My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
On July 22, 2018, Victor Espinoza fractured a vertebra in his neck when the horse he was galloping, Bobby Abu Dhabi, had a heart attack and died. Two days ago, Espinoza returned to racing, finishing second on . I am speechless at his resiliency and determination. My own injuries are mostly better, but so far […]
Read MoreThe recent photo of California Chrome racing with his saddle slipping toward his rump made me wonder about the saddling process for racehorses. How could something like this happen? When horses are galloping at 40 Mph (give or take), equipment failure can be a big issue. Victor Espinoza has been quoted as saying that his […]
Read MoreWhile the racing world is celebrating the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, American Pharoah’s connections have shared their financial success in some very meaningful ways. Bob and Jill Baffert are giving back to the racing industry by donating to organizations that support jockeys and horses. The couple announced they will donate: $50,000 to […]
Read MoreWow. Just Wow. It only took 37 years, but today, American Pharoah won with a wire-to-wire run, pulling out at the end to win by 5 1/2 lengths over Frosted. That horse has an amazing gallop — he just floated around that track. In fact Victor Espinoza said the horse is like riding a cloud. […]
Read MoreToday in Baltimore the track was very wet — beyond “sloppy” — and Victor Espinoza was worried that American Pharaoh wouldn’t like getting mud in his face. So he made the decision to hustle American Pharaoh out of the gate and bring him right to the front. Turned out to be a great plan. American […]
Read MoreAmerican Pharaoh lived up to his hype with a strong run in the home stretch that made him the definitive winner of the Derby, besting Firing Line by a length and doling out Dortmund’s first defeat. Victor Espinoza, who rode Derby-winner California Chrome last year said, “He had never been tested and I had to […]
Read MoreAs if California Chrome’s Derby win wasn’t a good enough story . . . Victor Espinoza, who piloted the colt to victory, donates 10 percent of all his earnings to the City of Hope, a charity that benefits children who have cancer. “One day I went to visit some kids in the hospital who had […]
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