Jockey Bios

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. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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