Classic Diary of the Breeders’ Cup: Confident Alvarado in search of the cherry on top of the dream season

Jockey Junior Alvarado’s career has blossomed since he began riding regularly for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. He made personal breakthroughs this season with Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets and the DraftKings Travers Stakes. The 39-year-old Alvarado reflects on that journey and discusses the challenges ahead in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic in a diary he wrote with Tom Pedulla on behalf of America’s Best Racing.

Amazing.

That’s the word I keep coming back to when asked to describe what would be a dream season for any jockey.

I came to the United States from Venezuela with the goal of becoming a top rider. It’s so hard to get there. Just a few years ago I was thinking about retiring. Injuries had really set me back. Even when I was winning with certain horses and had done nothing wrong, I lost those horses when they were ready for stakes races because they wanted jockeys with greater reputations. I told my wife Kelly that maybe it was time to go in a different direction. I was thinking of buying a farm in Ocala and making a fresh start.

Kelly, who is always there for me and our three children, kept pushing me to keep going. That includes my agent, Mike Sellitto, another person who is always there for me. Everything changed the day Mike called and told me Bill Mott wanted me to ride Cody’s Wish in the Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park in May 2022.

The horse was still trying to put everything together. He had everything he needed to succeed, but he wasn’t the easiest to get along with. He had a tendency to start poorly and wanted to take his time in races, dropping far back and giving himself a lot to do. If you tried to rush him, he wouldn’t appreciate it and you wouldn’t give his best.

Although it took time to get to know each other, we made a great team. He gave me my first Breeders’ Cup victory at the Dirt Mile in 2022. When he won the Dirt Mile for the second consecutive season, it became Horse of the Year.

I really want Sovereignty to be Horse of the Year. He certainly won the Eclipse Award for 3 year olds with the way he ran in the Travers, so this is all that’s left.

I have always had great confidence in sovereignty. Kelly planned to come to the Kentucky Derby alone. My family means the world to me and we talk about making memories together. I really felt like I had the horse to give me my first Kentucky Derby, so I told Kelly how much I wanted Adrian, Adalyn and Axel there.

I wish they could say, “We were in the winner’s circle the day our father won the Kentucky Derby.” The five of us being together for that incredible experience means the world to me. It was a day that none of us will ever forget. I will always be grateful to Godolphin, who bred and owned Cody’s Wish and Sovereignty, for the opportunities they gave me. I do everything I can to reward them for their trust in me.

Bill has always been careful not to ask too much of sovereignty. He wasn’t 100% ready for the Jim Dandy Stakes, his Travers preparation. I knew I had enough to win and I was careful to ask him just enough to make that happen. That day all that mattered was getting the job done. We didn’t come close to understanding him that day.

I’m pretty sure we’ll have to get to the bottom of sovereignty in the Classic. I can’t remember a classic with so many good horses. Almost anyone can win.

I wouldn’t trade places with anyone. When it comes to getting a horse ready for a big race, no one is better than Bill. We are sure that the distance is not a problem for my horse. He has run a mile and a quarter three times and won every time.

He is confronted with older horses for the first time, but he is a horse that develops later. He’s a big guy and he’s matured. He’s easier to handle than Cody’s Wish and that means a lot in a tough race like this. With more experience, he makes it easier for himself by entering the race earlier.

The most important thing is that I stay away from sovereignty. I will do everything I can to give him a clean escape from the starting gate. I know he will throw himself into battle and we will be in the front. I’m not too worried about the pace. If it’s a fast pace, I can bide my time. If it’s slow, we’re close to the pace. I’m doing fine anyway.

It’s a great feeling as a jockey to know that you have the horse and that he will do whatever you ask him to do. Every time you move your hands, he is there for you. That way it’s easier to stay out of trouble. It travels beautifully. When some of the other horses start to get tired, he jumps into the bridle and lets me know he’s there when I tell him to go.

I love my horse. If he runs the race, I expect him to run, he will be extremely difficult to beat. Honestly, I don’t see any horse as fast as him when he brings his ‘A’ game.

I’m pretty confident in what I have in the Classic. In a year full of firsts, this would be the icing on the cake for me. My family comes to Del Mar because we want to make more memories together.