4/26/26 Barn Notes
Compiled by Robert Yates
A Panamanian jockey continues to have a major impact on the Oaklawn standings. But this season, it’s not Ricardo Santana Jr., an eight-time local riding champion who is now based in New York. It’s apprentice Amir Mendoza.
Mendoza notched his 31st victory of the 2025-2026 meeting when City of Angels ($9.40) captured Saturday’s first race for trainer Abel Ramirez-Rodriguez.
Mendoza, in his Oaklawn debut, is the runaway leader among apprentice riders in victories and purse earnings ($1,861,003), figures that ranked seventh and ninth, respectively, overall entering Sunday.
“I didn’t set a specific target for the number of wins because in this sport you never know what might happen,” Mendoza, 21, said through his agent, Joe Santos. “However, I do have a clear objective – to make a name for myself as a jockey and to demonstrate what I am capable of doing out on the track. To be honest, things have gone very well for us at Oaklawn and I hope that many more victories are still to come.”
Originally from Los Santos, a Panamanian province on the Pacific Ocean, Mendoza said he’s the first member of his family to pursue a career in horse racing. Mendoza said he rode horses “at a very young age” and was 18 when he rode his first Thoroughbred at Presidente Remon Racetrack in Panama City.
Mendoza’s first career mount was Dec. 8, 2024, at Presidente Remon, five days after graduating from the famed Laffit Pincay Jr. Jockey Training Academy, which also produced, among others, Luis Saez, who rode 34 winners this season at Oaklawn and is one of America’s top riders.
“I am particularly inspired by the career path Luis Saez has forged throughout his time as a jockey,” Mendoza said.
After winning 35 races in Panama, Mendoza said Santos and Miguel Ossa, the jockey’s agent there, agreed that riding in the United States would be a logical career move. Santos, who juggles 10 riders, decided to place Mendoza on the Kentucky-Arkansas circuit to begin his American career because of “excellent opportunities” for an apprentice, the jockey said.
Mendoza made his United States debut Nov. 19 at Churchill Downs and was winless in nine starts at its fall meeting. The stacked riding colony included Eclipse Award winners Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz and Tyler Gaffalione and Saez.
“Although I didn’t win, despite coming very close in my first race at Churchill Downs, I didn’t let it discourage me,” Mendoza said. “I knew going in that I would be competing against the very best in this sport and that it wouldn’t be easy at all.”
Mendoza has quickly built his resume at Oaklawn, riding winners for 18 trainers since the meeting opened Dec. 12. Two victories have been for the retiring Dan Ward, who will begin overseeing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s new Churchill Downs division early next month.
Mendoza is scheduled to ride Ward’s final Oaklawn starter, Gold Strategy, in the $150,000 Natural State Breeders’ Stakes Thursday at Oaklawn. Mendoza is seeking his first career stakes victory in the United States.
“He’s really polished,” Ward said. “Watch a race sometimes and you say, ‘Who’s that? That guy looks good on a horse.’ He’s good. He doesn’t get rattled.”
Mendoza said his strengths as a rider are patience and analyzing situations to best position a horse during a race.
“There’s always something to improve on – even if it is just the slightest detail – but I believe that, with time, anything can be improved,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza is scheduled to lose his 5-pound apprentice weight allowance May 17, state steward James Lages said. But Lages said Santos is asking stewards of the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation for a six-week extension because of an injury Mendoza sustained in Panama as an apprentice. Mendoza’s apprentice certificate was issued in Kentucky, Lages said.
Once the Oaklawn meeting ends Saturday, Mendoza said he will be based at Horseshoe Indianapolis, adding he will try to ride “seven days a week” by traveling to tracks in Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois.
Santana was Oaklawn’s leading rider in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021. Santana (800 victories) is the fourth-winningest jockey in Oaklawn history. Santana’s 800th Oaklawn victory came aboard Will Take It in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes Feb. 5. It was Santana’s third victory of the meeting.
Finish Lines
There are 13 races for Oaklawn’s May 2 closing-day card, including the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles and the $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship Stakes for state-breds, 3 and up, at 1 1/16 miles. The Lake Ouachita drew a field of eight – American Promise, Willy D’s, Seize the Night, First Division, Coal Battle, Mackman, Subsanador and Digital Ops. Subsanador is a millionaire Grade 1 winner for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. Coal Battle is a millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner for trainer Lonnie Briley. There are 154 horses entered May 2. First post is 12:15 p.m. CDT. … Trainer Mike Maker recorded his first career Oaklawn triple Saturday, winning the sixth race with Shan ($9), eighth race with favored Crushed It ($3.80) and the ninth race with favored Cooke Creek ($4.40). Maker, one of the country’s most successful trainers, won two races Feb. 6, which was his first career multi-win day at Oaklawn. … Queen’s Martini ($19.20) represented the 395th career Oaklawn victory for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs in Saturday’s $200,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes for older fillies and mares at one mile. … Jockey Amin Castillo, who works as an exercise rider for trainer Norm Casse, recorded his second victory of the meeting aboard Saving Heart ($6.20) in Saturday’s fourth race. Castillo and trainer Matt Williams also teamed for an April 12 victory with Saving Heart. … Trainer Robert N. Cline said Sunday morning that Grace Is Free, winner of the $150,000 Mockingbird Stakes Jan. 4 at Oaklawn, will be with trainer Gene Jacquot this summer at Prairie Meadows, along with American Missy and Payton’s Beauty. All three horses are co-owned by retired trainer Larry Jones. Cline will be based this summer at Canterbury Park and cited Prairie Meadows’ higher purses for the move. Grace Is Free, in her last start, finished second in the one-mile $200,000 Valley of the Vapors Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. “Really proud of her,” Cline said. The Mockingbird represented the first career Oaklawn stakes victory for Cline and jockey Kelsi Harr, the trainer’s longtime significant other.
