Ten Unique Facts About Victor Espinoza

Victor Espinoza after winning the 2011 Santa Anita Derby aboard Midnight Interlude. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
Racing fans know all about the great story of California Chrome and how his owners and trainer ended up with a horse of a lifetime for $10,000, but what about the jockey on his back for all of his big wins?
Jose Contreras provides a little insight into Victor Espinoza’s life, goals, and history as he attempts to win the Triple Crown with California Chrome on Saturday in the $1.5-million Belmont Stakes.
1. Growing Up - Espinoza grew up on a farm surrounded by all kinds of animals. After he attended a horse race for the first time, he decided he wanted to be a jockey. But there was one problem: he was terrified of horses. He could ride the other animals on the farm but not the horses. He eventually got over his fears and enrolled in jockey school.
2. Time to Relax - One of the ways he relaxes during his free time and before races is by watching cartoons. Forget about action, sci-fi, or drama movies, Espinoza is not into that. He prefers “Tom and Jerry” or animated Disney movies.
3. Driving a Bus - Before he became a jockey, he moved to Mexico City and worked as a bus driver. He was only 13-14 years old, but used his older brother’s driver’s license in order to work. He still says riding horses is much easier to him than driving in Mexico City traffic.
4. Need for Speed - If he wasn’t a jockey, his dreams included being an airplane pilot or a race car driver. He’s always liked speed.
5. Nearly Retired - He might not have been riding California Chrome or any other horse if he had followed through on thoughts about retiring. Four years ago, he thought about calling it quits at the age of 38. Today, he doesn’t think of retiring and take his career one race at a time.
6. Hope for City of Hope - About 10 years ago a friend took Espinoza to City of Hope National Medical Center. He was only able to stay there for a couple of minutes before he left and waited for his friend outside. He found it hard to see kids and older patients suffering from cancer. Since then, he has donated a portion of his earnings to City of Hope each year to try to help make a difference in the lives of others. After his Kentucky Derby win aboard California Chrome, he returned to City of Hope for only the second time ever. He was able to spend much more time in the hospital and shared smiles, gifts, and stories with the kids.
7. The Golden Boy - In 2000, Espinoza was named as the jockey on Early Pioneer in the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup. Before the day of the race, he dyed his hair gold in honor of the race’s name. Early Pioneer and Espinoza crossed the finish line in front as the longest shot in the Hollywood Gold Cup field at odds of 24.50-to-1. It was Victor’s first career Grade 1 victory.
ESPINOZA AND CALIFORNIA CHROME TRAIN IN THE EARLY MORNING

Photo by NYRA/Lauren King
8. Where’s the Snooze Button - Jockeys are usually at the racetrack by 6 or 7 a.m. every morning, riding and working horses. Even after many years, Victor is not a morning person. He loves his job and loves the horses but not the early mornings. He does it because of his dedication and work ethic. In addition to the early mornings, he also doesn’t like cold winter weather. No wonder he calls Southern California home.
9. Just Wanted to be Successful - Dreams of the Kentucky Derby? Not really. Espinoza just wanted to be successful. His goal once he became a jockey was to to win one race a week in the big leagues in Southern California. He never thought he was going to be winning thousands of races (more than 3,100 so far … and counting), including some of the biggest races in the sport.
10. Yo Hablo English - As a young apprentice rider in Northern California, Espinoza encountered the language barrier of not knowing English. How did he learn English? Mostly by only watching television in English. Not bad for a kid that dropped out of high school in his native Mexico.
SLIDESHOW: CALIFORNIA CHROME AND ESPINOZA PREPARE FOR SHOT AT HISTORY