Rosario-like, Cedillo a 'great addition' to Santa Anita jockey colony
Tom Knust knows a good thing when he sees it.
The veteran race tracker has served the game in several capacities, most recently as a jockey’s agent, currently representing Martin Garcia and Abel Cedillo.
Knust had his eye on Cedillo when he was winning races in bunches at Golden Gate Fields earlier this year, with the intention of bringing him to Del Mar and then Santa Anita.
The plan has come to fruition. A 30-year-old native of Guatemala, Cedillo finished third in the standings at Del Mar with 25 victories, behind Flavien Prat and Drayden Van Dyke, and looms a serious threat to capture the title at Santa Anita.
“I knew he could ride, I knew he had the ability, but you never know until they show it here,” Knust said. “Sometimes it takes them longer to get going, but he had the support of a lot of trainers down here, and (trainer) Jonathan Wong deserves credit for putting him on good horses in the Bay Area and giving him the chance to succeed and be where he’s at right now.
“Our relationship with Doug O’Neill has been great and helped tremendously. He’s been very supportive, as has Phil D’Amato, Peter Miller, Richard Baltas, Mark Glatt and others.
“I think Abel is a very strong rider. He reminds me a lot of Joel Rosario, and trainers have told me the same thing, so that’s high praise. Abel will ride eight a day if he can and he’ll work 10 horses in the mornings, then fly somewhere and ride a stake the next day.
“He’s very motivated and committed to Southern California. You need to have the horses and the opportunities to win a riding title, along with a little luck, but Abel has the talent and work ethic to be a leading rider.”
Added O’Neill, fresh from winning the Del Mar title with 24 wins: “We watched him on TV for months up north putting up great ride after great ride. He showed right away at Del Mar that he fits in Southern California. He’s got a tremendous work ethic and to me he rides very much like Joel Rosario.
“He’s so good at putting horses in position to win and he’s one of the strongest finishers I’ve seen in a long time. He’s a great addition to this colony.”