The jockey who carved his name in thoroughbred horse racing lore Saturday by riding an 80-to-1 long shot to a Kentucky Derby victory is a “very, very hard worker” who cut his teeth at tracks in nearby Youngstown and other parts of Ohio.
Although Venezuela native Sonny Leon lives in Florence, Ky., he has done much of his racing at tracks in Ohio, including the Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Austintown just outside Youngstown, about 76 miles from Pittsburgh, agent Jeff Perrin said Sunday.
Mr. Leon and his horse Rich Strike stunned the racing world on Saturday by beating Derby favorite Epicenter, the second-place finisher, in an epic run. Rich Strike was only in the 20-horse field of 3-year-olds because of a scratch on Friday.
In the end, the horse became the second-longest shot to win the storied Run for the Roses since its inception in 1875.
“I’m on the moon,” Mr. Perrin gushed Sunday, his voice still hoarse from Saturday’s excitement. “It’s almost not real.”
But Mr. Perrin was not the least bit surprised that his 32-year-old client was able to pull it off.
The agent described Mr. Leon as an “incredibly charismatic, positive young man” who possesses judgment and awareness as he races and who understands the horse he is riding.
“He’s very smart about where he places the horse in the race and is just a very powerful athlete,” he said.
That was evident Saturday as Mr. Leon navigated Rich Strike through the 20-horse field. He started from the far outside post before quickly steering Rich Strike toward the rail.
For much of the race, the jockey kept his horse toward the back of the pack before charging, passing more than a dozen competitors. He deftly guided Rich Strike to the inside and zigzagged through traffic to blow by Epicenter in the stretch and claim the race by three-quarters of a length.
Before Saturday’s fairy-tale finish, Mr. Leon wasn’t exactly a household name. As a regular jockey at the Mahoning Valley Race Course, he won 226 times last year out of 1,125 starts, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.
His overall wins totaled 768, the Louisville Courier Journal reported. Until Saturday, Mr. Leon had never ridden a horse that garnered as much as $251,000. The Derby purse for the winner totaled $1.86 million.
Mr. Perrin said his client has been on a hot streak as of late, piling up the most wins of any jockey in four consecutive racing seasons.
“It was absolutely, completely overwhelming,” Mr. Perrin said. “He’s been quite successful the last three or four years since I had him.”
The way Mr. Perrin tells it, the sudden fame couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Besides being an accomplished jockey, Mr. Leon is an asset to the industry and a family man with a wife and child.
“He goes out in the morning and helps the trainers get the horses ready. He’s an incredible athlete, extremely personable and respectful of everyone in the business and much loved by everyone who has dealt with him in the industry,” he said.
Mr. Perrin decided to become Mr. Leon’s agent after noticing his riding style and ability.
“I thought this was a kid I could do business with,” Mr. Perrin said. “Now we’re at the top of the mountain and have won the Derby.”
Saturday’s victory turned out to be history making for Mr. Perrin, as well. He became the first Australian agent for a jockey to win the Derby. Before the race, the main goal was simply to get Rich Strike in the field, he said.
The racing gods, it turns out, had even greater things in mind.
“It was an incredible day,” Mr. Perrin said. “It takes a team to get this done.”
For Mr. Leon, the next steps could be the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, the other two jewels of thoroughbred horse racing’s Triple Crown.
Although it will be up to Rich Strike owner Richard Dawson and trainer Eric Reed to decide whether their horse runs in the races, “they already made a verbal commitment” to Mr. Leon as the jockey, Mr. Perrin said.
In seven previous starts, Rich Strike had one win, in a claiming race, and three thirds, including the 3-year-old colt’s only graded stakes race in his most recent outing.
And while the Derby victory was by far the biggest of Mr. Leon’s career, he probably didn’t party the night away. Mr. Perrin suspects that the jockey simply left Churchill Downs in Louisville and drove the 92 miles home to Florence.
“He’s a very dedicated, wonderful family man,” he said. “I imagine he went straight to bed.”
Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.
First Published: May 8, 2022, 10:52 p.m.
