Page 179 - December_2023

Francisco Calderon Breaks Record Cl ly Pau
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KeTo beat a rpecord bysHall of Fame jockey
Invitational Championship Stakes-G1 before his G.R. Carter is no small feat and Francisco
untimely passing.
Calderon has done just that. On Oct. 29,
Calderon won his first Champion Jockey 2023, Calderon won the Golden State Million
title in 2021 after winning the Ruidoso Futurity-G1 at Los Alamitos aboard Trane
Futurity-G1 and Rainbow Futurity-G1 under Station V with an impressive wire-to-wire vic-
Jess Savin Candy.
tory. The $403,809 winner’s share of the purse
Calderon’s year wasn’t over after he broke boosted his 2023 earnings to $5,184,747, sur-
Carter’s record. The jockey went on to the Texas passing Carter’s $5,019,594 record to become
Classic Futurity-G1, giving him his eighth
the jockey with the highest single year earnings.
Grade 1 victory this year and pushed his total
“I am very happy and blessed to have accom-
earnings passed the $6 million mark.
plished this,” Calderon told Greg Thompson of
Wrapping up his 2023 season, Calderon StallioneSearch. “I never dreamed starting out
secured victories in the Los Alamitos Two
as a jockey that I would have reached this mark
Million Futurity-G1 under Trane Station V
in a year.”
and Champion of Champions-G1 under Flash In addition to the Golden State Million
Bak, marking his 9th and 10th Grade 1 wins Futurity-G1, Calderon also won the 2023
of the year and pushing his total earnings over Rainbow Futurity aboard the #1 2023 Money-
$7 million. All in all, the Champion Jockey Earner Dark NME, who made her own splash
has notched 106 wins from 546 starts with becoming the first two year old in the last 14
$7,149,133 in 2023 and has over $22.3 million years to win eight races. Calderon also rode
in total lifetime earnings. It was quite the year World Champion Danjer to victory in the Leo
for this amazing jockey, and we have no doubt, Stakes-G1 and Debbie Schauf Remington Park
we will see many more victories in his career.
Francisco Calderon aboard Trane Station V in their most recent victory in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity-G1.
SPEEDHORSE December 2023 177
© Myriam Maynard, Speedhorse
© Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse