Flavien Prat and Nelson Arroyo.
If you want some real race track talk you are in the right place.
This is an episode of Past The Wire TV anyone who likes horse racing will enjoy. We cover a lot of racing and have a glimpse of behind the scenes as a jockey and a jockey agent.
Nelson Arroyo sits down with us to talk about his career as a rider and as an agent. Nothing came easy to Nelson and he is working to make things easier for his boys. The son of a fighter who was a sparring partner for Roberto Duran, Nelson originally was going to be a boxer. Two trucks had other ideas. Like his brother Norberto, Nelson wound up a jockey and takes us through all it takes, and how the rough end to that career launched his next one.
You’ll hear what a jockey has to deal with and what an agent has to do. We talk about other riders, different eras, race riding and hoe it differs from recklessness. Fear or the lack of fear. Give them room or box them in, let them run or take a hold. Pain, how do you deal with it, pressure, every single day. We even get an update on Norberto Arroyo and his future plans. Hear some of what goes on the public does not ever see or know all from the perspective of someone who has lived it.
Irad Ortiz, Luis Saez, Flavien Prat, gets Nelson’s take on all of these riders and even Angel Cordero who mentored him at one time. We even talk a little boxing to close things out.
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Summary of Real Racing Talk and more, Nelson Arroyo
Nelson Arroyo is a former jockey and current jockey agent who has been successful in finding and training young jockeys. In this video, he discusses the importance of a jockey’s confidence and how it affects the horse and rider. Arroyo also shares how his career was cut short due to an accident, but how he was able to get back up and continue riding thanks to the guidance of his agent and mentor, Max Hall.
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- 00:00:00 Nelson Arroyo is a former jockey and current jockey agent who has been successful in finding and training young jockeys. He first reached out to Puerto Rico for jockeys, and then introduced them to California.
- 00:05:00 Nelson Arroyo, a former jockey and trainer, discusses the importance of a jockey’s confidence and how it affects the horse and rider. He also discusses his riding career and how it has helped him develop confidence in his riding.
- 00:10:00 Nelson Arroyo discusses how, even if a horse is “going to win,” riders can make a tremendous difference each and every day. Arroyo also shares how his career was cut short due to an accident, but how he was able to get back up and continue riding thanks to the guidance of his agent and mentor, Max Hall.
- 00:15:00 Nelson Arroyo discusses his two accidents that ended his racing career, as well as how he has dealt with them mentally. Arroyo credits his faith in God with helping him through the tough times.
- 00:20:00 In this video, Nelson Arroyo describes how he was injured in an accident on April 10th, 2010, and how he decided to retire from riding. He also discusses the importance of understanding your horse’s temperament, and how to be a professional rider.
- 00:25:00 Nelson Arroyo describes his experience of breaking his back while racing. After describing the pain, he talks about his fight against fear and how it helped him to overcome it. Finally, he talks about how he is now able to live a normal life despite the injury.
- 00:30:00 Nelson Arroyo discusses the challenges of being a successful professional race jockey, including the pain and fear that comes with the job. He also talks about his experience with brother riders who were killed in races. Arroyo explains how he was able to overcome these challenges and continue to be a successful jockey.
- 00:35:00 Nelson Arroyo discusses the competitive nature of racetrack life and how it can often lead to misunderstandings and blown races. He gives the example of two riders embroiled in a dispute, which could lead to one of them getting injured or even killed.
- 00:40:00 Nelson Arroyo discusses how some great racers, like Angel Cordero and Jacinto Vasquez, were able to ride without being reckless or aggressive. He also mentions how Greg McCarron, who won the Belmont Stakes used this strategy, is a good example.
- 00:45:00 Nelson Arroyo is a successful jockey who stresses the importance of having a clock in your head. He teaches apprentices how to be professional and successful through working on horses.
- 00:50:00 The video discusses Abel Lezcano, a professional rider who has had a successful comeback in recent years. Arroyo talks about how he met Lezcano and helped him get his career back on track, and how Lezcano is currently recovering from a kidney transplant in Panama. Arroyo is grateful for the opportunity to have been Lezcano’s friend, and says that he is an excellent rider and a good friend.
- 00:55:00 Nelson Arroyo, a former professional horse racing rider, discusses how Abel has had many setbacks in his life, but is now doing well. Arroyo also discusses his brother Norberto, who is very talented at writing horse racing stories. Arroyo is hopeful that Abel will be able to make a full recovery and come back to racing.
- 01:00:00 Nelson Arroyo discusses the challenge of being an agent for top riders, explaining that it’s difficult to maintain relationships with everyone while still trying to make money. He also discusses the benefits of starting someone young and having no business, as it’s on them that credit is given for their success.
- 01:05:00 As an agent, Nelson Arroyo is constantly busy due to the condition book coming out each week. He first has to go through each phase to see which races the horses have been assigned to run in. The first day the condition book comes out, is the first day to the second day it is available for purchase. He has to make sure he writes down the horses he wishes to ride and gets permission from their trainers beforehand. He also keeps in touch with his clients to make sure they are aware of the changes in the race schedule and whether they need to make any alterations to their plans.
- 01:10:00 Nelson Arroyo discusses the relationships between riders and their agents and how making a mistake can have consequences for both parties. He also talks about the Pegasus World Cup and how Junior Alvarado won the race on a horse that he had ridden.
- 01:15:00 Nelson Arroyo discusses his sons’ involvement in horse racing, boxing, and sales. He emphasizes the importance of discipline, focus, and work ethic in all three sports, and believes that Floyd Mayweather is a great fighter who is not as overrated as many people believe.
- 01:20:00 Nelson Arroyo discusses Floyd Mayweather’s defensive greatness and how he picked his opponents. He also thinks that Tyson could have been as great as he was in his prime, if he had fought someone his own weight class.
- 01:25:00 In this interview Nelson discusses his thoughts on one of the best boxers of all time, Mike Tyson. Tyson was devastating in his prime, but lost focus later in his career. If he had maintained focus, he may have been the best boxer of all time.
- 01:30:00 In this video, Jon Stettin discusses the fact that Mike Tyson was a difficult opponent to beat and how he was given a tip to bet on Buster Douglas, who was a “1000-to-1” underdog.
