RARE BREED : Apprentice Jockey Fernando Valenzuela: A Name to Remember

It was already dark at Hollywood Park. Saturday’s ninth race had been run and the crowd was drifting away into the night. Few fans paid much attention to the scene in the winner’s circle.

There, Fernando Valenzuela paused briefly for the traditional photo, jumped down from his filly and shook hands with Charlie Whittingham.

There was nothing unusual about the moment, but in the dark, with a halo of mist and sea fog around the lights, it had a poignancy all its own--the 75-year-old trainer nearing the end of a storied career congratulating the 19-year-old jockey with an entire career ahead of him.

In many ways, it had been a typical Valenzuela ride, the type that in a few months has turned him from being just another apprentice into perhaps the sport’s hottest newcomer.

Given the ride on Paper Clip, a daughter of Secretariat, Valenzuela had mounted a furious drive in the stretch to catch Ray Sibille on Comedy Court and Eddie Delahoussaye on Voila. Just when it seemed Paper Clip would win, she faltered, but Valenzuela urged her on again and she was first to the wire by a head.

“I think he has a great future,” Whittingham had said earlier in the day, echoing the comments of fellow Hall of Fame trainer Laz Barrera.

“He’s a very good apprentice, very good,” Barrera had said. “The Valenzuela family was born to ride horses. He’s got the pedigree. It runs in the blood.”

Then Barrera laughed. “He comes from the Northern Dancer line,” he said.

Indeed, the Valenzuelas may well be racing’s first family. The six brothers--Ismail (Milo), Albino, Santiago, Mario, Angel and Martin--all were involved, either as jockeys or trainers.

Albino’s son is Patrick Valenzuela, whom Whittingham calls “probably as good a rider as there is anywhere.” Patrick’s latest success was in winning the jockey title at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree meeting.

Martin’s son is Fernando Valenzuela, winner of the apprentice title at Oak Tree.

Until Gary Stevens won 4 races Saturday, cousins Patrick and Fernando were ranked 1-2 in the Hollywood Park standings. Going into today’s program, Stevens is first with 19 wins, Patrick Valenzuela is second with 18 and Fernando Valenzuela is third with 16.

“I was born loving horses,” Fernando said. “I’ve been around horses ever since I can remember. I love my job. I like what I do.”

The trainers apparently like what he does, too, and it is not just the 5-pound weight allowance given to apprentices that causes them to call agent Jerry Ingordo and ask if Fernando is available.

“He impresses me because I think for a young apprentice he’s got a tremendous amount of ability and a lot of good common sense,” trainer Sanford Schulman said.

“He knows exactly what to do in the race, whereas a lot of young apprentices are just speed riders. They’ll just come out of the gate and run. Fernando can do that, too, but he can also wait and then move at the right time. He’s a very intelligent rider.

“I think he’ll last. I think he’ll make it here. Very few of them have. Basically there’s Pat Valenzuela and (Martin) Pedroza and now (Aaron) Gryder and (Corey) Black. There’ve been very many more who have gone by the wayside. It’s a very, very difficult thing to do.”

And from trainer Vladimir Cerin: “He’s very easy to work with. He follows instructions to the letter. He doesn’t ad-lib. If we lose a race, it’s not because he didn’t follow instructions, it’s because I didn’t give him the proper instructions.

“I like his style very much. He doesn’t use the stick excessively. He’s a very good finisher with the hands. That’s a big asset because I think most horses, unless you really beat them to death, are not going to put out any more by being hit with a stick than they are if you just hand-ride them. And if you beat them to death, you won’t have anything left for next time.”

Cerin doubts that the so-called bug allowance is the sole reason for Fernando’s success.

“I think some of it’s due to the weight factor,” he said. “But he’s been riding so well over the last few months that now he’s getting better horses, more competitive horses, and that helps a lot.”

Craig Lewis agrees that it is Fernando’s riding prowess, not the weight advantage apprentices gain, that he and other trainers are looking at now.

“He looks like a rider with a lot of ability,” Lewis said. “He looks like he’s got a pretty good future. Pat’s one of the finest riders around, so if (Fernando) reaches those heights, he’s done it.”

It was a year ago this week, on Nov. 28, that Fernando Valenzuela rode his first winner.

It happened at Caliente in Tijuana and, like all jockeys, he remembers the horse.

“It was a chestnut filly named Royal Snowball,” Fernando said, in the jockeys’ room at Hollywood Park. “My dad was the trainer.”

If that date sticks in his mind, though, there are two others this November that do, too.

On Nov. 4, the last Friday of the Oak Tree meeting, Fernando enjoyed his best day yet. He won the first, second, fourth, fifth and eighth races.

The 5 victories contributed significantly to his 19 winners for the meeting and to the apprentice title that was his 3 days later.

On Nov. 20 at Hollywood Park, Fernando and Patrick put on a riding display that was as astonishing as it was enjoyable. Patrick won the first race, Fernando the second. The third and fourth escaped them, but Fernando won the fifth, Patrick the sixth, Fernando the seventh, Patrick the eighth and Fernando the ninth. Together, they accounted for victories in 7 of the day’s 9 races.

“We were just slapping high-fives all day, me and him,” Patrick said, grinning broadly. “I mean, hell, to see my cousin do that is great. If he were to win the (Hollywood Park jockey) standings, I’d love it. I’d like to win it myself, but if he were to win it, that would be great. He’s more like a brother than a cousin to me.”

Fernando, who was born in San Diego on June 18, 1969, and now lives in Arcadia, is quick to admit that Patrick has helped him a great deal.

“We get along real good,” he said. “We tape the races and then we go through them. He tells me what I’m doing wrong. Usually it’s like where to change whip hands, how to slow the pace down, where to be (positioned) going into the turn, that sort of thing.”

Despite his success, Fernando still is a relative newcomer to racing. An injury earlier this year interrupted his riding so that he actually has only about 7 months’ competitive experience. He won’t lose the apprentice allowance until February.

“I learned how to gallop horses down at my dad’s stable at Caliente in Tijuana,” he said. “I galloped horses there for about a year. Then I came to California and I galloped free-lance and then for (trainer) Bobby Frankel for about 6 months or a year. After that, I decided I was going to start riding, so I went back to Caliente and in the last week of November (1987) I started riding.”

Royal Snowball gave him his first victory in his very first race.

“I’ve always had a positive attitude about being a jockey,” he said. “Ever since the start, I told myself I was going to do good.

“I think I have a little different style than everybody else. Everybody’s got their own style. I like to rate horses and come from behind. I also like riding on the grass a lot. I feel I’m getting better and better every time I’m out there.”

Patrick agrees.

“Fernando is pretty quiet,” he said. “He listens a lot, doesn’t say much. Which is very good, especially when you’re young and you’re learning about riding. He listens to older riders. I try to help him out all I can.

“We review the races together sometimes. If I see him making a mistake, I point it out. Sometimes he’ll ask me questions about things, but he doesn’t make too many mistakes. He really doesn’t.

“He’s got a lot of experience lately. He’s been riding a lot of horses and he’s just doing a hell of a job. He’s really matured as a rider. I think he’s got a very strong finish, which is very good for an apprentice, and he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s a very confident rider.”

There is one cloud on the horizon. When apprentices lose their weight allowance, their careers usually take a downturn. How well they can fight through that period determines whether they can make it in the business.

Black and Gryder succeeded, and they have a little advice for Fernando.

“I think he needs to have confidence and keep a good attitude,” Black, 19, said. “That’s very important. It’s easy to get down when you get used to doing so well and winning so many races as an apprentice.

“You’ve just got to keep the attitude that you’re going to make it. It just takes time. It took me a year and a half before I got back in the groove.

“(Fernando) rides very well. He’s very natural. He has a lot of ability. He’s a lot like Pat. He’s got a very good chance.

“He needs support. He’s got to have a few trainers who are going to put him on live horses day in and day out and stick with him through the tough times when he loses the bug. Because his riding isn’t going to change, it’s only going to get better. It isn’t like when he loses that 5 pounds he rides worse.”

And from Gryder, 18: “I guess I was fortunate enough to be with barns that had confidence in me and would stick with me. That’s what you have to do, and he’s riding for pretty much the same people I was riding for.

“He keeps improving every day. He’s really riding polished races. He looks good on horses and I wish the best for him, but he’s got to understand business does slow down to an extent. That’s something everybody goes through.

“I know Fernando’s a hard worker. He’s out here all the time, working for the right people. I don’t think he’ll have too much trouble. It’ll slow down a little bit, but he’s a hard worker and it’ll pay off for him.”

One last note. Yes, his name has caused Fernando Valenzuela to come in for some kidding. But he doesn’t mind; he likes baseball.

In fact, when the jockeys and celebrities played a charity softball game not long ago, Fernando was sent--where else?--to the mound.

“Yeah, I pitched a couple of innings,” he said.

And how did he do?

“Good, real good,” he said.

Can Fernandomania be far behind?