Espinoza to Ride Keeneland Fall Meet

Racing Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza, best known for piloting American Pharoah to victory in the 2015 Triple Crown, will be a member of the Keeneland jockey colony throughout the fall meet, which opens its 17-day run Oct.3. Espinoza made the change from his longtime Southern California base this past summer after trainer Wesley Ward convinced him to turn his Saratoga Race Course visit into a working vacation. Espinoza agreed and stayed fit exercising horses in the morning and riding a few races. Ward, the 1984 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding apprentice jockey, has 10 Keeneland training titles. He said using jockeys on horses during training is a huge benefit. "The advantage is they might find a little this or that about the horse," Ward said. "If they have worked them in the mornings, they have a feel for them. They can have a little plan before the race (in the post parade)." This strategy is used for Mountain Bear (IRE), third in last year's Turf Mile Stakes (G1) in his second start in North America for his European connections. In his two most recent races, Mountain Bear was ridden by Espinoza after they became acquainted during training hours. "We wanted him to get a little feel of the horse," Ward said. "He has worked Mountain Bear multiple times and knows him very well. (Mountain Bear) has a few antics but he has been gelded, which has made a huge difference." Mountain Bear is scheduled to make his next start in the eighth race Oct. 8, a second-level 1 1/16-mile allowance on the turf. Espinoza laughs off Mountain Bear's prerace shenanigans. "He always steals the show," Espinoza said. "He just likes to show off in front of the crowd. He is a fun horse to ride. He is a little silly in the warmup but that is it." Espinoza has ridden sparingly at Keeneland, where he has won six races—four of which are stakes. He hasn't ridden at the Lexington oval since 2022. "I wanted to try something different," Espinoza said. "I have never really moved out of California. Everybody here is really nice and really into the sport. Lexington is unique. Everyone seems to know each other and they are looking forward to the Keeneland meet. Everybody is talking about the races, and that makes it fun. But the backside is the same. Every track you go to, people are the same. It is nice to see many horses training on the track. I am not used to that."