Apprentice Riders Invade Monmouth

In racing parlance, Alice Cartwright and Ramon Moya are “10-pound bugs,” which is not as bad as it sounds.

The two young riders are both still carrying the 10-pound apprentice allowance, meaning they have yet to record win No. 5. But they’re both close, with four wins each, and both have several mounts over the long holiday weekend here.

The fifth career win for an apprentice marks the real start of their apprenticeship. After the fifth, they will enjoy a 7-pound allowance until they win an additional 35 races, when the allowance drops to 5 pounds. They continue to claim the apprentice allowance for one year from the date of that fifth winner.

Cartwright, a 23-year-old native of Shrewsbury, England, rode her first winner on Oct. 19, 2009 at the Meadowlands for trainer Pat McBurney.

Cartwright, who tacks 109 pounds, grew up in England’s steeplechasing country, not far from Cheltenham, and galloped jumpers for trainer Henry Daly until she came to the U.S. in 2007, going to work for trainer Barclay Tagg at his Fair Hill, Md., barn.

“I never sat on a flat horse until I came over here,” she said.

Cartwright is represented by agent Joe DeAngelo.

Ramon Moya, whose father, also Ramon, is assistant trainer to Bruce Levine, rode his first race last April, and won his first race on Aug. 13.

Moya, who will turn 22 next week, was born in Newark, N.J., and did not get involved with galloping horses until three years ago.

“I never gave it a try even though my father said I had potential,” he said. “But when I finally did, three years ago, I realized that’s what I wanted to do.”

Kevin Lyons has Moya’s book.