Jockey Castanon hopes to be 3,000 and done in the saddle
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
Jesus Castanon jumped into the deep end of the pool back in 1989, when he moved his tack from Agua Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico, to Hollywood Park as a 16-year-old apprentice jockey.
Castanon rode 102 winners that year, stamping himself as an up-and-coming star at Hollywood, Santa Anita and Del Mar. More important than the victories, though, was the knowledge he acquired from the legends who were part of what then was the world’s most competitive jockey colony.
“Laffit Pincay Jr, and Pat Day were there, Alex Solis. I got to learn from them and ask a lot of questions,” said Castanon. “Corey Nakatani was there, too.
"To start at a place like that and win a lot of races helped me build a solid foundation for my career. From there, I knew I could go basically anywhere I wanted.”
More than three decades later, Castanon has reached the stage where he’s happy to still be competing and sharing his insights with younger riders who seek his wisdom. He wants to win as much as ever, but the two-time Tampa Bay Downs riding champion (2003-2004 and 2004-2005) has put the mental grind of his profession behind him.
“As long as I’m healthy and able to ride, I’m going to keep going,” said Castanon, selected as the SenÞor Tequila Mexican Grill Jockey of the Month after winning 15 races from 54 mounts over a four-week stretch. “I don’t know if I’m riding better than ever, but I feel good. I feel strong.
“I’ve still got (3,000 career victories) in my head, and if I hit that, I’m done. But if I retire before then, I want to be happy with what I’ve accomplished.”
Castanon, who has 2,561 wins to his name, has achieved more than most jockeys dream of. He won the 2011 Preakness aboard Shackleford six months after his father, former trainer Jesus Castanon Sr., died of kidney disease. The rider’s emotional post-race tribute to his father remains a shining moment in racing lore.
He also won the 2012 Clark Handicap (G1) on Shackleford and has ridden such other graded-stakes winners as Burning Roma, Demarcation, Paddy O’Prado, Tizdejavu, Yara and Carve.
Castanon is sixth in the Tampa Bay Downs standings with 30 victories. Yet aside from occasional comments about his expertise on the turf, the soft-spoken Mexico City product – who will celebrate his 47th birthday on Wednesday – is sometimes forgotten when commentators and fans discuss the track’s top jockeys.
That doesn’t seem to matter to Castanon, whose three brothers are also involved in horse racing. His two older brothers, Antonio and Jose, were jockeys; Antonio now gallops horses for WinStar Farm in Kentucky and Jose trains horses at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The youngest brother, Alex, is a valet at Fair Grounds.
“I take everything as it comes,” said Castanon, whose satisfaction comes from giving his best effort for each horse’s connections and backers. “I don’t get too excited. When things get slow, I take it day by day, knowing it’s going to be changing.
“I’m very thankful and blessed to be able to do what I enjoy,” said Castanon, who is married to former jockey Rolanda Simpson and has four children – three sons and a daughter, plus one granddaughter. “If it wasn’t for all the help I get from everybody – the trainers, my agent, Steve Worsley, and the valets in the jockeys room – I don’t think I would be here.”
Read More
This is the 17th and final installment of a weekly feature exclusive to Horse Racing Nation tracking the...
Forever Young earned a sparkling 140 Horse Racing Nation speed figure for his victory in Saturday's Breeders' Cup...
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, held Monday at the Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Ky., posted sales of more than...
Owen Almighty , the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby winner who most recently placed third in the Perryville...
A decade after Michelle Payne became the first woman win Australia's most famous race, Jamie Melham has etched herself...