Jockey Francisco Calderon aboard This Is An Eagle, with owner Mary Lynne Thompson and trainer Leon Bard, after winning the Grade 2 $482,600 Sam Houston Futurity.

© Coady Photography

HOUSTON, TX—APRIL 4, 2018—Sam Houston Race Park will host 13 trials for the Sam Houston Futurity on Friday, April 6. It is the richest race of the annual Quarter Horse meet, and second only to the Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park as the state’s most lucrative racing event.

Jockey Francisco Calderon has 11 mounts on the card, which gets underway at 6:00 pm. After the first three days of the Sam Houston Quarter Horse meet, Calderon is on top of the standings with five wins, including a victory in the first stakes of the meet.

The 24-year-old was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and began riding in 2012. Calderon had to learn from the ground up and credits jockey Ignacio Bustamante for teaching him the ropes.

"I did everything I was asked to do in the barn," said Calderon. "Ignacio told me 'you have to know a horse before you get on a horse'. So, I groomed, fed, mucked stalls; it was all important."

The Sam Houston Futurity has special meaning for Calderon. His first major win was in the 2016 edition of the race, when he guided Just Call Me Carter to a decisive score for owned Joel Tipton and conditioner Angel Sanchez. It was the biggest race of his career and gave him tremendous confidence.

It also boosted his reputation and many horsemen began giving calls to Calderon. Veteran trainer Leon Bard took notice and tabbed Calderon to ride for his barn.

"Leon asked me to ride first call for his barn," added Calderon. "It was an opportunity that I could not pass up. He's a good horsemen and a great person. I don't feel any pressure riding for Leon; he has confidence in me and that means a great deal."

Calderon explains that preparing 2-year-olds for their first futurity is a laborious process that began about six months ago.

"We begin on the farm, galloping in company; then comes gate training and breezing 100 yards," said Calderon. "Each horse is different, and some learn faster than others."

One that impressed him from the very beginning was last year’s Sam Houston Futurity champion This Is An Eagle. Pete Scarmardo bred the son of One Famous Eagle from the First Down Dash mare Lady Lilia. He was the sale topper at the 2016 TQHA Yearling Sale, purchased for $100,000 by Mary Lynne Thompson.

"He is one of the smartest horses I have ever ridden," stated Calderon. "I remember getting him ready for the trials last year. He was so fast in his early works; one morning he ducked out and dropped me! I didn’t mind; I just knew he was a really talented colt."

This Is An Eagle set the fastest qualifying time last year and won the final in convincing fashion.

Of Calderon’s 11 mounts on Friday, ten of them are conditioned by Bard and the 11th is trained by Tooter Jordan. He’s worked each of the 2-year-olds and knows that some will rise to the occasion while others may need more seasoning.

"Trials are exhausting," he admitted. "But it’s what we all work hard for. Six months of preparation go into getting these babies ready for futurity trials."

Off the track, life is pretty good for Calderon. He and his wife, Valerie, welcomed their first child last August, a daughter they named Viridiana. He was the leading rider at Lone Star Park in 2016 and won the 2017 Retama Park title. And while the Sam Houston Race Park meet just got underway, it’s very likely that he will be in contention for his first Houston title when the meet wraps on May 12.

Martha Claussen served as publicity director at Sam Houston Race Park for ten years. She continues to be active in writing, fan education and Quarter Horse racing publicity in Texas, Louisiana and other regions in North America.