NEWS
Jockey Bejarano scores 2,000th career victory
Posted: Thursday, July 09, 2009 8:26 PM
RAFAEL BEJARANO
NTRA photo
Rafael Bejarano earned his 2,000th career victory on Thursday when Good Time Sally won the fifth race, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race for fillies and mares three years old and older, at Hollywood Park.
A native of Peru and the only member of his family involved in racing, Bejarano became attracted to the sport while attending races in Peru where he “fell in love” and made becoming a jockey his goal.
To learn his craft, Bejarano groomed horses and used his earnings to attend that country’s riding school for a year and a half.
He began his professional career on December 8, 1999, and won the apprentice title at Hippodromo de Monterrico, riding in Peru until 2002 when trainer Dante Zanelli Sr. helped him move to the United States, where he launched his North American career at River Downs. His first win came aboard John Bobby on July 10, 2002.
Bejarano’s rise to the upper echelon of his chosen profession came in the ensuing three years as he won riding titles at Churchill Downs, Keeneland Race Course, Turfway Park, and Ellis Park.
In two days at Turfway in 2004, he rode a track record seven winners one day and five more the next day en route to a track record 150-win meeting.
That success has led to an increased demand for his talent across the country—a frequent traveler schedule that has led him to Gulfstream Park, Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park, and Southern California.
In just his second trip to Santa Anita Park on April 8, 2006, he won six races on a card.
Bejarano, 27, has swept the last six major meet titles in Southern California.
Bejarano has won two Breeders’ Cup races. He guided Intercontinental (GB) to victory in the 2005 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) and won the ‘07 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) aboard Ginger Punch.
Bejarano guided Heatseeker (Ire) to victory in last year’s Santa Anita Handicap (G1).
