“I Don’t Wanna Fight Him”: Equestrian Jockey Spills the Secret Behind Winning the $200,000 Grade 2 Stake

The equestrian racing world is unsparing and highly competitive, with jockeys constantly striving for success. Even famed jockeys with years of experience in the sport may find themselves on the wrong side of the fans’ estimate, simply because of their age. This is precisely what happened to a 51-year-old champion jockey from New Mexico who was written off as a has-been in the horse racing circles. But this legendary athlete would not roll over and let the tide of public opinion carry him off. He was looking for an opportunity to mount a coup and selected Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship as his return to fame.

Victor Espinoza is a three-time Kentucky Derby winner, but it did not matter for the horse racing world. All they could see was his age and not his shining legacy that brought him Hall of Fame honor in 2017. Espinoza, hungering for redemption after the slights, found an extraordinary ally in the remarkable equine partner.

Balladeer helps Victor Espinoza take the equestrian racing world by storm

Victor Espinoza teamed up with George Papaprodromou-trained Balladeer for the first time in his long equestrian racing career. In a field of seven, Balladeer understood his rider’s mission and responded accordingly. The colt had neither been a victor in a black-type race nor a graded race out of the 17 starts in his career. It was unclear what went down between Balladeer and Espinoza before the race, but the horse looked somewhat different.

Speaking to Hurt Hoover from the Hollywood Park Racing Association LLC, Victor Espinoza spilled the beans. TVG shared a small clip from the jockey’s interview where he stated, “he [Balladeer] was strong…a lot of energy in the beginning, and I thought was a good sign and I don’t wanna fight with him”. Thus, the secret to Espinoza’s success on Sunday was down to the remarkable horse.

Balladeer charged out of the gate at maximum speed and went neck and neck with Masteroffoxhounds. When the horse reached the dirt track, he briefly lost his nerves and fell behind. As soon as he hit the familiar turf, Balladeer returned inside and took the lead. Espinoza remarked, “He took the dirt crossing wide, but it wasn’t really important because I was able to control him without fighting with him or irritating him”. For the first time in partnership, Balladeer responded to the famous jockey’s commands with unusual ease.

Victor Espinoza and Balladeer’s unbeatable synchrony

Taking advantage of this wonderful sync, Espinoza threw down a surprising challenge. He opened up about five lengths of breathing room between himself and his nearest opponent. Balladeer posted the top timings at every phase of the race. But he faced a strong challenge half a mile away from the wire. Both Masteroffoxhounds and Edwin Maldonado began running in earnest for the wire, with the former matching Balladeer’s stride. Balladeer kept pace while conserving his energy for the last attack.

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With less than sixteenth of a mile left, the magnificent horse surged for home. Equestrian trainer George Papaprodromou was also confident of the accuracy of Balladeer’s last counter-attack, saying, “I knew my horse and he had another gear based on the distance of his last race”. Balladeer is no longer an underdog in the horse racing circles and, as such, has also helped a famed jockey regain his status.

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