Broberg, McMahon form potent trainer-jockey duo at Lone Star

When Karl Broberg asked C.J. McMahon if he would ride first call for his stable this meet at Lone Star Park, the 20-year-old jockey did not hesitate to join forces with the man who currently ranks as the leading trainer in wins in North America.

“I told him, ‘No problem,’ ” McMahon said. “It was a great opportunity. Those opportunities don’t always come along.”

The alliance has proven to be a powerful one. Broberg is Lone Star’s leading trainer at this meet with a 41 percent strike rate. McMahon also has a commanding lead in the Lone Star standings, bolstered by his feat last weekend of winning five races on Saturday and another five on Sunday.

“Saturday was the first time I’ve won five races in a day,” McMahon said. “I’ve won four, but this was my first time winning five. I knew going into Saturday I had some live horses running. I also knew Sunday I had some live horses running, so I went out with a lot of confidence.”

McMahon’s confidence is one of the reasons Broberg wanted to bring the rider on board at Lone Star. The men started to team together on a regular basis late in the meet this past winter at Delta Downs. Prior to their partnership, Broberg had been paying close attention to McMahon.

“At Delta, even though he wasn’t riding the best of stock, he had every horse in the right position,” Broberg said. “And regardless of the price they were, he was riding the hair off of them, getting everything he could off of each of his mounts.”

McMahon, a native of Lafayette, La., has enjoyed working closely with Broberg.

“He’s a stand-up guy,” McMahon said. “I know he does his job, and he knows I’m going to do my job, and at the end of the day, that makes [our relationship] that much tighter.”

McMahon hails from a racing family. His father, Charles McMahon, is a successful Quarter Horse jockey whose accomplishments include winning the prestigious All American Derby. His mother, Sandra McMahon, is a racing official from Evangeline Downs.

“My grandfather was a Quarter Horse trainer,” he said, “and I started out galloping on the farm with him. And my dad helped me out.”

McMahon won his first race on May 4, 2011, at Evangeline, was the meet’s leading apprentice, and went on to top the apprentice standings at Fair Grounds. He also rode some in Kentucky and Indiana while continuing to be a regular in Louisiana. Following the Lone Star meet that closes July 19, McMahon plans to ride at Remington Park. He said he’s still determining what he will do with the nearly monthlong interim between meets.

“I don’t know if I’m going to take time off or go ride somewhere,” he said.

For now, however, the focus is continuing the success he’s had with Broberg.

“It’s worked out incredibly well,” Broberg said.

A M Milky Way to Louisiana

Broberg also won five races each on Saturday and Sunday, with some of the wins coming at different tracks. Broberg won two races Saturday at Lone Star and had winners at Evangeline and Canterbury. Broberg on Sunday put McMahon on four winners at Lone Star and scored at Prairie Meadows.

Broberg has a division at Prairie and said Diva’s Diamond remains on deck for a defense of her title in the Iowa Distaff. Another top horse for the barn, A M Milky Way, was a dominant allowance winner Saturday at Canterbury.

“We’re going to weigh all our 3-year-old sprint-stakes options that are out there,” Broberg said of plans for the David Davis-owned A M Milky Way. “He’s shown he’s okay shipping track to track. We want to keep him against 3-year-olds.”

A M Milky Way, a stakes winner at Sam Houston and Prairie, is now settled in at Louisiana Downs, said Broberg.

Broberg has a leading contender in the track’s feature Thursday, sending out Cruachan in a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up at about 7 1/2 furlongs on turf. In his last start, the horse was second to Bully Good, a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Promise Me Silver, at the same level at Lone Star.