” Perez said. “I didn't have the chance to get on her in the morning like I do with these three mares. I'm there at 5:30 in the morning with Jerry's horses. I take my time with Anna. I take my time with Street Lute. I take my time with Bandits Warrior, and it's paying off. It means so much to me to get the chance to ride such amazing animals.”

Perez had 58 wins in Maryland in a coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020, 41 of them in 157 starts (26 percent) for Robb – the most of any jockey-trainer combination on the year – including Robb's 2,000th career victory with Stroll Smokin at Laurel. This year they are 19-for-63 (30 percent) together at Laurel and Pimlico.

“He's at the barn every morning, he's getting on them, he knows the horses. I think that means a lot, especially with young horses,” Robb said. “He gets on all the horses. He doesn't get on them all every day, but he gets on all of them at one time or another and he knows them. I think that plays a big role in it.”

Other top horses for Perez have included multiple stakes winners Sensible Lady and Talk Show Man and 2015 Maryland Million Distaff winner Lionhearted Lady. Perez's mounts have earned more than $25.6 million in purses.

“It would mean so much if I get to do it in Maryland, because the people in Maryland have been so great to me,” Perez said. “I have to say thanks to all the trainers that have supported me, riding me the 11 wonderful years I've been in Maryland. My agent has always been right there with me keeping me on the right path. He knows me well. Jerry and the whole team, they've been so amazing to me. They are like family to me. Me and my wife are so blessed and thankful to have such great people around us. I hope it stays like that for a while.”

Perez credits his wife, Jessica, for helping his maturity on and off the track. They met in 2009 when she was ponying the horse he was riding to the starting gate at Colonial Downs and have been together since.

“Thank God I have my wife beside me, 24-7. She's always supported me and she never lets me get too down when I have bad days,” Perez said. “It's been a great journey. There's been ups and downs, but there's been more ups than downs and I'm just grateful for that.”

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Pimlico: $708,857 Rainbow 6 Jackpot, $115,038 Late Pick 5 Carryover When Racing Resumes Friday

Live racing returns to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., on Friday, May 28, to kick off Memorial Day weekend with the Maryland state-record 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot carryover having swelled to $708,857.82 after going unsolved during Sunday's program.

Three of six horses were live to take down the jackpot heading into Sunday's ninth-race finale, won by Ran Char ($27.20). A total of $120,537 was bet into the popular multi-race wager, which began with a carryover of $670,306.25 from Saturday. Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $19,275.78.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 had its previous state record carryover reach $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.

Post time for the first of nine races Friday is 12:40 p.m. The Rainbow 6 spans Races 4-9 and includes the featured eighth race, an entry-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs on the main track. Among the field are Palatial Times, most recently fifth in the Chick Lang (G3) May 15 at Pimlico; recent Pimlico allowance winners Heir Port and Cry No More; Exculpatory, a dramatic March 5 debut winner at Laurel Park that was fifth last out May 11 at Parx; and Subject to Change, a 4 ¾-length debut winner May 15 at Charles Town.

There will also be carryovers of $115,038.40 in the 50-cent Late Pick 5 (Races 5-9) and $5,876.76 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 2). Tickets with four of five winners in Sunday's Late Pick 5 each returned $559.90.

In addition to Friday, Pimlico will also host live race cards Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30 as well as a special Memorial Day holiday program Monday, May 31.

Bandits Warrior Honors Sister with Debut Triumph Sunday
Following in the family tradition of her 11-time stakes-winning older half-sister, Anna's Bandit, No Guts No Glory Farm's Maryland homebred Bandits Warrior sprinted to a decisive 2 ½-length debut victory Sunday at Pimlico.

Stable rider Xavier Perez was aboard for breeder, owner and trainer Jerry Robb as Bandits Warrior ($9.80) broke running from Post 4 in the 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies. The winning time was 52.59 seconds over a fast main track.

“That's my baby right there. She was born on our farm, and we are so thrilled,” Robb's wife, Gina, said. “You can't be any happier. She's done everything right.”

By Mosler, Bandits Warrior was never threatened posting splits of 23.50 and 46.64 seconds. She put away Tessa P midway around the turn when the 6-5 favorite attempted to mount a challenge, then kept late-running Buy the Best at bay through the stretch.

“She's been breaking good out of the gate but she's never been asked to run in the morning,” Perez said. “Before the race, we wanted to keep her face clear. She's been doing everything good coming out of the gate in the morning. As soon as she popped out of the gate with her head in front I moved on her a little bit to get to the lead and by the three-eighths pole she took it.

“She started playing with her ears and when [Tessa P] came to her a little bit, I just let her open up a little bit and smooched at her,” he added. “What you saw inside the sixteenth pole when [Buy the Best] to make a run, she broke again and pulled away from her a little bit.”

Perez, also the regular rider for Anna's Bandit and fellow multiple stakes winner Street Lute, proudly patted the neck of Bandits Warrior three times as they approached the wire. It was the 995th career victory for Perez.

“She's got a long way to go to do what Anna has done, but she showed that she's got her bloodline,” Perez said. “I'm proud of her. I'm proud of all my kids. They're all my kids. I'm fortunate to be able to ride every day for Jerry in the morning and I'm blessed to be able to be in the winner's circle for him.”

Bandits Warrior is out of the No Armistice mare Onearmedbandit. West Virginia-bred Anna's Bandit, a 17-time winner of $782,655 in lifetime purses from 36 starts who is nearing her 7-year-old debut after more than 10 months away, also won in her unveiling – May 6, 2016 at Laurel Park – beating two of her stablemates in the process.

“She probably trains a little better than her sister,” Robb said of Bandits Warrior. “Her sister, when she won her first start, surprised everybody. I think we had three in the race, we bet on the other two and she won by [6 ¾]. She just never showed anything in the morning. This one, she showed good works in the morning.”

Buy the Best, among five first-time starters in the field of seven, was 4 ¾ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Cabra Chica. Mama G's Wish, another Robb-trained homebred, was fourth with Tessa P fifth.

“I think [Bandits Warrior is] a little better-looking filly than Anna was as a baby. When Anna got off the trailer as a baby I said, 'Put her back on.' True story,” Robb said. “She just didn't look the part, but she grew into it,” Robb said. “This filly does everything right. I wasn't sure how fit she was, but she ran big. And fast. So, we're happy.”

Notes: Five-pound apprentice Charlie Marquez doubled Sunday aboard Rockstar Girl ($7.60) in Race 1 and Dancing Til Dusk ($4.80) in Race 3 … Perpetrate ($100.80) edged Order for Porky to spring a 45-1 upset in Race 5, a 1 1/16-mile starter-optional claimer on the grass that marked the season debut of 2019 Maryland Million Turf winner Mr. d'Angelo. Unraced since finishing fourth in defense of his win last fall, Mr. d'Angelo got squeezed out of the gate and trailed the field early before making a belated run to be fourth … Robert D. Bone's Eastern Bay ($5.20), exiting a third in the April 24 Frank Y. Whiteley, swept to the lead at the top of the stretch and edged clear for a three-length victory over Whiskey and You in Race 8, a fourth-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up. Winner of the Polynesian and second by a nose to Laki in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) in 2020, Eastern Bay ran six furlongs in 1:10.78.

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Maythehorsebwithu, Street Lute Score Stakes Victories At Laurel

Maythehorsebwithu, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables LLC, led every step of the way Saturday to win the $100,000 Miracle Wood at Laurel Park in Maryland by four lengths while covering a mile in 1:37.02.

Tiz Mandate, who broke last, closed to finish second, just a half-length in front of Spectacular Bid winner Kenny Had a Notion.

The Miracle Wood was one of six stakes run on the afternoon worth $900,000 along with the Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) and General George (G3).

Second last time out in the Spectacular Bid at seven furlongs after rating off Kenny Had a Notion, Maythehorsebwithu, trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by Sheldon Russell, broke sharp and on top in the five-horse field and went an opening quarter in :24.02 and a half in :47.51 while being pressed by Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Subsidize while Kenny Had a Notion raced third. Around the turn, Kenny Had a Notion moved inside Subsidize into second took aim on the leader. But Maythehorsebwithu had plenty left and drove to the finish for his first stakes victory.

“My horse broke very sharp today and he's a forward kind of horse,” Sheldon Russell said. “Last time I sort of broke on Kenny's hip. But the way my guy broke today I had no choice. I was inside Kenny. We didn't have any problems with this horse getting the distance. He trains in the morning like he'll run all day. I'm just glad we got the job done.”

A son of Bullsbay who sold for $55,000 as a yearling, Maythehorsebwithu has won three of seven starts along with three seconds.

Maythehorsebwithu winning the Miracle Wood under Sheldon Russell

“He's the kind of horse in the morning that always trains very forwardly,” Brittany Russell said. “You can't get this horse tired, and he always has big, huge gallop-outs after his breezes, so we were pretty confident that he would appreciate added distance.

“Seeing what happened in the Spectacular Bid in the stretch run, I was confident that if he got the right trip he could definitely get the mile.”

Subsidize, who shipped in from the New York stable of Chad Brown, finished fourth while Newyearsblockparty, second in the Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 16, finished fifth.

Street Lute Makes It Five in a Row in Wide Country
The wins just keep piling up for the impressive Street Lute.

Owned by Lucky 7 Stable and trained by John Robb, Street Lute won her fifth consecutive stakes races and seventh race in eight starts when she moved three-wide at the top of the stretch to win the $100,000 Wide Country by a length over Fraudulent Charge. Salt Plage checked in third.

A daughter of Street Magician ridden by Xavier Perez, Street Lute covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.59.

“From the beginning we all thought she was a very special horse and I think that Jerry's said that in every interview,” said Gina Robb, assistant, and wife of John Robb. “Now with so many stakes under her belt and her performance today, I think she's finally stamped it. Today was definitely a big day and I think it was her toughest company today.”

Breaking alertly from the gate, Perez rated Street Lute in third while Little Huntress was pressed by Whiskey and Rye through brisk fractions of 22:62 and :441.91. But around the turn, Street Lute carried Perez effortlessly to the front and drove away from the competition as Fraudulent Charge closed for the place.

“My concern when I was watching the race was, I said, 'Wow, I don't feel like he's asking her but she's not going anywhere. They must be flying.' So, when I saw the 44 [second half-mile] I said, 'Oh, thank goodness.' Then once he asked her, it was all over,” Gina Robb said. “Able to chase that pace and finish the way she did? That was pretty spectacular.”

“Seven-eighths today, in great fashion. I think it was even better than the day she won the Maryland Juvenile [Filly Championship going] seven-eighths. I think she kind of proved a point today.”

Said Perez: “She likes running after horses up front. I saw Brittany's horse go and we settled in nice. This race set up perfect for us just like Jerry said. I was so confident off the turn we were cruising to the wire.”

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