Oaklawn: Francisco Arrieta sets his sights on 3rd riding title

Jockey Francisco Arrieta wore out his right arm during the final month and a half of the 62-day Oaklawn meeting in 2024-25, parlaying a scorching stretch of success into his second local riding title.

Arrieta raises his right arm and points his right index finger to the sky following each victory. He did that often over the final 23 days of racing last season at Oaklawn, riding 41 winners to finish with a meet-high 65. Two-time defending champion Cristian Torres was second with 62 victories.

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Arrieta had 12 multi-win days during the stretch, highlighted by five victories March 14 to equal a career high. Arrieta entered March 14, the 40th day of the meet, with only 24 victories. Arrieta then won 25% of his final 167 mounts after splitting with his longtime agent Jay Fedor and hiring Cody Autrey, who also represents Torres.

“Some days you’re up, some days you’re down,” Arrieta said. “Thank God we were able to keep it going.”

Arrieta capped the 2024-25 Oaklawn meeting with a closing-day triple May 3 to break a 62-62 tie with Torres, who was riding at Churchill Downs. Arrieta clinched the outright title with a victory aboard Where’s Randy in the second race. Arrieta also won the fourth race aboard Darrow and the 12th and final race, the 1 3/4-mile Trail’s End marathon aboard Nepal Up.

The only closing-day downer, Arrieta said, was a runner-up finish aboard 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan in the 11th race, the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles. Mystik Dan, in a stirring stretch duel, was beaten a nose by millionaire Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown to deny Arrieta a 10th stakes victory at the meeting. Arrieta picked up the mount because Brian Hernandez Jr., Mystik Dan’s regular rider, had commitments that day at Churchill Downs.

“I was a little sad when I ran second with the Derby winner,” Arrieta said. “I wasn’t too happy that day. Thank God I got an opportunity to ride him back and win with him.”

Arrieta was referring to the $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2) on Sept. 27 at Churchill Downs. Subbing for an injured Hernandez, Arrieta guided Mystik Dan to a three-quarter length victory over Disarm. The Lukas Classic marked the most lucrative career North American victory to date for Arrieta, a native of Venezuela who began riding in the U.S. in 2012.

“That was amazing,” Arrieta said of regaining the mount. “I wasn’t expecting that at all. But I got the opportunity and we won the Lukas Classic.”

Arrieta returns to Oaklawn after winning seven races at the recently concluded Churchill Downs fall meet. Arrieta is now represented by newcomer Kevin Meyocks, who also books mounts at Gulfstream Park for his brother-in-law, Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, and Emisael Jaramillo. Meyocks began working for Arrieta in late August.

“We’re trying to ride a little bit for everybody,” Meyocks said. “All doors are open, and we’re just trying to find the right horses.”

Arrieta has 309 career Oaklawn victories, all since 2021. Fedor cold-called the jockey and convinced him to move his tack from Fair Grounds to Oaklawn shortly before the 2021 meeting began. Arrieta won 50 races at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting and 62 in 2021-22 to share the title with David Cabrera.

Arrieta’s drive for a third Oaklawn riding championship begins Friday, opening day of the 64-day split season.

“We’re working hard, trying to see everybody, letting them know we’re here,” Arrieta said. “We’re ready to have success.”