Panama: The Conquistadores

The next Eddie Arcaro will probably speak Spanish better than English. His name will be something like Baeza or Ycaza or Valenzuela, and he will grimace when gringo railbirds make it “Bazza,” or “Yacca Zacca,” or “Vaylinzella.” But that will not matter much, because his saddlebags will be stuffed with Yanqui dollars and back home in Panama or Mexico he will be as popular as the classiest matador de toros. The Presidente will invite him to parties, generals will shake his hand, and when he wins the Kentucky Derby, the biggest race of all, his countrymen will drape sweet-smelling flowers around his neck and hoist him to their shoulders and parade him through the streets. If he had not been too busy riding horses in New York last week, Panama’s Braulio Baeza, 23, could have had just such a homecoming. Panamanians were woozy with pride. Aboard Chateaugay, Baeza had become the first foreign jockey ever to win the Kentucky Derby. As if that was not enough, the second horse, Never Bend, was ridden by another Panamanian, Manuel Ycaza. In Panama City fans clustered around TV sets to watch reruns of the Derby. One station ran the tape four times in a single day. Light & Hungry. Neither Baeza nor Ycaza is another Arcaro or another Willie Shoemaker—yet. But they are the stars of a band of Latin Americans who are starting to dominate U.S. racing. Hard-pressed to find youngsters who are light enough (maximum: about 114 Ibs.) or hungry enough to perform the mean chores (walking “hots,”‘ mucking out stalls) expected of budding jockeys, U.S. horsemen more and more are importing riders from south of the border. This season five top U.S. stables—Cain Hoy. Greentree, Bohemia, Fred W. Hooper and Gustave Ring—are employing Latin jockeys. Mexico-bred Milo Valenzuela, 28, is the regular rider for Mrs. Richard du Font’s Kelso, three-time Horse of the Year, and for Hirsch Jacobs’ Affectionately, top candidate for Filly of the Year. Mexican American Herberto Hinojosa, 26, was the leading jockey (61 wins in 229 tries) at Florida’s Tropical Park this winter, won more than $1,000,000 in purses last year alone. Panama’s Manuel Ycaza had the second highest percentage of winners (24%) in the nation last year and ranked third in purses (with $1,975,118). Of all the Latin Americans, Baeza is the best. The son and grandson of jockeys, he grew up around the tack room of Panama City’s Juan Franco race track, where President José Antonio (“Chichi”) Remón was assassinated in 1955. He learned to ride at six, won his first race at 15.Purses in Panama were small and the horses were cheap. “Most of them looked like goats,” Baeza recalls. But he quickly became known as a crafty and patient “sit-still” jockey who liked to hang back behind the pack waiting for his horse to settle into stride, then drive from behind to win. Four years ago, in 112 racing days, Baeza won 309 races in Panama. One happy owner sent him on a paid vacation to Florida. At Hialeah Park he met Florida Builder Fred Hooper, who let Baeza breeze one of his horses through a four-furlong workout. “What was your time?” asked Hooper when it was over. “Forty-nine.” said Baeza. Hooper checked his stop watch: it showed 49½ sec. “You’ve got a job,” he said. One out of Three. Few jockeys have ever cracked the big time so abruptly. That first year under contract to Hooper. Baeza rode 170 winners and his horses earned $964,622. In 1961 he thwarted Carry Back’s bid for the Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes on Sherluck, a 65-1 longshot. Last year Baeza rode $2,048,428 worth of winners—more than any other jockey except Shoemaker. Last week, fresh from his Derby victory, Baeza rode seven winners in four days at Aqueduct, boosted his winning average for the meeting to an incredible 1 out of 3.