Victor Espinoza (born May 23, 1972) is a Mexicanjockey in AmericanThoroughbred horse racing who won theTriple Crown in 2015 onAmerican Pharoah. He began riding in his native Mexico and went on to compete at racetracks in California. He has won theKentucky Derby three times, ridingWar Emblem in 2002,California Chrome in 2014, andAmerican Pharoah in 2015. He also won thePreakness 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 theTriple Crown;[1] his 2015 victory made him the oldest jockey and first Hispanic jockey to accomplish the feat.[2] He joinedRon Turcotte as the only jockeys to win five of the six jewels of the Triple Crown spread over two consecutive years.
Espinoza was born on a dairy farm inHidalgo, Mexico, the eleventh of twelve children.[3][4] He and his brotherJose L. Espinoza, his senior by three years, rode horses on the farm; when he was 15 he left home and traveled toCancún to assist his brother as aQuarter 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 atMexico 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 theBay Meadows andGolden Gate Fields racetracks.[4] At the Bay area tracks, he started out very poor and lived in atack 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 theBreeders' Cup Distaff aboardSpain.[3] He rode his firstKentucky Derby in 2001, placing third onCongaree,[8] and in 2002, he won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes atopWar 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 BetfairHollywood Park inInglewood, California.[10] After winning the2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes on California Chrome, in June 2014 Espinoza traveled to Britain to win theWindsor Castle Stakes at theRoyal Ascot meeting on theWesley A. Ward-trained colt Hootenanny.[11]
Espinoza became the first jockey in history to get three opportunities to win the Triple Crown[1] and earned back-to-back wins withCalifornia Chrome andAmerican 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 forCalifornia Chrome by veteran horse trainerArt 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] theSan Felipe Stakes on March 8,[14] and theSanta 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 byBob Baffert and owned byAhmed Zayat. Espinoza started with the colt's second race, theGrade IDel Mar Futurity on September 4.[18] The pair went on to win theFrontRunner Stakes.[19] The colt was scratched from theBreeders' Cup Juvenile,[20] but the pair reunited in 2015 with wins in theRebel Stakes andArkansas Derby.[18] American Pharoah and Espinoza then won the2015 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 the2015 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 untilMike Smith did it aboardJustify 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.
On August 25, 2015, it was announced that Espinoza would compete on the21st season ofDancing with the Stars.[27] He was paired with professional dancerKarina Smirnoff.[28] The couple was eliminated on Week 2 of competition and finished in 12th place.
On July 22, 2018, Espinoza was injured when riding Bobby Abu Dhabi at theDel 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]
Espinoza is single and has no children.[32] He donates ten percent of his winnings to theCity 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.
| Chart (2000–present) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2000 | 5 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2001 | 11 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2002 | 6 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2003 | 14 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2004 | 3 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2005 | 9 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2006 | 3 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2007 | 12 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2008 | 27 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2009 | 20 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2010 | 27 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2011 | 19 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2012 | 49 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2013 | 24 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2014 | 8 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2015 | 6 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2016 | 34 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2017 | 44 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2018 | 128 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2019 | 84 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2020 | 59 |
