ARCADIA, Calif. – The little matter of a lost iron could not stop apprentice jockey Ruben Fuentes in the final furlong of a maiden claimer last Saturday at Santa Anita. Aboard Wild Mischief, Fuentes lost his left iron, but his mount was closing with such momentum that the incident was not a concern. Wild Mischief ($29.40) gave the 18-year-old Fuentes his second win in as many days at Santa Anita. “I still managed to cross the wire,” he said. Fuentes began riding at Santa Anita earlier this month, having migrated west at the encouragement of riders such as Patrick Valenzuela and Scott Stevens, whom he met in New Mexico and Arizona. His father, New Mexico jockey-turned-trainer Miguel Fuentes, was another person urging his son to go to California. “He said to give it a try,” Fuentes said. Fuentes, who grew up around Sunland Park in New Mexico, had his first mount in December 2015, and rode his first winner at Ruidoso Downs last August. Through 2016, he had 17 wins at Ruidoso, Zia Park, and Turf Paradise. Two wins at Santa Anita last weekend have raised expectations for 2017. “You’re at one of the greatest tracks in the United States,” he said. “I’m proud to have accomplished this.” Fuentes admits he was a bit star-struck when he settled into the jockeys’ room at Santa Anita. “There have been a lot of Hall of Famers,” he said. “I’ve been admiring them, and it’s something amazing to be honest. Every day, I learn something.” Fuentes is part of group of apprentice jockeys along with Austin Solis and Chad Lindsay who are regularly gaining mounts at Santa Anita this winter. Friday at Santa Anita, Fuentes has three mounts on the eight-race program. In the first race, a $20,000 claiming race for maiden fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs, Fuentes rides Paradise for trainer Mike Harrington. Paradise drew the outside post in a modest field of six. The filly was a well-beaten fourth after dueling for the lead against a similar field Dec. 8 at Los Alamitos. Fuentes rides the first-time starter Tokheim Tizzy in the second race, a $30,000 claiming race for 3-year-old maiden fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Trained by Richard Baltas, Tokheim Tizzy, by Tiznow, drew the outside post in a field of seven. Baltas also starts Let Me Flatter You, who was third in a similar race Jan. 2 and will be favored. In the fifth race, Fuentes rides Afleet Domination in a $25,000 claimer for older horses at a mile. Afleet Domination was claimed for $16,000 by John Brocklebank when a well-beaten second Jan. 13. The 4-year-old Afleet Domination faces two tough claimers in City Steel and Freddies Dream.