Garry Jones/AP Horses like American Pharoah are tough not to get attached to, according to Victor Espinoza.
- Hall of Fame and Kentucky Derby jockey Victor Espinoza said changing horses is one of the hardest parts of his job.
- Espinoza said it isn't hard to adjust to new horses - it's hard not to get attached to them and have to change at a moment's notice.
- Espinoza said it only takes him a few minutes to get acquainted with a horse and that he sometimes sees them just once before big races.
Victor Espinoza will be riding Bolt d'Oro at the 2018 Kentucky Derby - a different horse than he rode in 2017, different than he rode in 2016, different than 2015 when he won it on American Pharoah, and so on.
Espinoza told Business Insider that this is one of the hardest aspects of his job, and not because of the rate of turnover. Instead, like most people, it's hard not to get attached to the animals.
"It's the hardest, hardest thing to get attached to the horses and knowing that we don't own it," Espinoza said. "We're just there race by race."
As Espinoza noted, jockeys don't own the horses - they're riders for hire. He said it can be emotional having to change horses if an owner decides to change jockeys.
"A lot of times it's very emotional," Espinoza said. "Unfortunately for jockeys, we don't own the horse. It's hard to not get attached to those champions. But it's any time, the owner maybe will get upset, and that's it - they will take you off and put in someone else. You just have to mentally deal with it and try to move on. It's hard. It's not easy."
Perhaps contrary to belief, jockeys don't always spend much time with horses before riding them. For instance, in 2002, when Espinoza won the Kentucky Derby for the first time, he hadn't seen the horse, War Emblem, until that very day. He spent a little more time with 2014 winner, California Chrome, but estimated he only saw American Pharoah once before riding him.
"Because I've been doing it for so many years, I will figure out the horse quick," Espinoza said. He estimated it takes him five to ten minutes to figure out what he needs to know about the horse.
Once they're together, they're a team. Espinoza said an atmosphere like the Kentucky Derby can be overwhelming for the horses. As they walk to the track, he does his best to bond with the horse and keep him calm.
"The minute I get on with him, I will just try to calm him down as much as possible and try to be quiet and just pet him," Espinoza said. "Trying to get him a little bit more confident that nothing bad's gonna happen to them, you know? It gets to that, 'You know what, I'm here for you, and I would never let anything bad happen to you.'
"Just have fun and just try to get him to relax."
More Kentucky Derby coverage:
- Kentucky Derby 2018: Everything you need to know about the 20 horses racing in the 'Run for the Roses'
- American Pharoah's Hall of Fame jockey reveals the intense diet and workout routine he follows to stay ready for races
- Kentucky Derby 2018: Post positions and odds for the first race of the Triple Crown
- 60 wild Kentucky Derby hats that rival the royal family's