Decisions, decisions.
For Alonso Quinonez, it’s nice to be in demand and have options on which classy horses to ride in big stakes races leading up to the Kentucky Derby. As part of the toughest jockey colony in the world, Quinonez has come through with his share of stakes victories, however remains a notch below the elite riders on the Southern California circuit.
The native of Mexico, who began his riding career in 2006 as an apprentice in Kentucky, will ride Premier Pegasus for trainer Myung Kwon Cho in Saturday’s Grade II $250,000 San Felipe Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth on Santa Anita’s main track.
Quinonez has been aboard in all four of Pre Peg’s starts, including three victories to start his career and a third place finish in the Grade II San Vicente on February 20.
However, he also picked up the mount on the undefeated Bench Points for his allowance win on February 11.
The son of Benchmark trained by Tim Yakteen won three races, including a pair of stakes, at Del Mar last summer under Rafael Bejarano. However, Bejarano has been committed to ride for Bob Baffert.
When we spoke to Yakteen two weeks ago, he said that Quinonez would in fact be aboard Bench Points in the San Felipe.
Guess not.
Watch below as Quinonez explains his decision to ride Pre Peg and gives us his insights into Saturday’s race.
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