The future is now. And the dream continues.
Just 18 years old and old beyond his youth, Richard Balgobin is the third leading rider at Leduc’s Century Mile in just his first full season in Alberta.
Originally from Trinidad Tobago, from just 53 mounts he has won 12 races this young season at ‘The Mile. That’s in less than two full years of riding in North America having ridden in the now closed Hastings Park in Vancouver last year where he won 31 of 189 races.
“As far back as I can remember my dream was always to be a jockey,” said Balgobin, whose father, Ralph, is a groom back in Trinidad Tobago at Santa Rosa racetrack at Arima, where Balgobin started riding and won seven races.
Ralph was also a jockey. His mother, he said, sells food.
His older brothers, Ridge, 28, and his cousin, Keishan, 31, also rode in Trinidad and Canada. Keishan won 301 races before retiring last year, Ridge has won 75 races including five this year at Century Mile.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn't for Ridge,” said Richard. “He came to Alberta almost 10 years ago.”
Santa Rosa is the country’s only race track and hosts all of Trinidad’s major races including The Royal Oak Derby, Guineas, President's Cup and Midsummer Classic.
“I wanted to leave Trinidad and Tobago to show my skills,” Balgobin said of Santa Rosa which only races one day a week and where he won seven races.
“My dad gave me my choice of horses to take care of and learn to ride.”
Balgobin picked a 22-year-old horse named Jubb Jubb, who would take a few trips around the yard.
Sometimes Jubb Jubb would get out of hand. When that happened Balgobin said he would whisper in her ear to calm down. It worked.
"The first thing is, you cannot be afraid of them because if you're afraid, they will get frightened and something bad will happen,” said Balgobin.
He was just 13.
“I liked Jubb Jubb because she was short and fast. Just like me even though she was so old,” he said.
Balgobin would wake up at 4:30 a.m. and brush and shampoo the old mare.
He would finish around 7 a.m. Then, the Form Two student of Johnson's Finishing School in Arima, said he would go home and get ready for school. His favourite subject was Math.
Despite his success, Richard is not satisfied.
“I want to race in the United States. My goal is to establish myself more.
“I want to ride at Gulfstream, Saratoga and Churchill Downs.”
Lofty goals. But Balgobin knows he can do it.
“Anything is possible,” he said.
“I’ll ride in Alberta for the rest of the year and then we’ll see,” said Balgobin, who also won the won the Fall Classic last year at Hastings with Stormy Blue, over a talented field that included Diocles and hard hitter Apprehend.
Of all of his wins this year two stand out: The May 30 Journal Handicap and the June 20 Spangled Jimmy - both at Century Mile with Rainbow’s Pride.
In The Journal he caught Gotme Good in a head bob.
“I’ve watched the race a hundred times and I still don’t think he won it,” said Rainbow’s Pride’s trainer Craig Smith. “It was that close.”
In the Spangled Jimmy Balgobin followed his instructions from Smith to the letter.
“Craig wanted me to break sharp and if Lord of Battle wanted the lead to let him go,” said Balgobin, who did just that breaking on top and then letting Lord of Battle take a three-length lead around the turn.
“I wanted to sit just off his pace. I took a hold of Rainbow’s Pride and he relaxed nicely for me and finished strong down the lane to get up for the win.”
It was the ride of a seasoned veteran.
“I appreciate very much the opportunity to ride a very nice horse, Balgobin said of Rainbow’s Pride, who has now won back to back and who was astutely claimed by Smith for $20,000 at Tampa Bay in March.
“Richard has a very bright future,” said Smith. “He’s a very strong finisher. And he’s a good out of the gate.
“Being just 18 years old he’s made a very good impression.”
“The Spangled Jimmy was a great ride. It was exactly what we talked about. He knew what to do.”
Others are saying the same thing.
“Richard showed a lot of potential in Hastings last year,” said his agent Bob Fowlis, who Balgobin asked to represent him in Alberta when he came to Calgary’s Century Downs last fall for two weeks and won three races.
“The trainers in B.C. all said he has quite a bit of talent,” said Fowlis. “Especially for as young as he is.
“His biggest attribute is quite simple. Horses run for him.
“He has some things he can improve on; there is still room for improvement. Things like positioning and when to move his horses and then finish as strong as possible.
“If he keeps improving he has a very good future in the sport.”
Balgobin has nothing but praise for Fowlis.
“Bob is a very good agent; he makes the right choices and gives me the mounts.”
Balgobin lost his 5-pound apprentice on June 21 and is now a journeyman rider.
In Alberta a jockey gets a 10-pound allowance until their fifth win. Then, they get a five-pound allowance for 12 consecutive months.
“I don’t think it will hurt him at all,” said Fowlis of Balgobin losing his ‘bug.’
“He’s very professional for being so young. He’s polite and he’s got talent.”
Not a bad trifecta.
“I think he’s got a lot of natural ability and is going to be a great rider,” said trainer Jim Brown, who is currently Century Mile’s third leading trainer with 10 wins from just 39 starts.
“He will go places.”
Balgobin is also a very hard worker. He gets to the track early to gallop horses. Then he goes to the gym every night to work out.
“I go to the gym so that I can stay fit to ride horses.”
He has no problem maintaining his weight of 115 pounds.
“Brian Boodramsingh was my role model,” he said of another top rider who also came from Trinidad.
“He showed me a lot.”
Balgobin is getting his share of mounts.
“I’d like to ride more but there are so many jockeys here.”
Balgobin remembers his first win like it was yesterday.
“It was with Twitter King in Trinidad. I came from off the pace.
“At the quarter pole he made the lead. (Twitter King) just ran faster than the others.
“I was so excited. It was a dream come true.”
Those dreams continue.
STOCK REPORT - Jockey Enrique Gonzalez got his 500th career win when he won Friday’s abbreviated-due-to-lightning card with Papichulo. Saturday’s card was cancelled due to inclement weather.
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Inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Author: The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty.