Esquivel hoping to make his mark in New York

Like so many apprentice jockeys before him, Manny Esquivel

brought youth, drive and athletic ability with him when he arrived in New York

hoping to get a jump on the upcoming fall/winter meet at Aqueduct. The

23-year-old also brought with him a couple of things most bug boys could only

dream of -- a meet title at a major racetrack and the chance to ride for New

York's leading trainer.

Esquivel, who began riding professionally at Hawthorne near Chicago in February, 2013, was the first apprentice to win the

riding title at Arlington Park since Wendell Eads did so in 1940, bringing home

83 winners in the five-month meet that concluded on September 29.

A little more than two weeks later, at the behest of agent Bill Castle and

trainer David Jacobson, Esquivel arrived at Belmont Park on October 14.

"I thought Arlington was big

but Belmont is huge," he said.

After overcoming his initial shock Esquivel won with his second mount, Writingonthewall, and also finished third in two other races, all for Jacobson.

Heading into Friday's card, he was 2-2-5 from 27 mounts.

"Bill and I looked all around the country for a good bug

rider to bring in," Jacobson explained. "We decided he was the one we wanted to

work with for the winter, and hopefully long after that.

"He's a very seasoned rider for an apprentice. He's just a real professional.

He's patient, he waits, he knows how to save ground -- he's a real gentleman. We

looked into all this. Hopefully we'll have a lot of fun this winter."

Esquivel, whose wife and one-year-old daughter are staying

in Chicago for the time being, hadn't thought about moving his tack East until

the offer came from Castle, who also represents David Cohen.

"I don't know how he found me, but Bill Castle started

calling me in September asking when I was coming to New York," said Esquivel.

"Everyone wants an opportunity like that. It's a door for me to get into, and

being able to ride for David Jacobson, it makes it less scary to start here.

"Anything can happen, but this could be a really good chance for me.

Hopefully I will get a chance to prove I can ride and they won't regret giving

me a chance."

Although he started his professional career relatively

late, Esquivel's career path seemed preordained. At the age of eight, he moved

with his family from Guerrero, Mexico, to Chicago, where his uncle, an assistant

to trainer Mike Reavis, found work for his parents on the backstretch at

Hawthorne.

"When I was little, they would try to leave me home

sleeping when they went to work," Esquivel described. "I would wake up really

early to go to my dad's barn. Mike Reavis had a little pony and I would ride him

around the barn. I enjoyed it and enjoyed being around the horses. Since I was

little, I've always wanted to be a jockey."

After working in various capacities on the backstretch

during the summer and on weekends, Esquivel dropped out of high school to become

an exercise rider, hoping to soon trade in that license for one as a jockey.

However, immigration issues kept delaying his visa, and at one point he was ready to

return to Mexico with his parents.

"Year after year, I didn't get it, but this year my visa

came through, finally," he said. "The wait was worth it because I learned a

little more every day I was waiting. You never stop learning. That's why being

here is a really good opportunity to learn as much as I can. You have the best

trainers, the best jockeys -- it's another step towards my future."

Even in such a short time, Esquivel has made an impression

on New York horsemen, and not just for his riding ability.

"He's a real gentleman," trainer Gary Sciacca noted. "I

think he's got a little ways to go here, but he's going to make it. He needs to

get accustomed to riding here; he's going to have to get used to riding on the

inner track, where you have to be more aggressive than here at Belmont or in

Chicago.

"Winning the riding title at Arlington was a big feather in

his cap," Sciacca added. "He listens and he's a nice kid. His riding style, if

you have to compare him to someone, is more like Ramon (Dominguez). He sits

high. They run for him, and he has Jacobson behind him, which is pretty good.

He'll be fine."

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