Perhaps Mel Stute put it best in describing Victor Espinoza: “I’ve never seen
the kid with a frown on his face.”
At 42, Espinoza is no kid, but Stute is 86, so it’s all relative. Anyway it’s
stated, it’s an astute observation from the retired trainer about the jockey who
is now less than two weeks away from possibly winning racing’s ever-elusive
Triple Crown.
As the clock ticks onward toward the final jewel, the Belmont Stakes on June
7, Espinoza moves in unison with no undue acceleration in his schedule, taking
tasks one by one, step by step, in the face of a media blitz that might unravel
the spirit of a lesser man.
“Espinoza’s got the right temperament,” said a veteran race tracker,
referring to the rider’s placid persona in meeting the demands of
round-the-clock requests, when his main focus should be on a solitary goal:
winning the Belmont Stakes with California Chrome and becoming the first Triple
Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
But Espinoza knows it’s too early to obsess. Sure, this is big stuff, but
Espinoza is keeping it in perspective, handling it with appeasing aplomb. Twelve
days from the most important race in a career of just over two decades, Espinoza
was fending off writer’s cramp between races in Santa Anita’s jockeys’ room,
autographing pictures he would take to hospitalized kids.
He’ll get ready for his own close-up Wednesday night, June 4, when he appears
on “Late Night with David Letterman.” Earlier that day, post positions will be
drawn for the Belmont.
Nervous? Espinoza couldn’t be any calmer if he was watching a test pattern.
“I’m just having a lot of fun right now,” he said. “I’m doing my normal
routine, working horses, working out and doing what I usually do. My work comes
first, and when I have extra time, I do other things I have to do. I used to
watch cartoons between races. Now I sign autographs.
“I’m not giving much thought to the race right now. I can’t even think about
that yet. I don’t know how many horses are in the race, what post position I
have. I’ll probably worry about that later on. When I know more, then I’ll focus
on that.”
He admits that patience will play an important part in winning the marathon
Belmont.
“You have to be patient at any track, but especially at the Belmont distance
of a mile and a half,” Espinoza said. “I hope he can get the distance. I’m
keeping my fingers crossed, but all the horses are in the same boat. They’ve
never run a mile and a half, either. But the way Chrome ran in the Preakness, I
think he can do it.”
Perhaps the only one more serene than Espinoza is his unreachable charge,
California Chrome, who has filled out his chestnut form so well as he runs in
three races in a five-week span he looks like an equine version of Yasiul Puig.
Espinoza is impressed.
“I saw California Chrome posted on Twitter and he looked outstanding,” said
Espinoza, who will work the son of Lucky Pulpit four furlongs Saturday at
Belmont, his only major drill at that track before the race. “To me, he looks
better galloping at Belmont than he did at Churchill Downs and Pimlico.”
Espinoza plans to take his debut on “Letterman” in stride.
“I’ll probably be more nervous for that than the Belmont,” he said, laughing.
“I’ve never done a show like that. It will be interesting, but you know what?
I’ll just have fun and enjoy myself.”
Chrome’s fans, meanwhile, grow in number and enthusiasm.
“It’s so crazy how many people are following the horse now,” Espinoza said.
“I meet people who know nothing about horse racing, but they connect with this
horse.”
So there in Santa Anita’s jocks’ room sat Victor Espinoza, feverishly signing
pictures. If California Chrome runs as fast as his jockey was writing, the
Triple Crown is a cinch.
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