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De Leon Off To Fast Start
New faces are always noticed at Hoosier Park each season, but one jockey in particular has earned a lot of attention during the first weekend of racing. Azael De Leon completed the four-day opening celebration with a little celebrating of his own, winning five races in only three days of action to get early positioning in the jockey standings.
A native of Panama City, Panama, De Leon began his debut at Hoosier Park with two wins on the season opener, guiding Cane River Belle to victory in the afternoon’s second race for trainer Gary Patrick. De Leon returned in the fifth aboard Live Fast for trainer Bert Crawford for his second victory.
A trip to River Downs Saturday, Aug. 30 left him without a chance to add any wins to his tally at Hoosier Park, but the day turned out to be a memorable one for De Leon. The 22-year-old rider guided Afternoon Stroll to a three-length win aboard Afternoon Stroll in the $100,000 Coca-Cola Bassinet Stakes. The victory marks the largest purse win for De Leon in his seven-year career.
De Leon added one win to his total Sunday, Aug. 31, placing Cauzican in the winner’s circle for trainer Floyd Patterson in the fifth race of the day. De Leon’s winning ways continued on Labor Day, scoring two more wins aboard Put Up Or in the second and Oak Rich in the fifth race. He completed the first weekend of racing in second place, just one win behind returning champ Orlando Mojica, who accumulated five wins to kick off the meet.
The road to Hoosier Park has been a long one for De Leon, who came to the United States two and one-half years ago. He attended jockey school in his native Panama and rode for five years before venturing to the United States. De Leon began at Calder Racecourse followed by a move to Tampa. While at Tampa Bay Downs, his cousin, who is also a jockey, pointed out an opportunity at Emerald Downs and De Leon moved his tack to the West Coast.
“My cousin contacted an agent at Emerald Downs, so I decided to give that a try,” said De Leon. “I really liked the track and the area, but I didn’t have any luck there. I was only there three or four months and then moved back to Beulah Park for the winter.”
De Leon held his own in central Ohio, finishing 13th in the standings. The second meet at River Downs brought him closer to the top, completing the meet in eighth place and giving him momentum for the fall meet at Hoosier Park.
“That (River Downs) is the best I’ve ever done in the standings,” said De Leon. “I’m hoping to do well in Indiana. It would be nice to try for the top five. I just hope I can keep winning races.”
De Leon hasn’t really developed a set strategy for racing at Hoosier Park, winning from both off the pace and near the front thus far. He doesn’t really have a preference when riding, but his skills really show on horses that come from off the pace.
“I’d have to say that I like to ride off the pace better than being near the front, if I had to pick a certain style,” said De Leon. “I like riding off the pace because you can see what is going on in front of you. You can see where you can get through or see what horse is tiring.”
De Leon is experiencing a lot of changes in his life right now. In addition to a new venue for his business, he is working with a new agent, Brinda Robbins. Also, De Leon and his wife are expecting their first child, due in February.
“My former agent at River Downs suggested that I try Hoosier Park because he felt I would fit well here,” said De Leon. “He also put me in contact with Brinda, and that’s worked out well for me, also.”
