Mario Gutierrez Juggles Instant Stardom, Eyes Triple Crown

By Fernando Ruano Jr., Voxxi

In a 10-day span, Mario Gutierrez has stood on the mound at Dodgers Stadium with a ceremonial first pitch in his right hand, sat court side at a Lakers’ playoff game and watched his Twitter feed – @mario_Hastings – gain 1,500 followers.

That’s what happens when a relatively unknown, Southern California circuit jockey ends up in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs weeping uncontrollably after riding 15-1 longshot I’ll Have Another to a come-from-behind victory in the Kentucky Derby – a whirlwind turn the 25-year old,Veracruz, Mexico native apparently is still trying to grasp, while emphasizing he only has a few minutes.

“You want to talk to me because I won the Derby, if not you wouldn’t be calling,” said a timid, barely audible Gutierrez before a morning workout in preparation for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes inBaltimore, the second leg of racing’s Triple Crown.

“It’s crazy. I’m doing my best to not pay too much attention.”

Say goodbye to anonymity.

Out of the No. 9 post and a 5-2 second choice behind early favorite Bodemeister, Gutierrez will again ride I’ll Have Another, the 3-year-old colt looking to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

Just this week, Gutierrez, who guided I’ll Have Another’s through traffic down the stretch in the final 100 yards in route to a stunning victory over Bodemeister in the Derby out of the No. 19 post, returned to Hastings Racing Course in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he started his career before heading to Los Angeles, and traveled back to Pimlico on Tuesday to deal with hundreds of media request.

“For a quiet guy, it’s been a like a shock..not getting too much sleep.” Gutierrez engineered one of the biggest surprises in recent memory despite Bodemeister setting some of the fastest fractions in Derby history. He has made quite a few emotion-filled calls to his mother in Mexico and guaranteed her the “wild ride” is going to last a little while longer.

He might need another alarm clock if he finds the winner’s circle again. I’ll Have Another is undefeated in three starts this year.

At a shorter distance the speedy Bodemeister might fly out of the gate and set another torrid pace, however Gutierrez is convinced the horse he’ll be riding, bought for $35,000 by owner Paul Reddam  and one that displayed plenty of promise before coming down with a shin injury in Saratoga last summer, is key to anything that happens in the 1-3/16 miles race.

“It’s all about the horse, the horse is the key,” says Gutierrez, who just last fall was an exercise rider at Santa Anita Park  ready to return to Canada before catching Reddam’s eye.

“We haven’t talked about it much (a plan for Saturday’s race), but I feel good about (the) No. 9 (post). This horse is fearless.”

“A quiet kid with a tremendous work ethic and loads of confidence,” says Reddam. “How can you not pull for this kid?”

In February, Gutierrez rode the horse to a win as a 44-1 shot in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and followed it up by taking the Santa Anita Derby. But he was given little shot to do anything atChurchill Downs. “They gave me a great opportunity and I wasn’t going to give up because we were behind.”

And Gutierrez, who gave soccer a taste as a kid before turning to horse racing and following in his father’s footsteps, knows a little about being an underdog.  While a bit guarded in talking about his childhood in Mexico, Gutierrez admits to struggling as a family and just praying he would eventually get the chance to start helping his loved ones.  Little did he know the opportunity would come aboard an obscure colt.

“I grew up poor in Mexico just trying to make a better life for my family,” says Gutierrez. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted and I’m going to keep working hard.” Another win on Saturday and life will be a tad bit sweeter.

This article first appeared in Voxxi.