Esquivel, Leparoux Strike Early at Oaklawn for Santos

Jockey agent Joe Santos, aka Santos, Inc., flexed his muscle on the opening-day Oaklawn Park card Dec. 8. Santos represents 10 riders across the country, including the nationally prominent Julien Leparoux and Emmanuel Esquivel at Oaklawn. Leparoux won the second race aboard Appealing Addie ($27) for trainer Randy Morse. Esquivel won the fourth race aboard Wartime Hero ($5.20) for his uncle, trainer Cipriano Contreras. Leparoux's victory was noteworthy because it was his first as an Oaklawn regular. A two-time Eclipse Award winner—as apprentice in 2006 and outstanding jockey in 2009—Leparoux has previously wintered at Gulfstream Park. "Change of plans this year," Leparoux said Friday morning. "Family-wise, my wife and kids are staying in Kentucky, so I could go anywhere. I was thinking about racing everywhere this winter and picked Oaklawn. Excited about it. We've got some good stuff this weekend and hope to have a good meet." Santos, the son of retired Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos, has represented Leparoux since Aug. 31. The collaboration has produced 25 victories, including graded stakes races in New York and Kentucky aboard the blossoming 3-year-old filly Xigera. "Super honored for the opportunity, and we're doing awesome," Santos said. Appealing Addie was the third career Oaklawn victory, and first non-stakes, for Leparoux. Leparoux, 40, won Oaklawn's Azeri Stakes (G3) aboard Acoma in 2009 and Arkansas Derby (G1) in 2017 on champion Classic Empire. Leparoux rode two horses opening day and scored aboard one of seven mounts Dec. 9, three of which came for trainer Kenny McPeek, a major client. King: Tejano Twist, Butterbean Win Stakes at Oaklawn "With Julien, since I've got him, I've always just tried to give him the best opportunities I can," Santos said. "If I see a live horse, I'm going to ask for it and try to go from there. That's kind of been our game plan, even at Churchill. I think at that September meet, we only rode 36 horses, but we won 10 races and ended up third in the standings." Leparoux said he plans to ride at Oaklawn until the Keeneland spring meet begins April 5. Leparoux has 2,957 victories and $192,973,379 in purse earnings in his North American career through Dec. 8, according to Equibase. A native of France, Leparoux rode his first United States winner in 2005 and the following year was the winningest rider in North America in recording 403 victories. He is among five finalists for the 2024 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, presented annually by Santa Anita Park.