Page 3 - August/September 2007 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper The Game, August/September 2007 3
Kerri Beauclaire & Tyler Pizarro
All In The Family
By Chris Lomon
When it comes to her job as a jockey agent, it’s all relative for Kerri Beauclaire.
It’s certainly no surprise that Beauclaire, who has worked in various positions at Woodbine Racetrack since she was 18, has developed an affinity for the sport of kings.
She’s not the only one in her family to feel that way. Her mother, Donna Pizarro, is a thoroughbred trainer. But these days, it’s her brother, Tyler Pizarro, who is making heads turn.
The 21-year-old, in his first full year of riding, is currently in top spot (as of press time) in the standings at Woodbine, one of North America’s contentious jockey colonies.
The up-and-coming star has a large number of people in his corner, perhaps none more significant than his sister, who is handling the reins as his agent.
“Since he was a kid, all he wanted to do is ride horses,” said Beauclaire, whose first job at the race- track was hotwalking for veteran trainer Dan Vella. “Tyler has always had it in him. He just loves every- thing about it.”
Tyler, whose riding idols include Pat Day, John Velazquez and Edgar Prado, won his first race with 8-1 shot Dancer’s Flyer on September 2 of last year.
And in typical fashion, he kept it all in the family. Tyler is the grandson of Dancer’s Flyer’s owner- trainer, John Calhoun.
It was also the end result of years of hard work.
“That’s one of the first things that went through my mind,” said Beauclaire. “Tyler put in so many hours to get to that point and it was great to see him in the winner’s circle.”
Not his agent at the time, the pair had discussed the idea since Tyler started galloping horses at the Toronto oval.
“It was always in the back of our minds,” offered Beauclaire, who was the agent for Woodbine rider Constant Montpellier eight years ago. “People would always joke with us and say, ‘When is your sister going to be your agent’”?
Upon deciding to keep riding after he won four races – most apprentice riders shut down for the season to keep their 10-pound weight allowance for an extended period of time – the brother and sister duo decided it was the perfect time to team up.
It’s been the ideal match, to say the very least.
“I had a lot of confidence in her,” said Pizarro, whose father, Jorge, rode in the 80’s and 90’s, capturing the 1994 Fort Erie meet courtesy of 86 wins. “She knew the business really well, so I was more than happy to keep the money in the family, so to speak.”
After recording 28 wins and 99 top- three finishes from 231 mounts last year, Tyler has become one of Woodbine’s top riders in 2007, holding his own against some of Canada’s top journeyman.
A sure sign of the respect Tyler has been afforded came when he worked horses for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby
Frankel in south Florida during the 2007 winter months.
He’s also become a favourite of several high- profile Woodbine trainers, including Sid Attard, who has won the past three conditioning titles at Canada’s Showplace of Racing.
“We’re both very happy with the support we’ve received,” said Beauclaire. “We’re also grateful for the chance to ride some really wonderful horses.”
And through it all, the siblings have maintained their strong bond, unaffected by the ups and downs associated with a life in the irons.
“That’s the way we’ve always been,” noted Beauclaire. “We never fight. We’ve always been very close and always supported one another. We were raised by a single mother, so we were pretty self-sufficient at a young age. We’re nine years apart, but we like a lot of the same things and have a lot of the same friends.
“But I think he handles stress better than I do,” she continued. “He always calms me down when I get a bit frazzled. He always says, ‘Don’t worry. Things will work out fine.’”
So far, they have.
Beauclaire is hoping things get even better down the road.
“He loves to ride and loves being out there,” she said. “It’s a great feeling to watch him compete.”
“Hopefully, this is just the beginning for us,” offered Pizarro. “Everything is going well. We’re very close which helps a lot.”
Win or lose, Tyler can always count on his sister to keep a watchful eye over him.
“I’d worry about him even if I wasn’t his agent,” admitted Beauclaire. “Anything can happen at any time. But he can handle that pressure. Sometimes, I think he acts likes the older one.”
Just like any younger brother would, right?
“It’s better than both of us being stressed,” said Pizarro, who should be a popular choice when it comes to voting for this year’s Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s top apprentice. “She has to keep a lot of people happy. She does an awesome job. It can be tough at times for any agent. But we both want to do well.”
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