Does the jockey actually make a distinction in deciding whether or not a horse wins or loses? It’s a query we hear on a regular basis from folks new to horse racing and studying to wager on races held in the course of the greatest days within the sport. There are few days on the calendar larger than Nov. 6. That’s when 10 jockeys will line up aboard their horses within the beginning gate at Del Mar racetrack in pursuit of Breeders’ Cup glory.
The jockeys vying to win the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic are a various group, and embrace a number of members of the Racing Corridor of Fame in addition to just a few Eclipse Award winners. Get to know a bit of bit extra about every of them and their assigned horses on this preview.
Age: 36
Initially from: Dominican Republic
Breeders’ Cup victories: 13
Finest end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic: Received in 2018 (Speed up)
His 2021 Breeders’ Cup Basic horse: Knicks Go
Joel Rosario comes into the 2021 Breeders’ Cup on the prime of the nationwide jockey leaderboard in earnings. A future Corridor of Famer, Rosario padded his Breeders’ Cup résumé final yr when he captured his 12th and 13th wins on the World Championships by capturing the Juvenile Fillies and Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile. He received the latter aboard Knicks Go, the identical horse he’ll be driving on this yr’s Basic. Knicks Go has received 4 graded stakes this yr together with the Pegasus World Cup and the Whitney Stakes. He’ll seemingly go off as the favourite within the Basic. A victory on Nov. 6 wouldn’t solely give Rosario his second profession win within the race, it could virtually assuredly earn Knicks Go the title of Horse of the 12 months for 2021.
Age: 56
Initially from: New Mexico
Breeders’ Cup victories: 26
Finest end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic: Received in 1997 (Skip Away), 2009 (Zenyatta), 2011 (Drosselmeyer) and 2016 (Arrogate).
His 2021 Breeders’ Cup Basic horse: Art Collector
At 56 years previous, Mike Smith is essentially the most senior rider on this yr’s Breeders’ Cup Basic. He’s additionally the winningest jockey within the historical past of the World Championships, proudly owning an astounding 26 victories and greater than $36 million in purse earnings. Inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 2003, Smith has racked up greater than 5,600 profession wins total. He’ll without end be remembered for profitable racing’s Triple Crown aboard Justify in 2018, and for his rides aboard the legendary Zenyatta, the Corridor of Fame racemare he teamed up with to win the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Basic. Smith will attempt to seize a fifth Basic rating this yr when he will get aboard Artwork Collector, who involves Del Mar driving a three-race win streak.
Age: 49
Initially from: Mexico
Breeders’ Cup victories: 3
Finest end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic: Received in 2015 (American Pharoah)
His 2021 Breeders’ Cup Basic horse: Express Train
In almost three many years as a jockey, Victor Espinoza has ridden in a formidable 64 Breeders’ Cup races. The dangerous information is that he’s solely received three of these races. The excellent news is that he’s made all of them rely. His first winner got here within the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Distaff aboard Spain at odds of 55.90-to-1. Espinoza would outdo himself in 2014 when he received the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with 61.70-to-1 shot Take Cost Brandi. Lastly, in 2015, Espinoza received the largest Breeders’ Cup race of all of them with one of many greatest favorites of all time: American Pharoah. If Espinoza goes so as to add a second Basic victory to his resume, he’ll have to tug off one among his patented upsets with Specific Prepare. Regardless of his anticipated lengthy odds, Specific Prepare has received three of his 5 begins at Del Mar together with the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap.
Age: 28
Initially from: Panama
Breeders’ Cup victories: 2
Finest end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic: Fifth in 2019 (Math Wizard)
His 2021 Breeders’ Cup Basic horse: Max Player
A few of Ricardo Santana’s finest moments have come aboard horses he’s ridden for newly-minted all-time main North American coach Steve Asmussen (pictured with Santana). In 2019, Santana guided Asmussen’s Mitole to victory within the Breeders’ Cup Dash. It was the jockey’s first win on the World Championships. Santana added one other final yr when he pulled off an upset aboard Hearth at Will at odds of 30.20-to-1. This yr, Santana will make simply his second profession begin within the greatest race on the Breeders’ Cup, the Basic, and it’ll be for a horse skilled by – who else? – Asmussen. After just a few disappointing begins earlier within the yr, Max Participant has proven up with a few his finest profession efforts in his most up-to-date begins which embrace wins within the Suburban Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Age: 51
Initially from: Louisiana
Breeders’ Cup victories: 6
Finest end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic: Third in 1999 (Golden Missile)
His 2021 Breeders’ Cup Basic horse: Stilleto Boy
Considered one of three lively riders on this yr’s Breeders’ Cup Basic who’s already inducted into horse racing’s Corridor of Fame, Desormeaux has amassed greater than 6,000 profession wins – together with half a dozen on the World Championships. His first was within the 1993 Breeders’ Cup Turf aboard Kotashaan and his most up-to-date rating was in 2017 on Roy H within the Breeders’ Cup Dash. Nonetheless, in 13 begins within the Basic, Desormeaux has solely as soon as completed within the prime three. He’ll be up in opposition to it once more this yr when he rides longshot Stiletto Boy. To their credit score, Desormeaux and Stilleto Boy have outrun their odds in latest begins, highlighted by a second-place end within the Awesome Again Stakes at almost 55-to-1.
Age: 29
Initially from: France
Breeders’ Cup victories: 3
Finest end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic: Third in 2019 (Larger Energy)
His 2021 Breeders’ Cup Basic horse: Hot Rod Charlie
Flavien Prat grew up round horses in France because the son of a coach. However nobody might’ve imagined simply how a lot success Prat would have as a jockey, and the way shortly he’d do it. Earlier this yr, he upset the Preakness Stakes aboard Rombauer. It was his second triumph in a Triple Crown race – he memorably captured the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Nation Home through disqualification. Prat additionally has three Breeders’ Cup wins to his credit score and he’s completed within the prime three in 37% of his 46 Breeders’ Cup begins. His Basic mount, Scorching Rod Charlie, has additionally made a behavior of ending within the prime three – he’s crossed the wire both first, second or third in his final eight races. Scorching Rod Charlie and Prat come into the Breeders’ Cup off of a Grade 1 win within the Pennsylvania Derby.
Age: 29
Initially from: Panama
Breeders’ Cup victories: 1
Finest end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic: Second in 2013 (Will Take Cost)
His 2021 Breeders’ Cup Basic horse: Essential Quality
It was arduous to think about Luis Saez outdoing his 2019 and 2020 seasons however he simply could be having the most effective yr of his profession. At Del Mar on Nov. 6, he’ll look to repeat what he did final yr with Important High quality (they received the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Offered by TAA) and seize one other Breeders’ Cup race with a horse who’s solely misplaced as soon as in 9 profession begins. Saez has already surpassed his profession mark for annual earnings in 2021 and his 235 wins (as of Oct. 28) have him ranked third within the nation.
Age: 49
Initially from: Puerto Rico
Breeders’ Cup victories: 18
Finest end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic: Received in 2020 (Genuine).
His 2021 Breeders’ Cup Basic horse: Medina Spirit
Going into final yr’s Breeders’ Cup, a win within the Basic was one of many few accomplishments that had eluded John Velazquez. That’s not the case as Velazquez added to exceptional profession with a victory aboard eventual Horse of the 12 months Genuine. Velazquez is the second-oldest jockey within the Breeders’ Cup Basic this yr and has racked up greater than 6,300 complete wins – 18 of them on the World Championships. The 2-time Eclipse Award winner has reliably been one of many prime riders in the USA for the previous twenty years, having been inducted into the Racing Corridor of Fame in 2012. Along with his 18 Breeders’ Cup wins, Velazquez has received the Kentucky Derby 4 occasions (together with this yr with Medina Spirit) and the Belmont Stakes twice.
Age: 29
Initially from: Puerto Rico
Breeders’ Cup victories: 11
Finest end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic: Received in 2019 (Vino Rosso)
His 2021 Breeders’ Cup Basic horse: Tripoli
He’s 20 years youthful than John Velazquez, but Irad Ortiz Jr. is on tempo to sooner or later soar previous the Breeders’ Cup mark of his childhood idol. At simply 29 years previous, Ortiz already has 11 wins on the Breeders’ Cup and he received the Basic in 2019 aboard Vino Rosso. He adopted that up by ending second to Velazquez in final yr’s Breeders’ Cup when Ortiz rode Inconceivable. Ortiz has captured the Eclipse Award as the highest jockey in North America for the previous three years in a row and he’s on tempo to win the award once more this yr. He leads the nation in wins and is second in earnings by Oct. 28. Ortiz might actually pad the bankroll aboard Tripoli within the Breeders’ Cup Basic. The late-emerging horse splashed onto the scene this previous summer time with a breakthrough win at Del Mar within the TVG Pacific Classic.
