A Real Race Rider

"Nights, Harry would sit with Cordero in the trophy room, watching films of races, talking riding, talking horses, talking horse people, talking Anglos. Harry would listen as the old jock instructed him, encouraged him, corrected him, bringing him along, shaping a future for him. After a while, Cordero even got [his son] Tommy to take the boy's book—to be his agent. Someday, Cordero thought, Harry could be a real race rider. Harry was already a rider, but someday he could be a race rider, like Cordero, the best of that breed."

In spite of Angel Cordero Jr.’s tutoring, 43-year-old Harry Vega never quite reached that highest echelon, although he’s been among the leaders at mid-level tracks like Philadelphia and Delaware, and currently at Presque Isle where, in 34 mounts over the past three weeks, he’s won nine races, with seven seconds and nine thirds. He’s also closing in on 4,000 career victories.