By Dick Jerardi
Mychel Sanchez set a goal when 2025 began. He wanted to win 300 races.
Win No. 1 came Jan. 1 on Mount No. 2, Win No. 300 came December 29 on Mount No. 1,354. The first win and 300th win each came at Parx, his home track – on Titoschangedmyluck back on New Year’s Day and on Carousel Queen by a desperate nose on the final Monday of the year.
The jockey had to be reminded of the name of the first winner. He will never forget Win No. 300.
“I felt like I won it, but it was really close,” Sanchez said. “I wanted to win the race so bad. My filly was giving me that little bit extra.”
Sanchez saw everything around him, but, in those final yards, his head was down, pushing Carousel Queen to hit the wire first.
It took nearly 2 minutes after the horses crossed the finish line for the numbers to go up on the toteboard, long enough for Sanchez to think back on his incredible year.
“A lot of work, a lot of dedication,” he said. “There’s always a lot of ups and downs during the road, just keep believing in your work ethic and it pays off.”
The 300 was a goal for many reasons. It put him in rarefied 2025 jockey air, joining Irad Ortiz, Jr., Flavien Prat, Jose Ortiz and Paco Lopez in the 300 club. He was also very proud that he became just the fourth Venezuelan-born jockey to win 300 in a year, joining Ramon Dominguez, Javier Castellano and Eibar Coa.
“It’s not easy to get to 300 and to be with those types of riders,” Sanchez said, the pride in his voice and expression quite clear.
On the day after 300 in the last race, Sanchez won No. 200 at Parx in 2025 on the perfectly named Lord Winsalot. He long ago clinched his third straight Parx riding title. He got to 298 Saturday at Laurel, but wanted 300 to come where it all began for him.
“I came here in 2013, this has been my home base, very proud to have gotten it done here,” he said.
So what’s next?
“I think the next level is to ride more stakes, more graded stakes,” Sanchez said. The jockey has won three straight on the very talented Mailata, 19-length winner of the Parx Future Stars Tuesday and the kind of colt that could get him to that next level.
While we were talking in the jockeys’ room Tuesday afternoon, a picture of jockey Junior Alvarado flashed on the screen, with the caption that he had just been the first jockey named Venezuelan athlete of the year. And why not? All Alvarado did in 2025 was win the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers on almost certain Horse of the Year Sovereignty.
“That’s you in a couple of years,” I said to Sanchez while we looked at the screen.
“Hopefully,” he said, “That’s the dream. Sometimes, you just need one horse.”
Sanchez himself just keeps getting better. Consider his last three years – 212 wins, 273 wins and now 303 heading into the New Year’s Eve card at Parx. He won the last three races on the Monday card to go from 298 to 301. He won two more on Tuesday. Consistency is quite difficult in life and in sports. Mychel Sanchez has found the sweet spot where confidence meets talent and the results inevitably follow.
