Jockey Edwin Escobedo looking to repeat his riding title at Remington Park this season.

© Dustin Orona Photography

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—FEBRUARY 15, 2024—Jockey Edwin Escobedo remembers distinctly his first memory of seeing a horse at 4 years old. Who would have known that some 17 years later at Remington Park he would win his first Oklahoma City riding title as a full-fledged jockey.

"I rode a white Palomino (at 4) at my uncle's ranch in Tulsa (Okla.)," said Escobedo, who won 43 times last year at Remington Park during the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa meet. The meet starts this year on Thursday, March 7. "I just remember it was fun riding that App as a little kid and I liked it. I didn't think much of it. I had no idea at that time this is what I would do for a living."

Escobedo had to hold off a fast-closing three-time riding title holder at Remington Park, James Flores, who won in bunches the final month of the meet to get to 40.

"It was a tough road to get there (to the title)," said Escobedo of beating Flores, who was the top jock at Remington Park from 2019-2021.

Escobedo was born in Tulsa 21 years ago and moved to Claremore, Okla., when he was 13. He got serious about riding when he was 16 and got up on his first racehorse. He earned his gallop license at 17 and was ready for the world, but his parents weren't ready for him to face it, at least as far away as he wanted to go.

"I wanted to go to New Mexico, which was about six hours away and my parents said, 'No,' " Escobedo said.

It was a fortuitous decision that his parents made for him. It is the reason that led him to trainer Jason Olmstead, the top Quarter Horse trainer in the country for the past three years running in wins. Escobedo looked for work a little closer to his home camp of Claremore. Pryor was just down the road, home of Circle JA Ranch, owned by Jason and Amber Olmstead.

"That's why I called Jason," Escobedo said. "He was close by. I didn't even know him."

Olmstead hired him to gallop horses and Escobedo went from winning 14 times in his first year of riding – 2020 – to winning 110 races in 2023 to finish second in the country to Ubaldo Luna's 114. Escobedo's victories at Remington Park included wins on stakes-winning horses Apollitical Payoff, Fox News and Midnight Politics, all from Olmstead's barn.

"I think they are all back this year," said Escobedo.

It might just give him a leg up on his competition and give him a chance to win two riding titles in a row here.

"You never know, right?" he said. "I'm riding first call for Jason (Olmstead) and first call for Luis Villafranco among others."

One of those for Villafranco is a 2-year-old Quarter Horse named Capi On Go, who won his training race Thursday, Feb. 15 with the seventh-fastest time (:13.692 for 250 yards, 76 speed index) among 13 winners on that card of schooling races.

"I also had one run second to Hott Temptation (won his training race in same time as Capi On Go)," said Escobedo. "My horse in that race was Hez My Hero for Villafranco and we only got beat a neck."

In his short career, Escobedo's overall record is 1,472 starts, 280 firsts, 234 seconds and 220 thirds for horses' earnings of $5,470,369. He wouldn't mind pushing that up by a few million by winning the Grade 1, $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico someday.

"What jockey wouldn't?" asked Escobedo. "Or any of those big races at Ruidoso or at Lone Star Park or California for that matter."

If his luck holds up, he might even be able to add the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park to that list.

The 50-date Remington Park spring season begins March 7 and continues through June 1.

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Remington Park has provided more than $344 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter HorseThe 2024 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season starts its 50-date season. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.