by Laura Pepper

Former Quarter Horse rider Mike Mehak has made the transition to being a Thoroughbred jockey look easy.

In just four career starts, the 24-year-old apprentice has placed three times, including his first win on Sunday at Fort Erie Race Track.

Aboard Sneaky Dee in a 6 1/2-furlong claiming race, Mehak sat on the outside in second place for the majority of the race, then pulled ahead down the lane to win by a neck for trainer Steve Owens.

“It was more overwhelming and more exciting [than my first Quarter Horse win],” Mehak said. “Maybe it was all the people and that I had to work a lot harder with the thoroughbreds, and it was relieving for all the hard work to pay off.”

A native of Toronto, Mehak frequently rode at Picov Downs before making the transition to Thoroughbreds. He said that his initial experiences with Quarter Horses helped him be less nervous and more prepared aboard Thoroughbreds.

“Riding Thoroughbreds is what I set out to do originally, and then I ended up doing Quarter Horses,” Mehak said. “I was only going to do it for a year, then it turned into two years and then three years, and then I finally took the plunge and switched to Thoroughbred racing.”

Laura Pepper is a Thoroughbred Times editorial intern