Apprentice Ritvo Moves Tack to Mid-Atlantic
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Apprentice jockey Michael Ritvo, the leading bug rider at Gulfstream Park, has moved his tack to the Mid-Atlantic region, where he plans to ride during the fall and winter months.
"The big boys are returning to Gulfstream and there is so much more opportunity up here to ride six or seven days and nights," Ritvo said. "I am excited to show everyone what I got. The plan is to ride mostly at Delaware until the meet ends (Oct. 22) to get my name out there and then focus on Laurel."
Ritvo is expected to make his Laurel debut aboard Segovia in the fifth race Sept. 10. He will be riding with the weight allowance until June 7, 2015 and plans to ride at Laurel Park, Delaware Park, Parx Racing, and Penn National Race Course.
Last year, Victor Carrasco became the 10th Maryland-based apprentice rider to earn the Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice joining Chris McCarron (1974), Ronnie Franklin (1978), Alberto Delgado (1982), Allen Stacy (1986), Kent Desormeaux (1987), Mike Luzzi (1989), Mark Johnston (1990), Jeremy Rose (2001), and Ryan Fogelsonger (2002).
"You see all the high-caliber riders that have come out of here and that excites me," Ritvo said. "The trainers are very friendly to the bug, which gives young riders so many opportunities to succeed."
Ritvo's father, Tim Ritvo, is a former jockey (1983-89) and trainer (1996-2010) who now serves as president of Gulfstream Park. His mother, Kathy, trained recently retired Mucho Macho Man , the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner.
"Everyone thinks this was something I always wanted to do my whole life but it wasn't," Ritvo said. "I liked different sports growing up and wasn't fixed on being a rider.
"That changed during my junior year of high school and then my senior year it was really something I wanted to do, so two days after graduating I got on a plane to Philly to learn how to ride from my uncle (trainer Mike Petro). Then I headed down to Ocala to break babies for a year."