Page 92 - December 2020

THE BACKSIDE
OSCAR ANDRADE, JR.
A Jockey’s Perspective
by John Moorehouse
HOME BASE:
Los Alamitos, CA
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE:
“This will be my second complete year as a jockey.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
AND ACHIEVEMENTS:
Winner of the Val Tonks Memorial Award. Six victories to date in graded stakes races.
HOBBIES:
“Since my mom has her barn, I just spend all my day either at the track or we’re breaking babies at home.”
When Oscar Andrade, Jr., was just 10 days old, his father and namesake was injured in an accident riding at Los Alamitos. The mishap, which occurred on Sept. 27, 2001, ended the elder Andrade’s racing career and left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Nearly two decades later, Oscar Jr. is following in his father’s footsteps and enjoying some serious success. As of Nov. 1, he ranked 20th in the nation in earnings and 14th in victories—while trying to claim his first jockey title at Los Alamitos. Andrade ranked second in the track’s jockey standings as of this writing. He’s also the most recent recipient of the Val Tonks Memorial Award, bestowed annually
on the top up-and-coming rider in California. Oscar’s father received that same award during his own racing career, which ended abruptly when Andrade, Sr., was just 21 years old.
“That was my first goal,” Andrade said of winning the Val Tonks.
“Up and coming” is a good way to describe Andrade. He’s won this year’s running of the PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity, and back-to- back versions of the Boniface Invitational. In a tweet made in March, legendary Los Alamitos announcer Ed Burgart praised the “tremendous growth” of Andrade, adding, “No Los Al jockey is riding as polished now as Andrade.”
“I’m honestly dumbfounded on how blessed I’ve been to get these opportunities to ride
for all these good trainers and good horses,” Andrade said. “Truly a blessing to start off so early in my career with big-name horses.”
Andrade got his first experience aboard
a horse in his formative years, when his aunt bought him a pony for Christmas. Oscar, Jr., would ride it around the yard and up and down the ramp his father used to enter and exit the
house. Later, he went out to Temecula and got some chances to come out of the gates. Then Andrade’s interest turned to sports like baseball and soccer, and away from the horse racing world. That changed in his teens, when he decided to start helping out at his grandfather Juan’s ranch in Hemet, getting experience and helping to break yearlings.
Growing up in a horse racing family certainly hasn’t harmed Andrade’s development as a pro rider. His mother, Elena, is a fourth- generation trainer. His aunt, Angela Aquino (Elena’s sister), also trains.
Andrade made his pro debut at the age of 16 and he’s been off and running since, making 337 starts with 54 victories through the first 10 months of 2020—which will mark his second full campaign as a pro. He’s already made starts at eight different tracks in two countries counting Ajax Downs in Canada, where he won four races in a single day.
Now, let’s learn more about Andrade.
WERE YOUR PARENTS NERVOUS WHEN YOU BECAME A PRO JOCKEY?
“They never try to show it, pretty much
just for my sake. They were always super supportive. I think that’s what really helped me, more than anything.”
ASIDE FROM YOUR DAD, WHO ARE SOME OF THE PEOPLE YOU’VE LEARNED FROM AND WHO’VE HELPED YOU OUT SO FAR?
“My grandpa’s the one that taught me. Him and dad, I was out breaking babies, they’d set out in stone what I had to do—the fundamentals of riding. As far as other jockeys, Cody Jensen, just giving little pep talks here and there. Cody’s one I really respect as a jockey.
In a tweet made in March, legendary Los Alamitos announcer Ed Burgart praised the “tremendous growth” of Andrade, adding, “No Los Al jockey is riding as polished now as Andrade.”
90 SPEEDHORSE December 2020