Kat’s Eye: Espinoza’s Attempt for Derby Encore

How do you pass the time during the week leading up to the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby when you are one of the top jockeys in Thoroughbred racing?  How about if you are riding the odds-on favorite in both races and going for back-to-back Derbys?
That’s what I wondered when I asked my friend, jockey Victor Espinoza, if I could spend some time with him in Louisville. Victor and I have gotten to know one another over the past few months as I photographed and wrote about 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome, and he was only too happy to oblige.
This trip to Churchill Downs is my first, and I rolled into the parking lot around sunrise on Thursday.  I took some time getting my bearings and visited the press office for credentials before getting in touch with Victor to find out when he’d be at the track. (It’s well known in racing circles that Victor is not an early riser, unless he needs to be.)

Since he had no trackside commitments, he told me to meet him near the jockeys’ room around 10 a.m.
Navigating the grandstands at Churchill Downs takes some time to master, and by the time I finally made my way from the backside to the area near the winner’s circle, Victor was just finishing his second lap around the one-mile track. When I called his name to get his attention, he turned and flashed his trademark grin, broke stride and walked in my direction.
His run completed, Victor was going to get in the rest of his workout, and he invited me to come along. We climbed the stairs to the terrace outside the jockeys’ room where we found a comfortable table and chatted for a few minutes. 
Victor arrived in Louisville on Tuesday and had devoted time during his first two days in town talking to media, visiting the barns and, in general, addressing the public relations demands that come with returning to the Derby a winner after last year’s victory aboard California Chrome.

Victor has been to the Kentucky Derby six times in his career, and while he says that every trip to Churchill Downs is special in its own way, this year is very different. He’s returning with high expectations having guided Chrome to victory last year, and with his mounts in the Oaks and the Derby favored by the racetrack oddsmaker this year.

And while there is anticipation by everyone around him, he says things seem more comfortable and familiar to him because he was just here a year ago. Never mind that he will attempt to do what only six jockeys have done: win back-to-back Kentucky Derbys.
Victor excused himself to change his shoes and I chatted with the security team on the terrace deck. When my friend returned, he was wearing the shiny black boots that he wears for races and carrying his racing crop. He mounted the Equicizer, a mechanical exercise horse on the terrace, and began to work out, spinning his crop overhead and changing from side to side as he worked his hands back and forth in rhythm with the mechanical horse’s neck.

When Victor used his stick on the Equicizer, I joked about his having to practice that part, too. Using the crop can cause concern with fans, especially those new to racing, and I asked him about that, noting that the impact didn’t seem as severe as I had thought.
Victor agreed that when they use the stick it looks a lot worse than it is, but he acknowledged that it can be a concern for fans. And as he dropped the crop in his hands, I laughed and asked what he does when that happens in a race.
Victor told me that the majority of his work is done with his arms and hands, so when he doesn’t have a crop, he just relies on that connection with his mount. With thousand of races to his credit and more than 3,200 wins, Victor’s reflexes take over in situations that would stymie a less-seasoned rider.
Later in the day, while we enjoyed lunch and he answered questions coming over the TVG Twitter feed, Victor shared a story of the first time he rode one of his favorite fillies. After talking in the paddock with her trainer about when he should let her loose, they left the starting gate and quickly arrived at that spot on the track. 
When Victor raised his crop over his head to begin urging his mount to open up, he felt her tense up under him - putting on the brakes. In a split second, instead he tucked his crop under his arm, pushed his hands forward and felt the filly surge ahead. In the winners’ circle he shared this with the trainer to ensure that if anyone else rode the horse that they were told not to use the stick. She’s been a winner ever since.

Our host from TVG then asked him about American Pharoah, his horse for the Kentucky Derby, and how he responds to the crop. Victor just chuckled and said, “I never use it!”
As we wrapped up lunch, I asked Victor what was up for the rest of the day. Rest and a party for a retired-jockey charity that night, then a good night’s sleep.

This morning, after a couple trips to various big-box stores, I was able to resolve the problem I created by leaving the power adapter for my MacBook at home, and I was slowly inching my way through traffic to the designated remote media parking lot. I boarded the media shuttle (a school bus) and it crawled through the crowd as we approached the track. It was not even noon, but the images you see on TV don’t come close to preparing you for the reality of the crowd at Churchill Downs. (My fellow passengers also reminded me that this was just Friday.) 
I was thrilled to arrive at the relative calm of the media center, where I happily stayed until I got a text from Victor, inviting me back up to the jockeys’ room. When I walked in, my friend was dressed in a nice suit, signing various items that would be auctioned later for jockey and retired-racehorse charities. 
The walls of the lounge are lined with caricatures of Derby-winning jockeys, and Victor was happy to pose for me with the image from his 2002 win aboard War Emblem. 

As he excused himself to change out of his street clothes, he explained that everyone in the room was related or closely connected to a jockey, so the room would stay relatively low key and comfortable.
It’s a nice place for the athletes to wait before their races, away from the fans and chaos outside. I haven’t spent time around a lot of professional athletes in other sports, but the camera crew from NBC Sports that was sharing a table with me has, so I asked them how this compares. Is there another sport where the key players are called on to be so social just prior to going to work? (In the paddock, as they are getting ready to race, the jockeys pose for photos and chat with the families and guests of their horse’s connections.) Their answer: no.
The jocks are all friends. They ask about each other’s families and are happy for each other’s successes. It only gets competitive when the starting gates open.
Victor popped out of the locker room for a minute, dressed in race clothes except for the silks. He sat down and caught his breath, saying he finally had a free moment, and then he was pulled away again … another interview or autograph. But he told me that the activity helps and keeps him from sitting around thinking about the races he’ll run today and tomorrow. (He even signed the camera for an NBC cameraman.)

After an entire day of waiting, suddenly it was time for the first of Victor’s two races.  He exited the dressing room in the orange and purple silks of Spendthrift Farm, making it incredibly easy for me to spot him down in the paddock as I watched from my perch on the terrace outside the jockeys’ room. He rode Callback to runner-up finish in the Eight Belles Stakes in the 10th race.

With a major stakes race coming up next - the main event of the day - there was a larger-than-normal break between races, and I enjoyed being a casual observer of the jockeys and their families as they traded stories and joked with one another. 

As post time for the Kentucky Oaks drew near, a stream of colorful silks paraded past me, out onto the deck adjacent to the jockeys’ room. This was my first time in the jockeys’ lounge and I had no idea what was going on, but I was smart enough to grab my camera and follow the crowd. In doing so, I was privileged to capture some beautiful group shots of the jocks for the 2015 Kentucky Oaks — a good-looking bunch.

For the first time Friday, I left the friendly confines of the jockeys’ room and made my way down to the winner’s circle suites to get some photos of the post parade and the race. The crowd was impressive, and shortly after I found a spot near the tunnel, Victor rode past me on Stellar Wind, heading for the track and the starting gate.

Yesterday, when we talked about this filly and her talent, Victor said he really didn’t worry about post position or how other horses would break from the gate. She was solid and he could just let her do whatever she wanted to do. She was the favorite when the starting gates opened.
This afternoon it didn’t seem like she wanted to run. I couldn't tell if she left the gate well, but as they rounded the turn and headed for home, you could see that it wasn’t her day. Stellar Wind and Victor both finished the trip healthy and sound, which is the most important thing, and there will be many opportunities for her to show her talent.

I felt like a salmon swimming upstream as I made my way back to the jockeys’ room, fighting against a sea of fans headed for the exits. I gathered my things and walked down to the media center, where they were just beginning to set out the buffet for dinner and many of my colleagues were settling in to work. But after a brief discussion with myself I decided to walk to the remote parking lot - two miles away - rather than wait in line for the shuttle or bide my time in the media center.
The walk to my car was interesting, as I passed numerous street performers and unlicensed vendors of beer and watched a wave of pastel colors ebb and flow around Churchill Downs. 
After reaching my car it didn’t take very long to drive to my motel, less than 5 miles away. (I would post a glowing review of my modest accommodations, but I plan to stay at the same place next year and don’t want anyone to know that it was more than decent and very reasonably priced. Plus, warm cookies!)
Shortly after, I sent a sampling of photos from the day to Victor, he sent a text thanking me and inviting me to meet him in the morning, back at the jockeys’ room.  The talented American Pharoah will take his first steps toward the Triple Crown with Victor Espinoza aboard. I wouldn’t dream of missing it.