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Donna has interviewed a few jockeys over the years through her work in broadcasting, and when she conducts an interview, she makes sure she’s prepared.  She offers her notes here as a free resource to the media, fans and more, as well as a link to each of these jockeys’ Equibase stats to help you with your research. For Donna’s personal opinions on the latest hot topics in horse racing, subscribe to her blog. 

Further resources from Donna include:

Robby Albarado

He began riding at the age of 10 and progressed to riding at bush tracks in his native Louisiana… 

Junior Alvarado

Won his first race in the U.S. in February 2007. 2016 was his Kentucky Derby debut… 

Norberto Arroyo, Jr.

Started his career riding in New York in 1999. Went through some tumultuous years… 

Mickael Barzalona

Born in Lyon, France, Mickael hails from a racing background. His grandfather was a trainer…

Tyler Baze

Comes from a riding family. Father Earl and mother, Cammie Hunt (maiden name), were… 

Rafael Bejarano

Only member of his family to be involved with horse racing. Attended races with his…

Adam Beschizza

Pronounced “Biscuit-za”. 25 years old in March 2018. Father, Paul Beschizza, is an exercise…

Brice Blanc

Attended Jockey School in France and moved to the U.S. in 1993… 

Pierre-Charles Boudot

Use both first names, as in “Pierre-Charles”. Boudot, son of the late trainer Marc Boudot…

Calvin Borel

Has been riding horses from his earliest memory. At 8 years old started riding match races…

Joe Bravo

Bravo’s grandfather Bartolo and father George were also jockeys. At age 13, Bravo was riding…

Shaun Bridgmohan

 Eclipse Award winning apprentice rider of 1998. Won his 3,000 career race on…

Samy Camacho

Began riding in 2012 in Venezuela but shifted his tack to the United States and rode…

Kendrick Carmouche

Father, Sylvester Carmouche, was a jockey and Kendrick’s Mother was his agent…

Declan Carroll

Carroll began riding professionally in 2018. He is the son of trainer…

Javier Castellano

Born and raised in Venezuela, Javier’s father, Abel Castellano (deceased), was a jockey… 

Abel Cedillo

Grew up in Guatemala, very poor. The oldest of 6—has 3 brothers and 2 sisters…

David Cohen

Started his career in 2004 but in February 2014 he was kicked in his lower right leg by his…

Luis Contreras

Rides at Woodbine but went to Japan in the winter (2015—’16) but was suspended for a…

Gerardo Corrales

The son of a trainer in his home country of Panama, Corrales is a graduate of the Laffit Pincay…

Angel Cruz

Began riding in 2014 and was an Eclipse Award finalist for leading U.S. apprentice that…

Dylan Davis

Dylan Davis is the son of the now retired but once top jockey on the New York circuit…

Fernando De La Cruz

First came to the USA from Peru in 2007 and went directly to Indiana. He’s been in the…

Kent Desormeaux

Precocious—began riding in 1986 at age 16 and in 1987 won the Eclipse Award for…

“Frankie” Lanfranco Dettori

He is the son of Gianfranco Dettori, 13 times champion jockey in Italy; mother was a…

Hollie Doyle

Doyle comes from a racing background. Her father Mark Doyle, from Clonmel, Ireland is a…

Sophie Doyle

Grew up in England in the small village of Eastbury about two miles from Lambourn which…

Tom Eaves

From Shevington, UK Breeders’ Cup debut in 2020…

Stewart Elliott

Father was a jockey. Won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2004 on Smarty…

Asa Espinoza

20 years old on 2/23/2020 when he won his career first race. He’s the nephew of HOF jockey…

Victor Espinoza

Born on a dairy farm in Hidalgo, Mexico, the 11th of 12 children. He grew up riding horses and…

Emmanuel Esquivel

Pronounced ess-KIH-vul. At age 8 Esquivel came to Chicago with his parents to live with his uncle…

Shane Foley

Started riding in 2007 in his native Ireland. Finished 2020 finishing 2nd in an epic battle…

Geovanni Franco

Franco made his way to Santa Anita by way of Turf Paradise but started out in his native…

Manuel Franco

He grew up in Puerto Rico and was passionate about baseball and dreamed only of…

Kyle Frey

Pronounced: Fray. Eclipse award winning Champion apprentice of 2011. Frey’s grandfather, Paul…

Ruben Fuentes

Fuentes was born in Mexico but moved to El Paso, TX when he was just a few months…

Tyler Gaffalione

Eclipse Award winning apprentice rider in 2015. Father and grandfather were…

Martin Garcia

Grew up in a very poor area of Mexico and was abandoned by his 14 year old…

Florent Geroux

Father, Dominique Geroux, was a jockey and trainer. Dominique passed away December…

Jack Gilligan

25 yrs. old in fall, 2020. Grew up in England, son of a trainer. Visited the U.S. in 2012…

Santiago Gonzalez

Born in the city of Maracaibo, the second largest in Venezuela, Gonzalez began riding…

James Graham

Came to the U.S. in 2003. Has been leading rider at Ellis Park (2019), Arlington Park…

Mario Gutierrez

Mario grew up on a farm in the small town of El Higo in the state of Veracruz in the south…

Jason Hart

Grandfather was steeplechase jockey Derek Campbell. Began riding professionally in 2013…

Seamus “Seamie” Heffernen

Began riding in Ireland in 1994. Has been riding for Aiden O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable…

Brian Hernandez Jr.

Currently resides in Louisville, KY for most of the year. Rides at the Fairgrounds in Louisiana…

Carlos Hernandez

While he did attend Puerto Rico’s jockey school, the same school that produced…

Colby Hernandez

Younger brother of Brian Hernandez, Jr. Began riding professionally in 2006 and in 2018…

Harry Hernandez

Went to jockey school in Puerto Rico: Escuela Vocacional Hipica, graduating in the same class as…

Juan Hernandez

From Mexico, began riding professionally there at age 16 in 2008. Won more than…

Rafael Hernandez

The Puerto Rico native first learned about racing as a 16-year-old back when he was…

Emisael Jaramillo

39 years old from Venezuela where he is their all-time leading rider and won Venezuela’s…

Nik Juarez

26 (in 2020), father, Calixto, and grandfather (mother’s side) were both jockeys. Nik is…

Colin Keane

Rode his first winner in 2010. Was Irish champion jockey in 2017 and 2020, and was runner-up…

Chris Landeros

Father, Manuel Landeros, is a horse trainer. Left school early—got his GED—to begin riding…

Corey Lanerie

Racing is in Lanerie’s blood: His grandfather was a trainer who also had some horses, and his…

Clement Lecoeuvre

Stable rider for Darius Racing. Made his Breeders’ Cup debut for Darius Racing on Donjah…

Christophe Lemaire

From France and rode there successfully. From 2003 to 2012 he rode 24 G1 winners…

Julien Leparoux

The son of former jockey-turned-trainer Robert Leparoux, he grew up around…

Abel Lezcano

Born: May 6, 1990. From: Darie, Panama….

Jose Lezcano

Born: April 20, 1985. From: Chiriqui, Panama…

Paco Lopez

Began riding in the United States in 2007. Has won at least 160 races a year every year from…

Edwin Maldonado

Began riding in 2005. Riding in Southern CA since 2010. Missed the last few months of 2016…

Rajiv Maragh

Originally from Jamaica, his family moved to Florida when Rajiv was 13. His father, Collin…

Romero Maragh

Maragh comes from a racing family. Cousins Tony and Rajiv are jockeys and…

Trevor McCarthy

Father, Mike McCarthy was a jockey (also in MD). Mike never had an opportunity to ride in a…

CJ McMahon

25 years old (in 2020). Grew up in rural Louisiana, galloping horses by the time he was 8…

Miguel Mena

Knew by age 6-7 that he wanted to be a jockey. By the time Miguel was 11, he…

Ryan Moore

His father Gary is a former jump jockey and a trainer and his brothers, Jamie and Josh, are…

Oisin Murphy

First name pronounced “oh—sheen”. Won the 2020 British Jockey’s Championship in the…

Mitchell Murrill

Began riding in 2014 at age 20 (well, actually 2013 but only rode 6 horses at the end of the…

Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Grandfather, uncle and brother were and/or are all jockeys. Attended Escuela Vocacional…

Jose Ortiz

Grandfather, uncle and brother were and/or are all jockeys. Attended Escuela Vocacional…

Luca Panici

A native of Italy, Panici began riding in his home country and won his first race at age 16…

Martin Pedroza

Been riding professionally since 1982. Career has been beset by several injuries. He has never…

Julian Pimentel

Was the regular rider for the legendary Ben’s Cat…

Edgar Prado

Originally from Peru but his big break came in 1997 when he won 536 races, making him the…

Flavien Prat

Prat, whose first victory at racing’s highest level came in his native France aboard…

Alonso Quinonez

Born: November 13, 1983. From: Sinaloa, Mexico. Older brother, Luis Quinonez, is also…

Luis Reyes

Grew up in Puerto Rico and rode there briefly before shifting his tack to New York in Jan. 2017…

Umberto Rispoli

Originally from Italy, where he started riding professionally in 2005 and won Championships…

Joe Rocco Jr.

The son of a jockey and grandson of a horse trainer, Joe Rocco, Jr. was destined for a career…

Evin Roman

Pronounced Ro-MON. Puerto Rico native Evin Roman rode in his first race in January…

Joel Rosario

Grew up on a farm near Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, that had horses and donkeys…

Rossa Ryan

Grew up in Galway before relocating to England in 2017. Rode in Australia in the winter…

Luis Saez

Grew up in Panama listening to horse race calls on the radio. Younger brother Juan Saez…

Sebastian Saez

Older brother, Luis Saez, riding in New York. His other older brother, Juan Saez (between…

Ricardo Santana, Jr.

Santana’s father, was one of the top jockeys in Panama. Paralyzed from the waist down in…

Rowan Scott

Grew up playing Rugby but opted to become a jockey because of his size. Rode in the 2020…

Mike Smith

Mike’s father was a jockey and Mike grew up wanting to be one too. It was when Mike was 7…

Christophe Soumillon

Moved to France at age 14 and lived the rest of his childhood there. Mother is Belgian…

Gary Stevens

Father was a horse trainer and had Gary grooming horses at age 8. Mother was a rodeo…

Joe Talamo

Began going to the Fair Grounds at age seven with his father, Joseph Jr., who worked as an…

Daniel “Danny” Tudhope

Tudhope grew up in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland. He had no family connection with racing…

Jose Valdivia, Jr.

From Peru but moved to the United States when he was 14-15 years old. Jose’s father…

Drayden Van Dyke

Lived his early years in Hot Springs, Ark., near Oaklawn Park with his mother, Jennifer…

Jorge Vargas, Jr

A native of Puerto Rico, Vargas was raised around the racetrack, the son and grandson of…

Ramon Vazquez

35 years old (in 2020) and grew up in Puerto Rico where he went to Jockey School. His…

John R. Velazquez

Began his riding career when he entered jockey school in Puerto Rico in June 1988 and was…

Emma Jayne Wilson

Began riding in 2004. Canadian native, she was named champion apprentice rider in both…

Edgard Zayas

27 yrs. old November 2020. Grew up minutes away from the racetrack near his hometown…

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