Contreras, Esquivel off to hot start in family affair

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Cipriano Contreras and his nephew, jockey Emmanuel Esquivel, are off to a fast start at Oaklawn.

“We got lucky a couple of horses ran okay early in the meet,” Contreras said. “Sometimes you get a good start. Sometimes you end up doing okay. Sometimes nothing goes your way. When you win a race, you better have a good dinner. It might be a good while before you get a good dinner again.”

From all accounts, both men are eating well.

Contreras, 54, is tied for second in the standings with a record of eight wins from 23 starts, while his 35 percent win rate leads all trainers who have saddled at least three runners at the meet.

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Esquivel, 33, is third in the standings with an 11-for-81 record, and to date his mounts have earned $877,734. The rider has been aboard seven winners for Contreras, who said it’s the first season his nephew is riding full time at Oaklawn.

“He’s been riding for me a while,” Contreras said. “He grew up with me. He’s my sister’s kid. His father and I used to work for the same guy in Chicago, a trainer named Mike Reavis. I was his assistant for 30 years. Manny grew up being at the barn, went to school, then started riding.

“He’s doing very well. I’m very proud of him, but I’m prouder that he’s a good family man. He has a wife and a couple of kids and spends as much time as he can with them. I think at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing.”

Contreras said he brought about 24 horses to Oaklawn.

“They’ve claimed 10 of them already,” he said. “I think I lost eight the first few weekends of the meet.”

Contreras said he has since claimed horses at the meet. He also has a division of runners at Turfway Park, where trainee Woodcourt starts in the Leonatus Stakes on Saturday.

Contreras and Esquivel will team together Friday, in the third and fourth races at Oaklawn.

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