30-Year-Old Apprentice Jockey Francisco Martinez Proof That It Is Never Too Late To Pursue Your Dreams
It always made sense that Francisco Martinez would wind up working at a racetrack in some capacity. Growing up in Boston, “five minutes from Suffolk Downs,” Martinez would tag along with his father, a long-time assistant to Mike Aro, on the old New England racing circuit, throughout much of his youth.
But it wasn’t until 3½ years ago that Martinez figured out exactly what he wanted to do.
Now, at age 30, he is pursuing that dream. He’s a jockey. A 30-year-old apprentice to be precise.
After sweeping the early double last Sunday at Monmouth Park, and adding a near-miss second in his only other mount that day, Martinez has two mounts on Friday’s eight-race card at the Jersey Shore track.
But before that there was a little stopover. He was listed to ride in today’s second race at Saratoga for trainer Uriah St. Lewis and will be aboard Friday Surprise, the 7-5 morning line favorite, for St. Lewis in Thursday’s fourth race at the Spa.
“In such a short time I would have never thought I would be having this kind of success,” said Martinez. “I’m grateful to all of the people who have given me an opportunity to ride.
“I think that being 30 I appreciate everything that is happening a little more. When I was 20 I was a bit of a punk. I have a different perspective being older and having a family and I appreciate things at 30 that I never would have appreciated when I was 20 and immature and didn’t know what I wanted.”
Entering the week, Martinez is 30 for 293 overall, with three wins from 22 mounts so far at Monmouth Park.
He has ridden – and won – at Delaware, Parx, Aqueduct, Penn National and Monmouth Park.
All of that has happened since he launched his professional career on March 5 this year, getting home 84-1 shot Boys and Bullets at Parx on April 10 for his first professional win.
This also from someone who really didn’t start riding in earnest until 3½ years ago.
“I tell people all of the time `don’t think it’s too late to try something you want to do because you will regret it if you don’t try,’ ” said Martinez. “I’m proof of that.”
Martinez spent most of his early years doing a variety of jobs around racetracks, mostly working as a groom, before landing a job with trainer Scott Lake, with Lake putting him on a path to be his assistant trainer during the six years they were together.
“I was focused on becoming a trainer then. The plan was for me to take care of Scott’s string in Delaware. I didn’t even get a horse beyond the shedrow until 3½ years ago,” said Martinez. “My dad owned two horses and I was working them for him at Parx and one day (trainer) John Servis saw me and asked who I worked for. I told him and he said `you’re only getting on two horses. Come work for me and I’ll keep you busier.’ Within a week I was galloping horses for him.
“He basically taught me how to be a jockey. I had to learn everything about riding. I knew everything about grooming but I hadn’t even ridden a horse until 2020.”
Martinez credits Servis with giving his jockey dream the boost it needed, but not before he did some soul searching.
“I didn’t know if I could make the weight,” he said. “I didn’t want to do anything unnatural to my body just to lose weight. I was 120. I told my brother that if I can’t drop the weight I’m not going to go for it.
“But I went on a diet, starting eating better, cut sugars, exercised, and I got down to 109.”
Servis was impressed enough by what he saw from Martinez galloping in the mornings that he entered him in an amateur riding race at Delaware Park in 2022. Martinez won with his first mount, then won again the following year as an amateur rider at Laurel.
Martinez finally struck out on his own this year, with his agent, Richard Englander, promoting him as “a bug man, not a bug boy.”
“This is my dream. It just took me a little longer to get started on it than most people who do this,” he said.
