American Equus Riders Dominate 2017 Breeders' Cup Leader Boards
DEL MAR, Calif. (PRWEB) November 08, 2017 -- The past weekend saw the running of the 34th annual Breeder’s Cup World Championships, one of the most prestigious events in horse racing. American Equus was on hand to support the more than 10-jockeys who participate in their Chosen Rider program, that competed in some of the most important races of the year. Participation in the Breeders Cup requires competitors to have already won a Breeder’s Cup Challenge race to even be qualified to enter and awards over $28,000,000 in prize money during two days of racing. Ultimately, American Equus Chosen Riders visited the winners circle an astonishing, five times.
“It was an honor to be on hand to watch our riders achieve such amazing results,” commented David Shano, founder of American Equus. “The Breeders Cup in an iconic event and one of the most important weekends in racing and I am thrilled that American Equus had a larger presence this year, keeping our riders competitive and safe.”
American Equus' revolutionary irons are perfect for the sport of Thoroughbred racing. Each pair of stirrups is meticulously crafted out of a solid, light-weight billet aluminum alloy, providing extreme lateral crush strength, for the ultimate in jockey safety. The hand polished finish adds a professional look to the products that are of unparalleled performance and design. The irons have steadily been gaining in popularity after their debut in 2016 and can now be found on racetracks across the U.S. and around the world.
Chosen Rider, Javier Castellano, claimed the first race of the Breeders Cup, Juvenile Fillies Turf, aboard Rushing Fall. Castellano finished second in the Twin Spires Sprint on Imperial Hint and third in multiple races including the Filly and Mare Sprint, the Juvenile Turf, and the West Coast Classic as well as a fourth-place finish in the Sentient Jet Juvenile.
Castellano’s consistent success over the weekend pushed him above fellow American Equus jockey Jose Ortiz to claim the 15th annual Bill Shoemaker Award, which celebrates the most outstanding jockey at the World Championships. Last year the award was presented to fellow American Equus Chosen Rider, Mike Smith, at Santa Anita race track for his success in championship races throughout 2016.
Chosen Riders, Irad Ortiz and Jose Ortiz, have been battling each other for victories long before they made it to this year’s Breeder’s Cup. The brother are only 14 months apart and consistently overtake each other for honors. Both were named as part of the Ten Jockeys to Watch at the 2017 Breeder’s Cup list. It was Jose Ortiz who would claim the race with the bigger purse when he took his second Breeder’s Cup victory in the Sentient Jet Juvenile aboard Good Magic. Irad would come back to beat his brother aboard Bar of Gold in the Filly and Mare Sprint, securing his third Breeder’s Cup win at an incredible 60-1 odds.
Mike Smith, a predetermined favorite for the weekend, as he has won over 25 different Breeder’s Cup races and was entered in nine races including the Breeder’s Cup Classic aboard Arrogate. Smith found success in the 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies aboard long shot Caledonia Road and while he and Arrogate were favorites to win in the Breeder’s Cup Classic, his American Equus teammate, Florent Geroux, would ultimately capture the win aboard Gun Runner.
Arguably the most anticipated race of the weekend, the Breeder’s Cup Classic saw Geroux and Gun Runner took the early lead and continued to dominate the field of eight starters to claim the $6,000,000 purse. The victory in the Breeder’s Cup Classic was the most notable race of the four races that Geroux won.
American Equus, is proud to sponsor talented and professional athletes like Smith and is looking forward to many more successful races on his saddle.
To learn more about American Equus and their complete line of stirrups for all equestrian disciplines, please click here.
For a full recap of all the events from the 2017 Breeders Cup, including a complete list of winners, click here.
David Shano, American Equus Products, http://www.americanequus.com, +1 (480) 813-1833, [email protected]
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