Victor Espinoza was born on May 23,1972 and is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing who won the Triple Crown in 2015 on American Pharoah.
19 Facts About Victor Espinoza
2.
Victor Espinoza began riding in his native Mexico and went on to compete at racetracks in California.
3.
Victor Espinoza has won the Kentucky Derby three times, riding War Emblem in 2002, California Chrome in 2014, and American Pharoah in 2015.
4.
Victor Espinoza won the Preakness Stakes three times, in those same years and with the same horses.
5.
Victor Espinoza was the first jockey in history to enter the Belmont Stakes with a third opportunity to win the Triple Crown; his 2015 victory made him the oldest jockey and first Hispanic jockey to accomplish the feat.
6.
Victor Espinoza paid for jockey school by driving a bus in Mexico City at age 17.
7.
Victor Espinoza did not speak English when he came to the United States in 1990.
8.
Victor Espinoza moved to Northern California in 1992, where by 1994 he was the leading apprentice rider at the Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Fields racetracks.
9.
Victor Espinoza rode his first Kentucky Derby in 2001, placing third on Congaree, and in 2002, he won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes atop War Emblem.
10.
Victor Espinoza became the first jockey in history to get three opportunities to win the Triple Crown and earned back-to-back wins with California Chrome and American Pharoah in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, only the sixth jockey in history to do so.
11.
In December 2013 Victor Espinoza was selected as the jockey for California Chrome by veteran horse trainer Art Sherman, who had used him as a jockey during Victor Espinoza's years in Northern California.
12.
On May 3,2014, Espinoza lengthened the winning streak as he rode California Chrome to victory in the Kentucky Derby, marking the jockey's second Kentucky Derby win.
13.
American Pharoah and Victor Espinoza then won the 2015 Kentucky Derby.
14.
Kentucky racing stewards reviewed Victor Espinoza's ride and ruled that his whip use did not violate state regulations.
15.
On July 22,2018, Victor Espinoza was injured when riding Bobby Abu Dhabi at the Del Mar racetrack.
16.
Victor Espinoza suffered a fractured vertebra but was initially expected to make a full recovery.
17.
On January 5,2019, Victor Espinoza returned to riding at the Santa Anita Park.
18.
Victor Espinoza donates ten percent of his winnings to the City of Hope to support pediatric cancer research.
19.
Victor Espinoza has a nephew, Assael Victor Espinoza, who is following in his uncle's footsteps and is an apprentice jockey who is riding at Santa Anita Park, in Arcadia, California.