Espinoza's first win back comes for old friends

ARCADIA, Calif. – Victor Espinoza wore a familiar set of colors to victory aboard St. Joe Bay in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita – the dark green and white silks of owners Pete and Kosta Hronis. The victory was Espinoza’s first since returning to riding in February from a severe injury sustained last summer.

In the last few years, Espinoza has won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita aboard Accelerate, and the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Stellar Wind, two champions owned by Hronis Racing.

St. Joe Bay is not quite a champion, having been claimed for $62,500 last May.

St. Joe Bay was only Espinoza’s fifth mount of the year. The lack of activity was caused largely by a gap of more than three weeks in racing at Santa Anita in March.

In the $200,702 San Carlos Stakes, St. Joe Bay led from the start, held a two-length advantage on the backstretch, and won by three lengths in a 15-1 upset. Espinoza said he took the lead on St. Joe Bay by design.

“I always think big and I was right yesterday,” he said Sunday morning.

Espinoza was the regular rider of Accelerate last summer when the jockey was injured in a spill during workouts at Del Mar. Accelerate later won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November with jockey Joel Rosario to secure the title of champion older male.

By November of last year, Espinoza was progressing in his recovery from injury. Through the second half of the year, Pete and Kosta Hronis and their families kept in touch with Epinoza.

“They were one of Victor’s biggest supporters,” said Brian Beach, Espinoza’s agent. “They probably visited him and checked in on him more than anyone during his recovery.”

The next phone call was sometimes from St. Joe Bay’s trainer, John Sadler, said Espinoza.

“John called me to make sure that I did the right thing,” Espinoza said.

St. Joe Bay, a 7-year-old gelding, has won 7 of 36 starts. The win in the San Carlos Stakes was worth $120,000. Sadler said on Sunday the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes at seven furlongs on May 25 is the next goal for St. Joe Bay.

“That would probably be the place to go,” Sadler said. “He runs well fresh and he likes this track.”