Fair Grounds’ top apprentice Díaz says riding ‘runs in the blood’

René Díaz’s dad wanted him to become a lawyer or doctor, but the apprentice jockey knew the racetrack is where he belongs.

“It runs in the blood,” Díaz said of his chosen career path.

Díaz, 22, began riding just last year, but he’s always been around the racetrack. Now he is the leading apprentice at Fair Grounds with 15 wins, and he ranks 14th among all riders in that category. Among all apprentice jockeys across North America, Díaz ranks third this year with nine wins.

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Born in Venezuela, Díaz moved to Miami at age 2. His father had ridden in South America before emigrating to the United States for a job at what was then Calder Race Course.

As a child, Díaz ran around the South Florida tracks where he met his current agent, José Santos Jr., himself the son of Racing Hall of Fame rider José Santos Sr. Even though his father pushed for college, Díaz still credits his dad as the inspiration for his passion.

Another mentor to Díaz both on and off the track is Romero Maragh. The two jockeys grew up playing soccer together, and it was Maragh who pushed Díaz to go from working around the track to riding in races.

Díaz’s jockey career began last April 3, when he rode in a pair of races at Gulfstream Park, finishing third and seventh with his first two mounts. Fifteen more losses would follow until he won aboard Jessica on April 29.

“It was amazing,” Díaz said of his first win.

Díaz raced at Gulfstream through October, going 3-for-56 before hooking up with Santos and moving his tack to Fair Grounds for its 2021-22 season.

“Wherever José tells me to go, I’ll go,” Díaz said of the trust in his lifelong friend and agent.

Díaz has taken to Fair Grounds, winning 15 of 128 (11.7 percent) through Feb. 21, including 5 of 15 for trainer Tom Amoss. Díaz said that when he arrived in November before the meet began, he worked the barn area and established a relationship with Amoss.

“One day he gave me my chance with a horse named Celestial Finish,” Díaz said of the first horse he piloted for Amoss being a winner at 5-1 off a more than two-month layoff.

Díaz said he is “blessed” to have that kind of relationship with Amoss, and as the victories mount for the potent barn – they teamed to win with Long Weekend on Presidents’ Day – agent Santos already is thinking about the spring and summer.

“The plan is to go to Kentucky this summer, ride at Churchill and (Horseshoe near Indianapolis),” Santos said. “I just plan on learning and being the best jockey I possibly can. The main goal is to try to win the Eclipse Award for apprentice of the year.”