Tampabay downs media guide 16-0273-JK2
Jockey Profile Jose C. Ferrer Born: March 31, 1964 Birthplace: Santurce, Puerto Rico Residence: Tampa, FL Family: Wife, Steffi; sons, Derek Gregory and Joseph First Win: Meadowlands, 1983 Started Riding: 1982, Monmouth Park Circuit: Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth Park The Feb. 14 card, 2016 was one to remember for Ferrer. He captured backto-back races that day, with the second victory, aboard Rocket Bottle for owner-trainer Robert G. Smith, No. 4,000 in the rider’s illustrious career. The entire jockey colony, family and friends descended on the winner’s circle to congratulate the popular veteran, who has built an enviable record since arriving on the scene in 1982. Ferrer finished ninth in the standings with 30 victories. He has 26 graded-stakes victories, none bigger than the Grade I Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga in 2000 on Stormy Pick. The victory aboard the Ben Perkins, Jr.-trained 2-year-old filly came a week after Ferrer had won the Grade II, $350,000 Iselin Handicap at Monmouth on Rize. Ferrer prides himself on staying in top condition, crediting his exercise regimen with helping him successfully compete against jockeys half his age. Ferrer began his U.S. riding career at Calder Race Course in Miami before heading north to New Jersey. Later that year, he became the first jockey to win five races on a single card at Meadowlands. Ferrer was the leading jockey in 2015 at the month-long Meadowlands meeting with eight victories and placed sixth at Monmouth Park with 41 winners. “I’m naturally pretty light, and that helps a lot,” said Ferrer, who also credits his family and his faith for keeping him strong Antonio A. Gallardo Born: July 18, 1987 Birthplace: Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain Residence: Family: First Win: Started Riding: Circuit: Tampa, FL Wife, Polliana; son, Carlos; daughter, Christa Teifani, Costa del Sol Costa del Sol, Malaga, Spain Tampa Bay Downs, Presque Isle Downs, Monmouth Park The hard-driving Spaniard is a man on a mission. After posting 320 victories in 2015 to finish second in North America to Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano, Gallardo was again in the running for national honors by late summer. He has won three consecutive jockey titles at Tampa Bay Downs, setting a track record with 147 winners during the 2014-2015 meeting, and appeared well on his way to a third consecutive crown at Presque Isle Downs while also winning races at Monmouth. In July, he rode his 1,000th winner at Presque Isle, and a few days later he captured his first career gradedstakes victory on Front Pocket Money in the Grade III Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth. Gallardo has won five races on a card at Tampa Bay Downs three times, most recently on Feb. 24. Trainer Kathleen O’Connell might have said it best after Gallardo set the Tampa Bay Downs single-season victory record aboard her 5-year-old gelding Silver Halo at the tail end of the 2014-2015 meeting. “He’s relentless in his work ethic. I don’t care if there is one horse to breeze, he comes out for whoever’s horse it is,” O’Connell said. “He is very astute at studying horses and films, and he is just a wonderful person to work with.” During the 2015-2016 Oldsmar meeting, Gallardo won the Gasparilla Stakes on R Girls a Charmer and captured two Florida Cup Day stakes: the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore on Imperial Hint and the Tampa Turf Classic on Go Around. Gallardo emerged as a force to be reckoned with at Calder Race Course on Aug. 24, 2013 by winning four consecutive stakes, the last three for O’Connell. Gallardo’s first victory came in the Lindsay Frolic Stakes for 2-yearold fillies on Flat Out Charming. He and O’Connell then teamed to capture the Catcharisingstar Stakes with sophomore filly Secret Kitten; the Florida Stallion Susan’s Girl Stakes with 2-year-old filly Scandalous Act; and the Florida Stallion Affirmed Stakes with My Brown Eyed Guy. 32
Jockey Profile Chelsey Keiser Born: February 6, 1992 Birthplace: Piqua, Ohio Residence: North Star, Ohio Family: Parents, Mike and Deb Keiser; sister, Mandy First Win: Smileforthecamera, Laurel Park, 2013 Started Riding: 2013, Laurel Park Circuit: Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth Park Growing up in North Star, Ohio, horses were always a part of Keiser’s life. She competed in barrel racing as a youngster, but when she began exercising horses on the family farm at 14, she made up her mind to become a jockey. “There is something addictive about racing Thoroughbreds,” she said. “When you win a race, it’s the best feeling in the world and you want to do it again, and when you get beat you’ve got to do it again because you want to win.” Keiser has a unique ability to transmit her joy and love of horses to the public, and her winner’s-circle celebrations are always festive occasions. Now, staying healthy is the major obstacle to her ongoing success. In 2015 at Monmouth Park, she suffered a broken collarbone that kept her out of action almost four months. She won her first two races upon her return to the saddle, one at Indiana Grand and one at Mountaineer, and wasted no time making an impact at Tampa Bay Downs last season, winning the first race on the Nov. 28 Opening Day card on Category. She finished the meeting in 13th place with 21 victories and moved her tack to Monmouth, where she was again injured, suffering a fractured sternum when her horse clipped heels with another that drifted into their path. Keiser was expected to be out at least two months, but is eager to return to competition and regain her form from the 2015-2016 Oldsmar meeting. Victor Lebron Born: July 21, 1984 Birthplace: St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Residence: Florence, KY Family: Wife, Ruth; daughters Maya, Leslieann, Lea and Jaslean; twin boys, Jayden and Akilies Started Riding: St. Croix Circuit: Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth Park Lebron has established himself in the top rank of Tampa Bay Downs jockeys during the past two seasons. He was sixth in the 2014-2015 standings with 33 victories, including a triumph aboard Irish Jasper in stakes-record time in the seven-furlong Gasparilla Stakes for owner-trainer Derek Ryan. He was also sixth last season with 35 victories. Lebron has a knack for making a strong first impression. He won the first graded stakes he ever rode, piloting 21-1 shot Swift Temper to victory in the Grade III Gardenia Handicap at Ellis Park in 2008. And in his first season at Tampa Bay Downs two years ago, he won the Super Stakes on Our Double Play for trainer Phil Bauer. Lebron, who won 263 races in 2008, has surpassed the 1,500-mark in career victories. He won the Grade II Indiana Oaks in 2013 aboard Pure Fun for trainer Ken McPeek. It was another McPeek runner that gave Lebron his most memorable moment in racing. After riding Frac Daddy to a second-place finish in the 2013 Arkansas Derby, Lebron got to ride him in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, becoming one of a small number of African-American riders to compete in the Run for the Roses. Also in the field was his St. Croix Central High School classmate Kevin Krigger, also African-American, aboard Goldencents. 33
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- Page 9 and 10: The Downs Golf Practice Facility Lo
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- Page 27 and 28: Jockey Profiles Mike Allen Born: Au
- Page 29 and 30: Jockey Profile Daniel Centeno Born:
- Page 31: Jockey Profile Fernando De La Cruz
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- Page 51 and 52: Owner Profiles Gilbert G. Campbell
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Jockey Profile<br />
Chelsey Keiser<br />
Born: February 6, 1992<br />
Birthplace: Piqua, Ohio<br />
Residence: North Star, Ohio<br />
Family: Parents, Mike and Deb Keiser; sister, Mandy<br />
First Win: Smileforthecamera, Laurel Park, 2013<br />
Started Riding: 2013, Laurel Park<br />
Circuit: Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth Park<br />
Growing up in North Star, Ohio, horses were always a part of Keiser’s life.<br />
She competed in barrel racing as a youngster, but when she began exercising<br />
horses on the family farm at 14, she made up her mind to become a jockey.<br />
“There is something addictive about racing Thoroughbreds,” she said. “When<br />
you win a race, it’s the best feeling in the world and you want to do it again, and<br />
when you get beat you’ve got to do it again because you want to win.” Keiser<br />
has a unique ability to transmit her joy and love of horses to the public, and her<br />
winner’s-circle celebrations are always festive occasions. Now, staying healthy<br />
is the major obstacle to her ongoing success. In 2015 at Monmouth Park, she<br />
suffered a broken collarbone that kept her out of action almost four months.<br />
She won her first two races upon her return to the saddle, one at Indiana Grand<br />
and one at Mountaineer, and wasted no time making an impact at Tampa Bay<br />
Downs last season, winning the first race on the Nov. 28 Opening Day card on<br />
Category. She finished the meeting in 13th place with 21 victories and moved<br />
her tack to Monmouth, where she was again injured, suffering a fractured<br />
sternum when her horse clipped heels with another that drifted into their path.<br />
Keiser was expected to be out at least two months, but is eager to return to<br />
competition and regain her form from the 2015-20<strong>16</strong> Oldsmar meeting.<br />
Victor Lebron<br />
Born: July 21, 1984<br />
Birthplace: St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands<br />
Residence: Florence, KY<br />
Family: Wife, Ruth; daughters Maya, Leslieann, Lea and Jaslean; twin boys,<br />
Jayden and Akilies<br />
Started Riding: St. Croix<br />
Circuit: Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth Park<br />
Lebron has established himself in the top rank of Tampa Bay Downs jockeys<br />
during the past two seasons. He was sixth in the 2014-2015 standings with 33<br />
victories, including a triumph aboard Irish Jasper in stakes-record time in the<br />
seven-furlong Gasparilla Stakes for owner-trainer Derek Ryan. He was also<br />
sixth last season with 35 victories. Lebron has a knack for making a strong first<br />
impression. He won the first graded stakes he ever rode, piloting 21-1 shot<br />
Swift Temper to victory in the Grade III Gardenia Handicap at Ellis Park in 2008.<br />
And in his first season at Tampa Bay Downs two years ago, he won the Super<br />
Stakes on Our Double Play for trainer Phil Bauer. Lebron, who won 263 races<br />
in 2008, has surpassed the 1,500-mark in career victories. He won the Grade II<br />
Indiana Oaks in 2013 aboard Pure Fun for trainer Ken McPeek. It was another<br />
McPeek runner that gave Lebron his most memorable moment in racing. After<br />
riding Frac Daddy to a second-place finish in the 2013 Arkansas Derby, Lebron<br />
got to ride him in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, becoming<br />
one of a small number of African-American riders to compete in the Run for the<br />
Roses. Also in the field was his St. Croix Central High School classmate Kevin<br />
Krigger, also African-American, aboard Goldencents.<br />
33
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