Jockey Jose Camejo, 33, a native of Caracas,
Venezuela, has been riding
for five years in the United
States but visited the winner’s circle at
Fair Grounds for the first time in the last race Saturday aboard Joseph
Robson’s Watch Pat for trainer Don Roberson.
“It was very exciting, very emotional for me to win my
first race at Fair Grounds,” said Camejo on Sunday. “I like Fair Grounds, and I
like New Orleans.
I like the people and I feel very comfortable here.
“I was leading rider in Mexico in 2002, came to the United
States to ride briefly in Florida, but ended up at Turfway Park in 2005 and won
my first American race at River Downs that summer,” said Camejo. “I won the
same stakes race in 2005 and 2006 at Hoosier aboard a horse named Lack a
Rock, and the same stakes in 2007 and 2008 aboard another horse at Turfway Park. I broke my back in Indiana in 2009 but
returned to ride at Louisiana Downs last summer.
“I’m very grateful to trainers like Keith Desormeaux,
Andy Leggio, Sweet Hodges, Don Roberson and Robert Husak for giving
me a chance since I got here,” said Camejo. “I think I can do well here as long
as I keep riding for guys like that.”
Camejo’s engagements are being handled by Javier Torres,
who served as Fair Grounds’ assistant clerk of scales last season.
TRAINER ERIC HEITZMANN ENJOYING FRIDAY’S TRAINING TRIPLE
WITH FAMILY
Conditioner Eric Heitzmann enjoyed the first
training triple of his career during Friday’s Starlight Racing program,
ably assisted by the riding hat trick of jockey Jesse Campbell, and it
was accomplished successively.
Russell Welch’s Mr. Shorty won the third, Eric, Carmel (Eric’s wife) and
Mike (Eric’s brother) Heitzmann’s Howiteel scored in the fourth, and Hudson
Longhorns’ Roll Me Away took the fifth.
“I feel very lucky, very blessed,” said Heitzmann Sunday.
“It’s always especially good when the family wins one. It makes for a good
Christmas dinner.”
Heitzmann, who trained in Dubai
for four years, met his wife in Dubai.
“She was a stewardess for Emirates Airlines,” said Heitzmann. “I met her on one
of her flights.”