Former Tattoo Artist Rivera Inking Name as a Jockey

Dalila Rivera is quite familiar with inking names as she spent the early stages of her career as a tattoo artist in her native Puerto Rico. Lately, the 27-year-old apprentice jockey has etched her name among the riding colony of Aqueduct Racetrack. "I was a tattoo artist for three years before becoming a jockey," Rivera said, via a translator. "My friend brought me just to go see the races back home. A trainer named Angel Calderon saw me and said, 'you could be a jockey.' That's how I got interested. I took his information. One thing led to another and I ended up loving the racetrack." Rivera attended Puerto Rico's Escuela Vocacional Hipica in 2024, a school for prospective jockeys which has produced top local riders including Irad and Jose Ortiz, Hall of Famer John Velazquez, as well as Manny Franco. Rivera began her professional riding career at Hipódromo Camarero on New Year's Day, 2025. She flashed her talents immediately when scoring an 8 1/2-length victory aboard Lady Frida in her first career mount. By June, Rivera had the confidence to take a stab at riding in mainland North America. She got started at Fort Erie in Canada, then rode at Presque Isle Downs and Woodbine, and Gulfstream Park soon after in Florida before shifting her tack to Aqueduct in November. "I was still relatively new to the game," Rivera said. "I liked coming here for the camaraderie of it. Especially as a female bug, all the other jockeys were able to help me and give whatever guidance I needed. If there was anything I needed help with or to better my riding in any aspect, they were always there to guide and teach me." Rivera is represented by Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr., who captured all three legs of the Triple Crown during his career. Cordero led the jockey standings at Saratoga Race Course from 1976-86, as well as in 1967 and 1988-89. The Saratoga meet riding title, one of the most competitive in the sport, is named after him. "It has been a dream come true working with Angel," Rivera said. "When I was in the Puerto Rico jockeys' school, I aspired to hopefully get to this level. To work with Angel has been a dream and he is on top of everything as an agent. He helps with my rides, guiding me, and making sure I stay in the right spots. He is always a mentor. It has been a privilege and I thank God for it." Rivera posted a record of 8-14-12 from 81 starts during the local winter meet that spanned from Jan. 1 to March 29 and has since upped her yearly overall total to 15 wins through April 8. She has won five of her last 10 mounts heading into the April 10 card, including a pair of scores at Parx Racing where she often rides on Aqueduct's dark days. Rivera earned her first two win-day April 3 at Aqueduct, securing a prominent score aboard Combatant's Song for trainer Gregg Sacco at odds of 8-1 and rallying to first from sixth of seven aboard the Jose Jimenez-trained Icy Legs, off at odds of 7-1. Of Rivera's eight winter meet wins, three came at double-digit odds, including the 12-1 Master Freud for trainer Antonio Arriaga in a 6-furlong allowance optional claimer for New York-breds worth $79,000 March 27. Rivera credits Cordero for his part in her success, and hopes the "King of Saratoga" will some day book her mounts at the Spa. "I may try Saratoga this summer, but I will be at other tracks as well depending on whatever is available at the moment, but I'm hoping to be at Saratoga in the future," Rivera said. One thing is for sure: Rivera isn't putting a ceiling on what comes next. "My dreams have no limitations. I want to go as far as I possibly can as a rider," Rivera said. "The Kentucky Derby, Breeders' Cup, the Eclipse Awards. Whatever is attainable, I will work hard to get to that point in my career. With God's will, I will be able to get there."