Jockey Beschizza inches toward first Fair Grounds riding title
Since making New Orleans his winter home last season, jockey Adam Beschizza has been anything but a stranger to the Fair Grounds winner’s circle. This year, the 26-year-old native of Great Britain is knocking on the door of his first riding title since moving to the United States in November 2017.
In his first full season riding in the U.S., Beschizza, fell just a win short of the meet championship, as he took down three of the first four races on the closing day March 31 card to tie. But Shaun Bridgmohan won the featured 11th race with the even-money favorite Wild About Star to take the crown.
“I’m hoping it’s this year,” Beschizza said. “I’ve been blessed with many opportunities, and it was all thanks to Joe (Sharp) last year getting me hitting the ground running as fast as I did. Things have only progressed and progressed. Hopefully they continue.
"It’ll be a dream come true, definitely high on my goal agenda to at least get one riding title and as soon as it happens as quick as it has in the time I’ve been over here would make it that much of a bigger feat.”
Last season Sharp, the trainer, and Beschizza won 29.1% of their races as a team, going 46-for-158. That percentage is down a touch at the current stand (22.7%, 34-for-150) but Beschizza’s business from other barns has picked up considerably.
In 2017-2018 at Fair Grounds, Beschizza was 19/193 for trainers not named Sharp (9.8%). This season, he’s 28/196 for 14.3%
On Jan. 27, Beschizza also rode the Houston Racing Festival at Sam Houston and James Graham stayed at Fair Grounds to score a five-bagger and built his lead to six wins. Since that time, Beschizza has won on 25 of 103 mounts, outscoring Graham, who’s won 15 of his last 112, by 10 to take a lead entering Saturday's action.
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“If you look at his entry box he’s still pretty live with what he’s got and we still have a few weeks left,” Beschizza said of Graham. “It’s anyone’s race still but it’s nice to be riding nice, live fast horses that are making me look good.”
Entering Saturday’s program, Beschizza is named the rider aboard Kid Creole (Race 2, 8-1), Snapper Bite (Race 2, 9-5, MTO), Vivid Verse (Race 4, Black Gold Stakes, 4-1), Desert Rendezvous (Race 6, 6-1), Bandit Swanson (Race 7, 6-1), In the Navy (Race 8, 6-1) and Youve Got a Friend (Race 9, 10-1).