NEWS
Prolific apprentice Talamo earns Eclipse Award
Posted: Monday, January 21, 2008 11:28 PM
JOE TALAMO
Shigeki Kikkawa photo
Joe Talamo knew he wanted to be a jockey since he was six or seven years old and in his first full year of competitive riding, the 18-year-old soared to the top as a standout competitor.
Looking up to Racing Hall of Fame riders Eddie Delahoussaye and Pat Day as a youngster and listening to advice from all types of people helped Talamo secure 249 wins, including eight graded stakes, and $10,705,403 in purse earnings for the season. His sucess yielded the Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey.
Talamo began riding in his native Louisiana. He became the first apprentice on record to win a Fair Grounds riding title at the 2006-’07 meeting with 119 wins. In April, he moved his tack to Southern California.
“It was pretty much where racing took me,” Talamo said. “I wanted to leave Louisiana and go somewhere, and California happened to be the place. I kind of always wanted to go there, and I heard it was great racing so I thought I’d try it out.”
The move paid off as Talamo secured his first Grade 1 score aboard Nashoba’s Key in the Vanity Invitational Handicap on July 7 at Hollywood Park. Later that day, he added his second Grade 1 victory with Bilo in the Triple Bend Invitational Handicap.
“Winning the two Grade 1 [races] in one day on seven-seven-seven, that was my luckiest day of the year,” Talamo said.
