Mendoza has busy day nearing the end of weight allowance
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Amir Mendoza will move into the final three weeks of riding with his apprentice allowance Wednesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He has mounts on all eight Thoroughbred races on the card. They include two maiden events for longtime patron Genaro Garcia and three allowances for trainer John Haran.
Mendoza won his first stateside stakes last Wednesday aboard the Haran-trained C. J’s Storm with a gutsy move up the rail in the $100,000 Nobody Listens Handicap. Mendoza is a 21-year-old native of Panama, where his wins included five handicaps before coming to the United States on Nov. 1.
“He proved this week – with a really good ride in the stakes – that he doesn’t need the weight,” agent Jose Santos Jr. said Saturday. “He’s seasoned at this point. He knows what he’s doing, and I really don’t expect him to lose any support from either John or Genaro. And I don’t expect him to stop winning because his five pounds is gone.”
In the third race, Mendoza rides probable favorite Socorro’s Prayer in the first-level allowance sprint for Indiana-breds. He exits a third-place finish to Jr Shadow Boy in the Sagamore Sired Handicap.
Mendoza has the mount on Hawkeye, a stakes winner over C. J’s Storm in early June, in the fifth race. The allowance also drew a pair of shippers from trainer David Jacobson and a top Arkansas-bred in Navy Seal.
Mendoza is the current leading apprentice at Horseshoe Indianapolis and he was the leading apprentice at the Oaklawn meet that ended May 2.
Following the Arkansas meet, there were a number of reasons to head to Indiana, said Santos.
“Just kind of a really good place to build,” he said. “Obviously, Amir had success with Genaro over at Oaklawn, and started hooking up with John Haran now. Those are two really good barns to ride for.”
Mendoza was 10 for 76 at Indianapolis through Sunday. His mounts have earned $374,516. During the card last Wednesday, his victory on C. J’s Storm secured the win for Team Panama in the 12th annual World Jockey Challenge at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The event awards points to the home countries of winning riders on the card.
Santos said Mendoza will continue to be based in Indiana, while riding from time to time in Kentucky. From there, plans are to return to Oaklawn.
◗ The draw for the Indiana Derby is July 6. The Grade 3, $300,000 race is expected to anchor a card of eight stakes that includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Indiana Oaks.
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