Mexico’s Espinoza Misses Out on Triple Crown

The thirty-six year Triple Crown drought will continue after Mexican jockey Victor Espinoza came up short on California Chrome at the Belmont Stakes.

Despite a game effort, Espinoza guided California Chrome to a shared fourth place finish and, thus, failed to become the first Latin American jockey to ride a horse to the Triple Crown.

“I was waiting for (California Chrome) to have a little kick in the homestretch but he didn’t have it,” admitted Espinoza referring to his “tired” horse after today’s race.

“This is very important for me,” said Joel Rosario from the Dominican Republic who rode Tonalist to the victory by a nose. "I’m a little upset about California Chrome. If I was going to get beat, I wanted to just get beat by him," he added.

For the 29-year-old Rosario, today's Belmont win is the pinnacle of a career that included victories last year in the Dubai World Cup and the Kentucky Derby.

Both Rosario and Espinoza represent an influx of Latin American jockeys who in recent years have come to dominate horse racing in North America.  The last four winners of the Kentucky Derby have come from the region (Espinoza, Rosario, Mario Gutierrez from Mexico and John Velasquez from Puerto Rico) while Venezuelan Javier Castellano set the single season earnings record ($25.64 million) in 2013.

For Espinoza, the past month of racing represents a partial redemption following his inability to capture the Triple Crown with War Emblem in 2002.

"This is my second and last chance [at the Triple Crown]," he said shortly after he rode the three-year-old colt to victory in the Preakness Stakes two weeks ago.

“In a million years, I didn't think I was going to have a second chance. I was very close once. Life goes on, and over a decade, here we go — I'm here again.”