By Dick Jerardi
As we walked back to the front of the Parx Jockeys’ Room late Monday morning, Mychel Sanchez pointed to an area where he used to hang out in 2013 not long after his career began. He was winning one race a month, but told fellow rider Angel Suarez that one day he would be leading jockey at Parx.
Well, he tied Frankie Pennington for the title in 2019, won it outright in 2020, again in 2023 and has long since clinched the Parx title this year with 161 wins (and counting). There are just 10 riders in the country with 200 or more wins this year – Irad Ortiz, Paco Lopez, Jaime Rodriguez, Jose Ortiz, Tyler Gaffalione, Flavien Prat, Luis Saez, Dylan Davis, Edgard Zayas and Mychel Sanchez.
Sanchez is fifth on that illustrious list with 254 wins along with nearly $10 million in mount earnings. At Parx, he is winning with 25 percent of his mounts and in the money with 55 percent. He just went over the magical 1,500-win mark in a career that just keeps getting better.
“I knew that reaching 250 I would reach 1,500 and that was a big goal,” Sanchez said during a 15-minute sitdown interview. “I always put my goals higher so you can push yourself to do better and better every year.”
One thing Sanchez needs is a new car. He bought the one he drives now in September 2018. He did not drive it much during the pandemic, but since then, he goes anywhere and everywhere to ride – Parx Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Laurel on weekends, Delaware Park, Colonial Downs, Aqueduct. That car is now pushing 200,000 miles. He can definitely afford a new one.
When he was told some of the names on that 200-win list, Sanchez said: “It’s incredible. I always said I have the talent anybody has…I see myself as one of them. Right now, I am here at Parx. This is my home. I love it here…Let’s see what the next step is.”
New York is not a long distance, but it is still a long way. When Sanchez came to Parx, Stewart Elliott and Kendrick Carmouche were two of the big names in the jocks’ room. Elliott left for Kentucky and then California and is still riding in top form in the southwest. Carmouche made the move to New York where he has thrived.
Sanchez is thinking about New York, but is waiting for the right time. He won the Withers on Uncle Heavy this year at Aqueduct and also rode the 3-year-old in the Wood Memorial.
“I watch races from all over, Kentucky, New York, Gulfstream, all of the big stakes,” Sanchez said. “I see myself one day riding in the Breeders’ Cup, Kentucky (Derby) and all of that. Whenever the opportunity comes, I’m ready.”
Uncle Heavy was under serious consideration for the Derby, so Sanchez is getting closer. He gave “Heavy” a terrific ride in the Pennsylvania Derby when the horse finished a strong fourth at 36-1 behind the Preakness, Santa Anita Derby, and West Virginia Derby winners.
For now, he is the King of Parx which, given the purse structure and year round racing, is a pretty good place to be.
“Like any athlete in any sport, it’s almost like you want to make history,” Sanchez said. “When you retire, I guess you want to see your name forever.”
When he dreams, he dreams of years like Prat is finishing off with a record-breaking 80 stakes and a record-tying 55 graded stakes.
Whatever the future brings, the money he is earning in the present is something even Sanchez would have had trouble imagining. When you do the mount earnings/agent math, you see that Sanchez is going to make nearly seven figures in 2024.
“You always hope to work hard and be the best, but you don’t really look at all those numbers,” Sanchez said.
When you are on top, the numbers happen. And, if you want to be great, you never stop learning.
“The horses they teach you and more how to connect with them,” Sanchez said.
The word that Sanchez kept using to describe his career at this moment: comfortable.
Get the horse comfortable in the race. Find the right spot which gives your horse the best chance and that makes a rider comfortable.
“When you’re comfortable, you do good things all the time,” Sanchez said.
As 2024 comes to an end, Mychel Sanchez is very comfortable.
