Rafael Bejarano
FameRank: 4

"American Classic Races/American Classics / Breeders' Cup wins:"

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2005)

Breeders' Cup Distaff (2007)Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint (2011)Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (2013)

/awards = United States Champion Jockey by wins (2004)

/honours =

/horses = Intercontinental (horse)/Intercontinental, Circular Quay, Dominican (horse)/Dominican

Country Star, Ginger Punch, Square Eddie Papa Clem, Mildly Offensive (horse), Sarah's Secret (horse), Caracortado

/updated = April 18, 2007

}}

"Rafael Bejarano" (born June 23, 1982 in Arequipa, Peru) is a champion jockey in United States/American Thoroughbred horse race/Thoroughbred horse racing. He trained at the Peruvian national riding school before embarking on his professional career in 1999. Having met with success, including winning the apprentice riding title at Hipódromo de Monterrico in Lima, he emigrated to the United States in the spring of 2002 and settled in Louisville, Kentucky. He got his first win on July 10 that year at River Downs in Cincinnati, Ohio and went on to major race wins in Kentucky and on the New York Racing Association circuit.

More Rafael Bejarano on Wikipedia.

I got him comfortable and I knew I had a lot of horse, so I waited to the quarter pole to take off.

229

When my horse broke, he broke really strong, but he was so nervous, he never got settled.

227

He really is a horse that responds to what you ask of him. I wanted a little more at the half, he gave it to me, and now I had the leaders in sight.

223

My filly broke very sharp, but I didn't want her to go too fast early so I just put her in a good position and waited. At the three-eighths pole there was an opening, so I put her in there. When we turned for home, I moved outside and when she saw daylight she took off.

180

She didn't like the dirt in her face and started jumping around. She started to close strongly at the three-eighths pole but then started jumping around again.

162

I tried to go to the lead but then I saw No. 6 (Ball Four) go to the lead, so I stayed in the second lane because my horse doesn't like getting dirt in his face.

157

The rail horse (T.D. Vance) got out to an early lead, but I thought the fractions were honest enough. I felt like I had a lot of horse. … I thought he was closing well, but the other horse just never stopped.

144

He told me to try and stay close. After I got position after the start, I decided to be patient and save him as much as I could to about the half-mile pole.

138