British-born jockey Hayley
Turner, the most successful female jockey in European racing history and a
rider who made her Midwestern professional debut by guiding Mark Hawtin’s
Wigmore Hall to a fourth-place finish in the Grade I Arlington Million earlier
this month, has been named aboard her second Arlington mount this Saturday.
Irish-born but British-based trainer Gerard Butler, who
is also keeping a division at Arlington
this summer, named Turner as the jockey for Trevor Stewart’s Akhmatova in
Saturday’s sixth race.
However, Turner’s scheduled
ride on Akhmatova – a British-bred daughter of Cape
Cross – for this Saturday
appears to be somewhat tentative. Butler
has also entered Akhmatova, who finished eighth in Arlington’s
Grade III Hanshin Cup May 21 with French-born jockey Florent Geroux in the
irons, for Sunday’s racing program.
Before coming to Arlington
for the Million, Turner last month became the first female jockey in the United
Kingdom to win a Group I race outright when she guided the
Kentucky-bred Dream Ahead to victory in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket
for trainer David Simcock.
Since returning to Europe
after the Million Turner posted her second Group I score by guiding the
Irish-bred Margot Did to a three-quarter length win in the Group I Coolmore
Nunthorpe Stakes at York
Aug. 19 for trainer Michael Bell, who also conditions Wigmore Hall.
VENEZUELAN JOCKEY OLAF HERNANDEZ PLANS TO MAKE CHICAGO
HOME
Venezuelan jockey Olaf
Hernandez, Venezuela’s
leading apprentice jockey in 2000, has ridden at Gulfstream, Calder,
New York, Keeneland and Mountaineer since
coming to the United States
but only arrived in Chicago
about a week ago.
“There is more opportunity for
a jockey here than in Venezuela,”
Hernandez said Wednesday during training hours. “Back home they only have
racing one day a week.”
Born in Maracaibo,
the 35-year-old reinsman rode against such other top Venezuelan jockeys as
Ramon Dominguez and Eibar Coa in their homeland before coming to America
and says they all remain close friends.
As for the 24-year-old
Venezuelan-born jockey Junior Alvarado, Arlington’s
leading rider in 2009 and runner-up last season, Hernandez also remembers him
well.
“I remember Junior when he was
just a little boy,” said Hernandez. “Whenever I’d come off the track after
a race down there he’d come up to me and always ask me for my whip.”
Hernandez is currently moving
his wife Anna and his son Olaf Jr. from Mountaineer to Chicago
and plans to go on to Hawthorne after Arlington
closes Sept. 25 and make Chicago
his permanent home.