FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Adolphson
(847) 385-7558
Barn Notes: Monday, April 28, 2014
In Today’s Notes:
- Defending Champ Esquivel Ready for More in 2014
DEFENDING CHAMP ESQUIVEL READY FOR MORE IN 2014
Defending champion jockey Emmanuel Esquivel, who made history when taking down the 2013 Arlington International Racecourse riding title as an apprentice, looks forward to having an even better 2014. With 83 wins, over $1.8 million in purse earnings and a 15% strike rate, it might be difficult to do so, but the Chicago-raised rider is ready for the challenge.
“If I could win the title again, I would be very grateful. I am just really happy to be back at home. All the trainers and jockeys are very kind to me,” Esquivel explained. “It’s my second year as a rider and I just wish and hope I can be a lot better and ride as much as I can in the process. I want to get strong as a journeyman.”
On March 25, the young rider officially lost his apprentice allowance. Often a selling point for horsemen, the lack of weight allowance does not bother Esquivel too much. In fact, he seems to be simply focused on one thing: riding.
“If I could ride every race, I would be more than happy to do it. I know that may sound greedy, but I don’t mean it to be. The more I ride, the better I will be – and that’s my goal,” he explained. “Everyone here really helped me last year. I hope I can ride for them again. Great trainers like Mike Stidham, Mike Reavis, Wayne Catalano, Frank Kirby, Dee Poulos and others – all of them helped me a lot. Because of them, I was able to win the title and I’m ready to do my best again.”
After taking down the title last year, Esquivel spent a productive winter in New York –riding two weeks at Belmont and the entire winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack. “I really liked the racing part of being in New York. I met a lot of new people and nice people. (Trainer) David Jacobson gave me a hand to start off, but I also got to ride for great horsemen like Bill Mott, Chris Englehart and others,” he said. “I really want to thank everyone over there for their support. Bill Castle, my agent, gave me a lot of help.”
Riding in the Big Apple also helped him hone some of his skills. “It’s a tough riding environment – I don’t know how to explain it. There is more race-riding and it’s a different feel. But, I really enjoyed riding against and meeting big jockeys like Cornelio Velazquez, Joel Rosario and a lot of other great jockeys,” he said. “They were tough to ride against but very nice and help me a lot. They would tell me what I was doing wrong so that I could learn more and be a stronger, smarter jockey.”
Esquivel looks forward to bringing his sharpened prowess back to Arlington and also to rejoining his Chicago-based agent, Ben Allen, who helped orchestrate his blockbuster 2013 season. “I really like Arlington and look forward to working with Ben. Arlington is beautiful, big and has lots of space. It’s really nice to just walk around,” he remarked. “Also, I love riding the track. I did well on the Polytrack and the turf course is really great. You ride comfortable here and everybody takes care of everybody.”
One conversation with Esquivel and it is irrefutable that his success has not inflated his ego. To the contrary, it seems to have made him even more humble. “Now that I’m back, hopefully I can do it again. I hope the people who supported me last year do it again – I am so thankful for them,” Esquivel continued. “I am ready to work hard in the mornings and afternoons and become a better finisher and sharper rider.” If he does, indeed, wind up finishing even better in 2014, he could join an esteemed list of back-to-back jockey champs that includes Eddie Arcaro, Bill Hartack, Earlie Fires and Eddie Delahoussaye – and be the first since Rene Douglas in 2008.
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David Zenner│Senior Manager of Communications
Arlington International Racecourse
2200 W. Euclid Ave. Arlington Heights IL 60006-0007
P 847.385.7535│C: 847.371.1670 | F: 847.870.6727│E: David.Zenner@arlingtonpark.com
Twitter: @dave_zenner, @arlingtonracing
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