Page 107 - Speedhorse March 2019

Aubrey called Jose’s mother to share the news and then attempted to regain her composure before returning to Jose’s side.
“I kind of pulled myself together, and I walked back in the room,” Aubrey said. “He was just like nothing happened. I don’t know if he was scared, but he didn’t show it. Jose acted as if they had never told him anything or any bad news.”
Released from the hospital, Jose was instructed to contact his doctor, who recommended he seek an oncologist right away. A friend directed them to the Stephenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma City.
Within two weeks of the accident, the Vegas met with an oncologist, who wanted to do another CAT scan to confirm the diagnosis.
With his tack now at Will Rogers Downs for the fall meet and as the sole income provider for the family, Jose was hesitant to be away from the track.
Knowing that providing for his family, including daughters Fabiola, 6, and Valentina, 3, was of the utmost importance to Jose, the doctor planned surgery to fit Jose’s riding schedule. The doctor said Jose could finish the Claremore meet and scheduled surgery for Dec. 18.
At Will Rogers Downs, Jose rode in 101 races, winning 17, placing second 11 times and third 16 times. His mounts earned $190,580 and won at a 17-percent clip.
Jose’s surgery was successful in December, although more complicated than expected as the tumor was bigger than the doctor anticipated. The doctor did not have to remove the whole kidney but was able to remove just the tumor.
On Jan. 4, the Vegas returned to the oncologist for the biopsy results, which confirmed that it was cancer. The doctor sent Jose to a specialist because it was a rare cancer that
is mostly seen in people 65 and older. During
the follow up, a spot was discovered on Jose’s lung, which was described as a micro-spot. The tiny speck will be checked again in June. Jose
will continue to be checked every six months to monitor his health. In June, a whole CAT scan will be performed to make sure he is cancer free.
RACE RALLY
Jose is the sole income provider for the family, and his medical break left the family with bills piling up. With two young daughters and a husband needing extra care, it didn’t make financial sense for Aubrey to try to find a job when her family needed her the most.
“For me to get a job and then not be able
to take care of him and have to find daycare for our youngest daughter, that didn’t seem like the right thing to do. For a month, I was taking him to the doctor, and he couldn’t do things. He can’t lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk,” Aubrey said.
With the racing community from all across the country wanting to help, a friend gave the Vegas the idea to have a silent auction to help with the financial burden. An event was planned to coincide with the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale in January, and once word got out, the donations poured in.
“We had so many awesome people who contributed and donated so much stuff,” Aubrey said. “It’s amazing how everybody reached out to us.”
During the silent auction, more than $10,000 was raised, and people are still donating.
The Jose Vega Benefit page on Facebook allows donations to be made directly to the Vega family through PayPal as they continue to pay medical costs.
Jose began grooming horses at the age of 10, and by 16, he was galloping horses at the track. In 2003, he got his jockey’s license and began his official riding career on July 11, 2003, at Sam Houston Race Track. He’s ridden horses
at tracks in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma, where he now resides.
Jose finished 2018 ranked 65th nationally for all Quarter Horse jockeys and amassed a 32-30-44 record in 281 starts. His mounts earned $477,328 for the year. His lifetime stats stand at 598-584- 667 from 5,309 starts and earnings of $9,806,695. And he’ll soon be adding to those stats.
“Jose is doing better,” Aubrey said. “It was caught so early, and he never lost faith. He
was never down about it. He was never sad or worried. He would always stay so positive about the whole deal. He got released yesterday (Feb. 11) to start back to riding. The doctor told him to take it easy and not to overwork himself.
He hasn’t been doing anything for the past two months, so he needs to ease back into it.
“We’re excited and nervous at the same time,” she added. “We’re blessed.”
Jose’s wife Aubrey and daughter Fabiola at the 2019 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale, where a silent auction was held to raise funds for the family.
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