Each month we’ll take a trip to the backstretch and visit with a different jockey or trainer. This month the spotlight is on jockey Jorge Chavez, who has been riding on the NYRA circuit for 20 years, winning six consecutive New York riding titles from 1994-1999.

Born in Callao, Peru, Chavez didn’t start riding until he was 20 years old, when a friend took him to the races for the first time. He rode his first winner, a horse called Marst, the following year in 1982, and has been riding in the United States since 1988. After dominating the Florida circuit during his first two years in this country, Chavez came to New York in 1990 looking for new challenges and has been riding here ever since.

In a career with many highlights, 1999 stands out. It was the year in which Chavez won two Breeders’ Cup races (the Sprint, aboard 1999 Eclipse Champion Sprinter Artax, and the Distaff, aboard 1999 Champion Older Female Beautiful Pleasure), and the year in which he won his own Eclipse Award as Top Jockey. Two years later, Chavez won the 2001 Kentucky Derby aboard Monarchos, who passed through New York en route to Louisville, finishing second in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

Now in his 20th year in New York and still going strong, Chavez reflected on some of the high points in his career so far.

Q: Tell me about how you got started riding in Peru.

Chavez: At that time I was working on the bus, I was the ticket guy. My friend said to me, “How would you like to be a jockey?” I said “Oh, I don’t know.” and he said “One day I’m going to take you to the racetrack and maybe you’ll like it.” I’d never been before. So when I went to the racetrack and started watching, I saw all the jockeys and said, “Oh, these guys are small. I can be one of these guys!” That’s how I started. Then he introduced me to some trainers, and the trainers told me “You need papers and permission from your parents or family, whatever you have. Then we’ll try and teach you.”

Q: You were young when you started, but today you often see riders starting out in their teens. Do you think it’s advantageous to begin riding at a young age?

Chavez: Younger is better. That’s what I think, so you have time to learn. This business is not easy and there’s a lot to learn. When you’re younger, people can help you and teach you. It’s better to start younger because then by twenty, you’ve learned to be professional.

Q: How difficult was it for you to get your start?

Chavez: It went so fast for me and it was very easy. Everything I was doing was going my way, everything. I was twenty years old and everything I did was right – even sometimes when it wasn’t, it still worked out the right way!

I was very lucky to start and do well right away. In so many years on the racetrack, I’ve seen that people usually struggle a little bit at the start, before they start winning. For me, it was so fast. I was very lucky in that.

Q: I understand that you ended up coming to ride in America almost by accident? You came for a vacation in 1988 and ended up staying? Tell me that story.

Chavez: I came to Miami for vacation and a friend of mine – I was staying in his house – he loved horses. I think one of his friends told him to make me ride over here. I told him “I don’t want to ride. I just came for vacation; I’m here to have a good time.” They just kept pushing me though, and after three or four days I said “Why not? Let me try.” My friend’s friend, he arranged the whole thing – I just had a visa for vacation, not a working visa - and he said don’t worry, we’ll take care of that. And he took care of the whole thing; he got me papers and everything.

Q: How did it go at first?

Chavez: In the first four or five days, I was on two horses. I won one race and finished second in the other one. The next day I was riding three - I won two, and another second. Every day I was winning two, three, four races and when I saw my first paycheck I said “That’s it,” and decided to stay.

Q: You dominated the Florida circuit when you first came over – you were the leading rider at Gulfstream Park the following year in 1989, right?

Chavez: That year I was leading rider in…where was I? Calder, Tropical Meet, Gulfstream. I won every single meet that they had down there that year.

Q: Were you able to carry that momentum with you when you came to New York in 1990?

Chavez: I came over here and I started winning right away, too. I was the leading rider at Belmont in the fall of 1990 and also at Aqueduct 1990-1991. And then I was the leading rider in New York for six years, from 1994 through 1999.

Q: What changes have you seen to the NYRA circuit over the years?

Chavez: It’s changed a little bit. New trainers, the people are different – a lot of people who used to be here aren’t here anymore. It was different then. You started to race here and you stayed here.

Q: Do you have a favorite among the three NYRA tracks?

Chavez: My favorite NYRA track is Belmont. To me – I’ve ridden on a lot of different racetracks in different countries – and I think the best, the best, out of all the tracks I’ve been to is Belmont. It’s not too fast, it’s not too slow; I think it’s perfect for the horses and very safe.

Q: What do you like about riding on the NYRA circuit?

Chavez: I love it. I’ve been here so many years, to me it’s like being part of a family. After so many years, I have a lot of friends here and I love to hang out every day.

Q: You won the 2001 Kentucky Derby aboard Monarchos, tell me about him.

Chavez: I knew I was going to win the Derby with that horse since the first time I rode him. That horse was an amazing horse. He used to come from behind and he didn’t like you to rush him too much. When I broke his maiden, I told the trainer (John Ward Jr.): “This is a Derby horse, you’ve got a Derby winner over here.” And he just looked at me and gave me a little smile.

Q: What do you remember about Derby Day?

Chavez: I was very, very confident. The trainer told me, the horse is good, as good as when he won the Florida Derby, maybe better. When he told me that, I knew there was no way I could lose that race.

Q: The time of that Derby - 1:59.97 – was the second-fastest in the history of the race, behind only Secretariat. You said earlier that Monarchos liked to come from behind, were you happy with the way the race set up for you?

Chavez: In the Derby, they’re always going pretty fast, it’s not going to be an easy pace. I knew for sure that was going to be my race because everybody is always going fast - it was perfect for my horse.

Q: Favorite horse you’ve ever ridden?

Chavez: Monarchos. He was easy to ride and he would do whatever you wanted. Nice horse.

Q. You also won two Breeders’ Cup races at Gulfstream Park in 1999, the Sprint aboard Artax and the Distaff aboard Beautiful Pleasure. How did that day compare to the Derby?

Chavez: Not even close. You can’t even compare them. I was so happy when I won the Derby, so excited. I don’t even know what I was saying in the interview after the race. That was amazing. You feel and you think so many things. In one second, you have a million things on your mind. You don’t expect it. I knew I was going to win, but after I passed the wire, my whole body just kind of...I can’t explain it, but that was my favorite moment of my career.

Q: Are there any other riders you especially admire?

Chavez: When I was learning race riding, I was watching Laffit Pincay a lot. He was my role model at that time. I was just wishing to be like him.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time? I know I just interrupted your Ping Pong game!

Chavez: I like to play ping pong, or play cards. I always have to do something - I’m not a person who can sit around and do nothing. Even in the house I have to do something. I’m easy going, but I always have to be doing something.

Q: You’ve already had such a distinguished career, but is there anything you still hope to accomplish as a rider?

Chavez: I wish I could win another Derby. My goal right now…my hope, my wish, my dream come true would be to win the Triple Crown. But for that, you need to have another nice horse. Maybe I’ll find one – who knows?