Victor Espinoza

Last updated

Victor Espinoza
Victor Espinoza at Los Alamitos track 2016 25.jpg
Victor Espinoza in 2016
Occupation Jockey
Born (1972-05-23) May 23, 1972 (age 52)
Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico
Career wins3,200+ (ongoing)
Major racing wins
Moccasin Stakes (1996, 2000)
Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (1999)
Hollywood Gold Cup (2000, 2015)
Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap
(2000, 2001, 2004)
Del Mar Futurity (2001, 2004, 2006, 2014)
Sham Stakes (2001, 2005, 2006, 2017)
Wood Memorial Stakes (2001)
Providencia Stakes (2001, 2008, 2009)
Haskell Invitational Handicap (2002, 2015)
San Diego Handicap
(2003, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2016, 2017)
Delta Jackpot Stakes (2004)
Hawthorne Handicap (2004, 2005)
Pimlico Special (2004)
Sunshine Millions Classic (2004)
Thunder Road Handicap (2004, 2006, 2015)
Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (2005)
Arlington Million (2006)
CashCall Mile Invitational Stakes (2006)
C. L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship (2006)
Gamely Stakes (2006, 2015)
Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (2006)
WinStar Derby (2006, 2007)
Las Flores Handicap (2006, 2008)
La Cañada Stakes (2001, 2007, 2014)
San Felipe Stakes (2007, 2014)
Sunland Park Oaks
(2006, 2007, 2009, 2015)
A Gleam Invitational Handicap
(2003, 2006, 2007, 2010)
Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap (2008)
California Cup Distance Handicap (2008)
Tuzla Handicap (2008)
Hollywood Derby (2009, 2014)
Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes (2010)
Del Mar Handicap (2011, 2013)
Santa Anita Derby (2011, 2014, 2017)
FrontRunner Stakes (2014, 2016)
Arkansas Derby (2015)
Rebel Stakes (2015)
Remington Springboard Mile Stakes (2017)

American Classics wins
Kentucky Derby (2002, 2014, 2015)
Preakness Stakes (2002, 2014, 2015)
Belmont Stakes (2015)
United States Triple Crown (2015) Breeders' Cup wins
Breeders' Cup Distaff (2000)
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (2014)
Breeders' Cup Classic (2015)
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (2021)
International wins
Dubai Golden Shaheen (2015)
Windsor Castle Stakes (UK, 2014)
Dubai World Cup (2016)

Contents

Racing awards
ESPY Award for Best Jockey (2002, 2014, 2015)
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award (2016)
Honors
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (2017)
Significant horses
War Emblem, Peace Rules, Behaving Badly,
California Chrome, Congaree
Declan's Moon, The Tin Man, American Pharoah, Bob and John, Secret Circle, Take Charge Brandi, Stellar Wind, Gormley, Bolt d'Oro

Victor Espinoza (born May 23, 1972) is a Mexican jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing who won the Triple Crown in 2015 on American Pharoah. He began riding in his native Mexico and went on to compete at racetracks in California. He has won the Kentucky Derby three times, riding War Emblem in 2002, California Chrome in 2014, and American Pharoah in 2015. He also won the Preakness Stakes three times, in those same years and with the same horses. He was the first jockey in history to enter the Belmont Stakes with a third opportunity to win the Triple Crown; [1] his 2015 victory made him the oldest jockey and first Hispanic jockey to accomplish the feat. [2] He joined Ron Turcotte as the only jockeys to win five of the six jewels of the Triple Crown spread over two consecutive years.

Background and early career

Espinoza was born on a dairy farm in Hidalgo, Mexico, the eleventh of twelve children. [3] [4] He and his brother Jose L. Espinoza, his senior by three years, rode horses on the farm; when he was 15 he left home and traveled to Cancún to assist his brother as a Quarter Horse trainer. [3] He paid for jockey school by driving a bus in Mexico City at age 17. [4] [5] Within a few years, Espinoza was racing Thoroughbreds at Mexico City's track, Hipódromo de las Américas. [3] [6]

Espinoza did not speak English [5] when he came to the United States in 1990. He moved to Northern California in 1992, [7] where by 1994 he was the leading apprentice rider at the Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Fields racetracks. [4] At the Bay area tracks, he started out very poor and lived in a tack room at the stables. Espinoza was described as "just a hardworking kid who was out there every day...But he kept getting better and better, and soon people started seeing the talent he had." [7]

A year later, he moved to Los Angeles. [3] His big break came in 2000 when he won the Breeders' Cup Distaff aboard Spain. [3] He rode his first Kentucky Derby in 2001, placing third on Congaree, [8] and in 2002, he won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes atop War Emblem. [3] Between 2000 and 2006 he averaged 193 wins a year and twice finished third in total earnings among jockeys. [3] However, his career entered a slump until he decided to refocus. As he explained, "One day, I woke up and I said 'This is not how I'm going to end up my career." He hired a new agent in January 2013, Brian Beach, and with a change in motivation [9] went on to obtain his 3,000th career win, aboard Flashy Delight, on May 31, 2013, at Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. [10] After winning the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes on California Chrome, in June 2014 Espinoza traveled to Britain to win the Windsor Castle Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting on the Wesley A. Ward-trained colt Hootenanny. [11]

California Chrome and American Pharoah

American Pharoah with Victor Espinoza up American Pharoah.jpg
American Pharoah with Victor Espinoza up
Espinoza on California Chrome after winning the 2016 Winter Challenge Stakes at Los Alamitos California Chrome Los Alamitos Dec 2016 07.jpg
Espinoza on California Chrome after winning the 2016 Winter Challenge Stakes at Los Alamitos

Espinoza became the first jockey in history to get three opportunities to win the Triple Crown [1] and earned back-to-back wins with California Chrome and American Pharoah in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, only the sixth jockey in history to do so. [8]

In December 2013 [12] Espinoza was selected as the jockey for California Chrome by veteran horse trainer Art Sherman, who had used him as a jockey during Espinoza's years in Northern California. [5] Up to that point, California Chrome had won only 2 of his 6 starts. [12] Espinoza rode California Chrome to consecutive victories in the King Glorious Stakes on December 22, [12] the California Cup Derby on January 25, 2014, [13] the San Felipe Stakes on March 8, [14] and the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. [15] [16] On May 3, 2014, Espinoza lengthened the winning streak as he rode California Chrome to victory in the Kentucky Derby, marking the jockey's second Kentucky Derby win. [3] On May 17, California Chrome placed first in the Preakness Stakes, also Espinoza's second Preakness win. [6] On June 7, Espinoza's 6 for 6 streak aboard California Chrome came to an end when, due to an injury sustained right out of the starting gate, the Triple Crown contender finished in a dead heat for fourth place in the Belmont Stakes. [17]

In the fall of 2014, Espinoza also became the regular rider of American Pharoah, trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Ahmed Zayat. Espinoza started with the colt's second race, the Grade I Del Mar Futurity on September 4. [18] The pair went on to win the FrontRunner Stakes. [19] The colt was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, [20] but the pair reunited in 2015 with wins in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby. [18] American Pharoah and Espinoza then won the 2015 Kentucky Derby. [21] After the win, Espinoza said, "I feel like the luckiest Mexican on Earth." [22] However, his performance attracted some scrutiny as he struck the horse 32 times with his whip during the race. [23] Kentucky racing stewards reviewed Espinoza's ride and ruled that his whip use did not violate state regulations. [24] On May 16, 2015, Espinoza and American Pharoah won the 2015 Preakness Stakes on a sloppy track, setting up Espinoza's third attempt at the Triple Crown. [25] His June 6, 2015, victory at the 2015 Belmont Stakes made him the oldest jockey to win the Triple Crown, as well as the first Latino jockey to do so. [26] For 3 years, he held the distinction of being the last jockey, and the oldest, to sweep the Triple Crown until Mike Smith did it aboard Justify in 2018. On October 31, 2015, Espinoza rode American Pharoah to victory in the Breeder's Cup Classic, becoming the first jockey in history to win horse racing's Grand Slam—the Triple Crown and the Breeder's Cup Classic.

Other ventures

On August 25, 2015, it was announced that Espinoza would compete on the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars . [27] He was paired with professional dancer Karina Smirnoff. [28] The couple was eliminated on Week 2 of competition and finished in 12th place.

Accident

On July 22, 2018, Espinoza was injured when riding Bobby Abu Dhabi at the Del Mar racetrack. Espinoza suffered a fractured vertebra but was initially expected to make a full recovery. [29] Several weeks after the accident, he continued to have trouble shaving, walking and getting out of bed, and lacked feeling in his left arm. [30] On January 5, 2019, Espinoza returned to riding at the Santa Anita Park. [31]

Personal

Espinoza is single and has no children. [32] He donates ten percent of his winnings to the City of Hope to support pediatric cancer research. [32] [33] Following his Triple Crown win, he announced that he would be donating 100% of his Belmont Stakes earnings to the City of Hope. [34] [35] Espinoza has a nephew, Assael Espinoza, who is following in his uncle's footsteps and is an apprentice jockey who is riding at Santa Anita Park, in Arcadia, California.

Year-end charts

Espinoza (in gray silks) with Art Sherman before the 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic California Chrome's connections - BCC 2016.jpg
Espinoza (in gray silks) with Art Sherman before the 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic
Espinoza in the winner's circle of the 2014 Preakness Stakes Victor Espinoza.jpg
Espinoza in the winner's circle of the 2014 Preakness Stakes
Chart (2000–present)Peak
position
National Earnings List for Jockeys 20005
National Earnings List for Jockeys 200111
National Earnings List for Jockeys 20026
National Earnings List for Jockeys 200314
National Earnings List for Jockeys 20043
National Earnings List for Jockeys 20059
National Earnings List for Jockeys 20063
National Earnings List for Jockeys 200712
National Earnings List for Jockeys 200827
National Earnings List for Jockeys 200920
National Earnings List for Jockeys 201027
National Earnings List for Jockeys 201119
National Earnings List for Jockeys 201249
National Earnings List for Jockeys 201324
National Earnings List for Jockeys 20148
National Earnings List for Jockeys 20156
National Earnings List for Jockeys 201634
National Earnings List for Jockeys 201744
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2018128
National Earnings List for Jockeys 201984
National Earnings List for Jockeys 202059

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Preakness Stakes</span> American stakes race for Thoroughbreds, part of the Triple Crown

    The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The Preakness Stakes is a Grade I race run over a distance of 1+3⁄16 miles on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg); fillies 121 pounds (55 kg). It is the second jewel of the Triple Crown, held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Affirmed</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

    Affirmed was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, including Alydar coming second in each of the three 1978 Triple Crown races. After Affirmed won the Triple Crown, there was a 37-year wait until American Pharoah swept the series in 2015.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent Desormeaux</span> American jockey (b. 1970)

    Kent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year with 598 wins in 1989. He has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes three times each, and the Belmont Stakes once. Aboard Real Quiet, he lost the 1998 Triple Crown by a nose.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Baffert</span> American horse owner and trainer

    Robert A. Baffert is an American racehorse trainer who is considered one of the most successful and influential trainers in the history of horse racing. He has trained two Triple Crown winners: American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Baffert's horses have won the Kentucky Derby six times, tying the record with Ben A. Jones for wins by a trainer. He holds the trainer record for Preakness Stakes with eight wins and has won the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Oaks three times each.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonalist</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse

    Tonalist is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Belmont Stakes, beating the favored California Chrome, who was attempting to win the Triple Crown. Tonalist won the Peter Pan Stakes in May 2014. He is the first horse since A.P. Indy in 1992 to win the Peter Pan/Belmont double. Later in the year he defeated older horses to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)</span> Racing honor

    In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three races were inaugurated in different years, the last being the Kentucky Derby in 1875. The Triple Crown Trophy, commissioned in 1950 but awarded to all previous winners as well as those after 1950, is awarded to a horse who wins all three races and is thereafter designated as a Triple Crown winner. The races are traditionally run in May and early June of each year, although global events have resulted in schedule adjustments, such as in 1945 and 2020.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">California Chrome</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

    California Chrome is a US Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2014 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and 2016 Dubai World Cup. He was the 2014 and 2016 American Horse of the Year. In 2016, he surpassed Curlin as the all-time leading North American horse in earnings won.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Preakness Stakes</span> 139th running of the Preakness Stakes

    The 2014 Preakness Stakes was the 139th running of the Preakness Stakes. The race was scheduled to start at 6:18 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 17, 2014, at Pimlico Race Course and was run as the twelfth race on a racecard with thirteen races. The race was won by California Chrome, giving him a chance to win the Triple Crown at Belmont. It is the thirty-fourth time a horse has won the first two legs of the Triple Crown. The Maryland Jockey Club reported a track record total attendance of 123,469, the second highest attendance for American thoroughbred racing events in North America during 2014.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Sherman</span> American horse trainer and former jockey (born 1937)

    Art Sherman is a former American horse trainer and jockey. At the age of 77 he became the oldest trainer to win the Kentucky Derby. He began his career as a stable hand for Rex Ellsworth and Mesh Tenney. While working in Ellsworth's barn, he was the exercise rider for the 1955 Kentucky Derby winner Swaps and 1956 Kentucky Derby entrant Terrang.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Belmont Stakes</span> 146th running of the Belmont Stakes

    The 2014 Belmont Stakes was the 146th running of the Belmont Stakes. It was run on June 7, 2014, and was televised on NBC. California Chrome had a chance to complete the third leg of the Triple Crown after his victories in the 2014 Kentucky Derby and the 2014 Preakness Stakes. However, it was Tonalist who won the race. Commissioner placed second and Medal Count took third. California Chrome finished in a tie for fourth with Wicked Strong.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">American Pharoah</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

    American Pharoah is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first horse to win the modern Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing. He won the 2015 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year and 2015 Champion three-year-old. In 2021 he was inducted into the American Racing Hall of Fame. He was bred and owned throughout his racing career by Ahmed Zayat of Zayat Stables, trained by Bob Baffert, and ridden in most of his races by Victor Espinoza.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Kentucky Derby</span> 141st running of Kentucky Derby

    The 2015 Kentucky Derby was the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby. The race was run at 6:44 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 2, 2015, at Churchill Downs. It was broadcast in the United States on the NBC television network. Kentucky native Ashley Judd voiced the opening for the telecast of the race, and was the first woman to do so.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Dortmund (horse)</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

    Dortmund was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2014, he was undefeated in three races and established himself as one of the best juveniles in California with a win in the Los Alamitos Futurity. In the early part of 2015, he moved into contention for the American Triple Crown races with wins in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, San Felipe Stakes, and Santa Anita Derby. In his return to racing in the fall of 2015, Dortmund took the Big Bear Stakes and Native Diver Handicap- his final career victories. He died in South Korea on April 18, 2022, at the age of ten, due to colic.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Preakness Stakes</span> 140th running of the Preakness Stakes

    The 2015 Preakness Stakes,, was the 140th running of the Preakness Stakes, promoted as the "middle jewel" of thoroughbred horse racing's traditional Triple Crown, held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes. The race was held at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 16, 2015, and was televised on NBC.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Belmont Stakes</span> 147th running of the Belmont Stakes

    The 2015 Belmont Stakes was the 147th in the Belmont Stakes series. The 1+1⁄2-mile (2,400 m) race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in thoroughbred horse racing's traditional Triple Crown series, was held on June 6, 2015, three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The Belmont Stakes was the 11th race of a 13 race card which included 10 stakes races. Post time for race 11 was 6:52 pm EDT.

    The 2002 Belmont Stakes was the 134th running of the Belmont Stakes. The 1+1⁄2-mile (2,400 m) race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown series, was held on June 8, 2002, three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after the Kentucky Derby.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Breeders' Cup Classic</span> Horse race

    The 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic was the 33rd running of the Breeders' Cup Classic, part of the 2016 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships program. It was run on November 5, 2016 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California with a purse of $6,000,000.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing</span> The four major races thoroughbred races

    The Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing is an informal name for winning four major Thoroughbred horse races in one season in the United States. The term has been applied to two configurations of races, both of which include the races of the Triple Crown—the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes—and either the Travers Stakes or the Breeders' Cup Classic as the final race.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Belmont Stakes</span> 150th running of the Belmont Stakes

    The 2018 Belmont Stakes was the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes and the 107th time the event took place at Belmont Park. The 1+1⁄2-mile (2,400 m) race, known as the "test of the champion", is the final leg in the American Triple Crown. It is a Grade I stakes race with a purse of $1.5 million, open to three-year-old Thoroughbreds. The race took place on June 9, 2018, and was broadcast on NBC starting at 4 p.m. EDT. Justify won the race with a time of 2:28.18, becoming the thirteenth American Triple Crown winner.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Justify (horse)</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse, 2018 Triple Crown winner

    Justify is a US Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse who is known for being the thirteenth winner of the American Triple Crown. He also was the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win the Kentucky Derby without racing as a two-year-old.

    References

    1. 1 2 "Victor Espinoza will look for Triple Crown for a third time". NBC Sports. May 16, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
    2. ↑ "American Pharoah completes the Triple Crown, wins Belmont Stakes" . Retrieved June 6, 2015.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Layden, Tim (May 15, 2014). "Victor and Jose Espinoza share a career but lead two different lives". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved June 2, 2014.
    4. 1 2 3 Arrington, Debbie (May 30, 2014). "The players behind California Chrome bring passion". The Sacramento Bee . Retrieved June 2, 2014.
    5. 1 2 3 Crawford, Eric (May 17, 2014). "Preakness: From humble beginnings to riding Chrome". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Retrieved June 2, 2014.
    6. 1 2 Drape, Joe (May 17, 2014). "California Chrome Wins Preakness for Second Jewel". The New York Times . Retrieved June 2, 2014.
    7. 1 2 Tompkins, Courtney (June 15, 2015). "Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza on his life-changing ride". The Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
    8. 1 2 Harris, Beth (June 2, 2015). "Belmont Stakes 2015: Victor Espinoza confident American Pharoah can win elusive Triple Crown". Herald-Sun/Associated Press. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
    9. ↑ "Espinoza: 'Look Forward, Never Look Back'". paulickreport.com. April 16, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
    10. ↑ "Victor Espinoza notches 3,000th win". PR Newswire . June 1, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
    11. ↑ "Hootenanny stretches clear in the Windsor Castle Stakes". the-racehorse.com. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
    12. 1 2 3 Jerardi, Dick (June 6, 2014). "Espinoza has California Chrome on winning track". philly.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
    13. ↑ "Santa Anita Park- January 25, 2014 – Race 10" (PDF). Equibase. January 25, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
    14. ↑ "Santa Anita Park- March 8, 2014 – Race 5" (PDF). Equibase. March 8, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
    15. ↑ "Trainers". Santa Anita Park. Archived from the original on April 3, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
    16. ↑ Janack, Phil (2014). "California Chrome Looks to Shine Again in Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes". New York Racing Association . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
    17. ↑ Hoppert, Melissa (June 7, 2014). "Tonalist Wins Belmont Stakes, Denying the Triple Crown for California Chrome". The New York Times. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
    18. 1 2 "American Pharoah". Equibase. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
    19. ↑ "FrontRunner Stakes result". Racing Post. September 27, 2014.
    20. ↑ Claire Novak (October 28, 2014). "American Pharoah Out of BC Juvenile". BloodHorse.com.
    21. ↑ "Churchill Downs - Race 11 -May 2, 2015". Equibase. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
    22. ↑ Evan Hammonds (May 3, 2015). "Favored American Pharoah Wins Kentucky Derby". BloodHorse.com.
    23. ↑ "Espinoza's whip use on American Pharoah under scrutiny". Daily Racing Form.
    24. ↑ "Great debate: Did Victor Espinoza whip American Pharoah too many times?". May 14, 2015.
    25. ↑ "Pimlico Race 13 May 16, 2015" (PDF). Equibase. May 16, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
    26. ↑ Almasy, Steve (June 6, 2015). "American Pharoah becomes first Triple Crown winner in 37 years". CNN. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
    27. ↑ Weseman, Lisa (August 25, 2015). "Victor Espinoza Joins the Cast of Dancing with the Stars Season 21". ABC. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
    28. ↑ "Dancing with the Stars Season 21 Cast Announcement". ABC. September 2, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
    29. ↑ "Legendary jockey fractures vertebra after horse dies mid-run". July 22, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
    30. ↑ "Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza, his body broken by one fateful fall, is holding on for dear life". Los Angeles Times . August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
    31. ↑ "Victor Espinoza Back in the Saddle at Santa Anita". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
    32. 1 2 Dwyre, Bill (May 12, 2014). "Victor Espinoza has a cause beyond riding California Chrome to victory". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 2, 2014.
    33. ↑ Harmonson, Tom (May 13, 2014). "Jockey Generous". Los Angeles Register . Retrieved June 2, 2014.
    34. ↑ "2015 Belmont Stakes Press Conference" (video). The Blood Horse. June 6, 2015. Event occurs at 8:50. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
    35. ↑ Myrick, Steve (June 6, 2015). "Bafferts, Espinoza donate Belmont winnings". The Courier-Journal . Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.