Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Santana’s patience, resolve just might pay off Tenfold
ELMONT, N.Y. – Ricardo Santana Jr. watched from the jockeys’ room at Churchill Downs as Creator outfinished Destin to win the 2016 Belmont Stakes by a nose.
“I was a little upset,” said Santana, who had ridden Creator in his four previous starts, including a victory in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and an eighth in the Kentucky Derby. “I was on that horse.”
Santana had been removed in favor of another 23-year-old jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., who was a regular at Belmont Park, which has a unique 1 1/2-mile oval.
Santana said at the time that he was told by Elliott Walden, the president and chief executive of WinStar Farm, a co-owner of Creator: “Don’t get upset. Keep working hard. Your time is coming.” Santana’s time has come. On Saturday, Santana, 25, will ride his first Belmont Stakes when he climbs aboard Tenfold, one of nine rivals trying to deny the undefeated Justify in his bid to become Thoroughbred racing’s 13th Triple Crown winner.
Santana will enter the Belmont riding a wave of momentum. Earlier this spring, he won his sixth Oaklawn riding title. He is the leading rider at the Churchill Downs meet in terms of wins. Just three weeks ago, he won five stakes over two days at Pimlico. At $5.9 million in earnings this year, Santana ranks eighth nationally in that category.
Backed by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Santana comes to New York this week with several live chances, including Bee Jersey in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap and Tenfold in the Belmont. On Friday, he was scheduled to ride Sir Truebador in the $150,000 Tremont Stakes for 2-year-olds for Asmussen, and Whitmore in the Grade 2, $250,000 True North Stakes for trainer Ron Moquett.
“I’m pretty excited for Belmont week,” Santana said. “I had an amazing week in Pimlico. That was one of my dreams, to be riding with all the top riders, and now I want to prove I can ride with them.”
Asmussen, who trained Creator, said that keeping Santana on Tenfold for the Belmont “is a sign of how much more confidence I have in him now, yes.
“He’s just ready for it,” Asmussen added. “I think, like certain horses, it’s not all about talent, it’s what they’re ready for, and he’s ready for it.”
Santana, a native of Panama, where his father was a jockey, came to the United States in 2009. He has ridden 1,068 winners in the U.S., including 406 for Asmussen since the start of 2013.
“He taught me a lot of good things,” Santana said. “He taught me how to ride horses. He’s been my teacher since I started riding for him. I learn a lot of things from Steve. I’m happy to be part of his team. Right now, he has a lot of confidence in me.”
Asmussen said one of the keys to his success with Santana is that they both know where the horses are in their conditioning. Asmussen said a lot of that is done in the morning, when Santana gets on horses frequently for Asmussen.
“Riding a very good race is not all of it,” Asmussen said. “Where is this horse at? How much does he have in him? What stage of development are we? You know, the big picture. He’s far more involved from beginning to end.”
Santana was involved with Tenfold from the start, riding him to victory at Oaklawn Park in his first two starts. Santana rode Combatant in the Arkansas Derby, finishing fourth, a neck in front of Tenfold, who finished fifth with Victor Espinoza aboard.
Santana was back aboard Tenfold for the Preakness, where the colt, despite a wide trip, came with a solid finish to be third, three-quarters of a length behind Justify.
“We had a good trip; the track was bad,” Santana said. “I was in a good spot. My horse made a really nice move turning for home. He got a little tired.”
Santana said Tenfold “has a pretty good shot” to win the Belmont.
“He’s the type of horse, he can run all day,” Santana said.
While most of his success has come for Asmussen, Santana did win the Grade 1 Apple Blossom in April on Unbridled Mo for trainer Todd Pletcher. Though Pletcher has given the mount on that filly back to John Velazquez for Saturday’s Ogden Phipps Stakes, he said Santana is evolving into a top-tier rider.
“He’s an aggressive rider,” Pletcher said. “He’s a strong finisher. He did his homework when he rode Unbridled Mo. He talked to Johnny and learned some things about her that I think were helpful in the race. Like any good, professional young jockey, he’s working hard, he’s riding hard, he’s learning from the top guys, more experienced guys. If he keeps it up, he’s got a chance to make it to the top.”