Rider Junior Alvarado joins Past the Wire TV with Jim Gazzale to discuss his 2,000th career victory. He also reflects back on a record 2022 season and his win in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with Cody’s Wish at Keeneland.
Junior shares which race will also be the most special to him, plus the one race he wishes he could do all over again.
Jim asks about three of Junior’s mounts on Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream Park, including Art Collector and Decorated Invader.
Summary of One-on-One with Junior Alvarado
Junior Alvarado is a successful horse racer who has won 2000 races. In this video, he discusses some of his most memorable races, his goals for the future, and how he prepares for and races one-on-one. He is excited for the upcoming Pegasus World Cup and discusses the benefits of tracking trips.
- 00:00:00 Junior Alvarado is the newest member of Racing’s 2000 win Club and is grateful for the 2000 wins and injuries that have helped him get to this point. He reflects on the feeling of completing the milestone and what it means to him.
- 00:05:00 Junior Alvarado discusses his 2000 win in the Arlington Park Stakes, one of his most memorable races. He also talks about his goals for the year ahead and how preparing for a grade one race differs from preparing for a race with a horse he doesn’t know well.
- 00:10:00 Junior Alvarado discusses his horse, Art Collector, trained by Billy Mott, and how he approaches race betting. He explains that he handicaps each race based on the rider, the horse, and the track conditions. He predicts that his horse will be a challenging opponent in Saturday’s Big Race.
- 00:15:00 Junior Alvarado talks about his success on the horse racing circuit, his relationship with Cody’s Wish, and his excitement for Saturday’s race. He also discusses confidence and how it can change throughout the year.
- 00:20:00 Junior Alvarado talks about the race that he won with CyberKnife, his horse’s impressive run down the stretch, and his strategy for the race. He discusses his confidence leading up to the wire and the feeling of victory when he crossed it first.
- 00:25:00 Junior Alvarado discusses how he prepares for and races one-on-one races. He explains that he always tries to follow horses who he thinks have a chance to win, and that if he isn’t in the top three, he usually tips out or splits horses.
- 00:30:00 Junior Alvarado discusses his 2000 wins at the Pegasus World Cup and his involvement in this year’s race. He also discusses the benefits of tracking trips, which can help any horseplayer.
