Apprentice jockey Roman quickly rises to top

ARCADIA, Calif. – The apprentice jockey who collected suspension days in the winter and spring at Santa Anita is collecting wins this summer.

Evin Roman, a 19-year-old native of Puerto Rico, has stormed to the fore of the jockey standings in Southern California in recent weeks and could win the riding title for the Santa Anita spring-summer meeting that ends Tuesday.

Roman had his first four-win day Sunday, including the first stakes win of his career on Street Surrender in the $79,450 Southern Truce Stakes. Through Sunday, Roman had 34 wins, one behind leader Flavien Prat.

Late Sunday afternoon, Roman was more enthralled by his success that day than the prospects of winning the riding title.

“I didn’t think I could do it, especially at a track this famous,” he said through an interpreter, Nancy Dollase, an owners’ liaison for West Point Thoroughbreds.

Not long ago, Roman was better known for his mistakes. In a six-week period from mid-February to late March, Roman was suspended 14 days for three incidents of causing interference, including a six-day suspension that forced him out of action for two weekends in early April.

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Since his return to riding April 20, Roman has improved noticeably. He had his first two-win day May 12 and his first three-win day May 28. The difference can be credited to experience, homework, and listening, according to his veteran agent, Tony Matos.

The suspensions had their benefits, he said.

“He had it coming,” Matos said. “He was green when he got here. It picked up his head, and he learned things he wasn’t aware of.”

Matos said veteran riders such as Santiago Gonzalez, Corey Nakatani, Mike Smith, and Gary Stevens were quick to offer Roman pointers. Roman spent considerable time watching replays and talked race riding with New York star jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. when he rode at Santa Anita on Memorial Day weekend. Ortiz also is from Puerto Rico.

Roman arrived at Santa Anita this year and rode his first mount Feb. 9. He won his first race at Santa Anita on Feb. 18, two days after the stewards issued a suspension penalizing him for three days later that month.

Matos takes the blame for Roman’s early struggles.

“I asked him to do too many things too quick,” Matos said, referring to riding longer races on turf or the track’s quirky hillside turf course.

Roman said he feels as if he’s made considerable gains in recent months.

“I had to ride with intelligence,” said Roman, who speaks limited English.

In recent weeks, he has gained mounts from leading stables on the circuit. Roman rides frequently for Peter Miller, who through Sunday led all trainers at the meeting with 31 wins. On June 17, Roman rode his first mount for trainer Bob Baffert, winning a maiden race on Microrithms.

Street Surrender is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. The Southern Truce Stakes was Roman’s fourth mount in a stakes and the first time he rode Street Surrender.

Hollendorfer said the jockey’s affiliation with Matos was key to the start of their relationship.

“We knew he would get a chance in our barn,” Hollendorfer said. “We found out he was a good gate rider, and that’s kind of important around Santa Anita.

“He’s been riding really well. Why not ride the guy that’s winning?

“So far, he’s handled himself very well. He’s reserved and polite to everybody. We think that he’s going to have a chance to do well if he stays like that.”

Roman claims a five-pound weight deduction that was reduced from seven pounds Sunday after he won his 40th career race on Cannonball Comin in the day’s fifth race. Street Surrender was his 42nd win.

Roman will ride the two-week summer meeting at Los Alamitos that begins July 6 and at Del Mar for the first time when the track opens its summer meeting July 19. On Friday’s eight-race program at Santa Anita, Roman rides seven races.

Roman has apprentice status through March 11. He could have leading-rider status in the next week.

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