Jose Valdivia Jr. (born December 8, 1974) is a Peruvian

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

who competes in American

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...

. The son of a top

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

n jockey, he is the nephew of retired jockey Fernando Toro and trainer, Juan Suarez. He and his family moved to the United States in 1989 and settled in the

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Hollywood was 153,067 as of 2020, making it the Broward County#Communities, third-largest city in Broward County, th ...

, area where his father worked as a trainer. In 2000, he married his wife Renee. The couple have two children, Siena and Luca. In 1994, Valdivia began his professional riding career as an apprentice at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

, earning his first win in just his third start. Riding for fellow Peruvian, trainer Julio Canani, his first important win came aboard

Val Royal Val Royal (April 7, 1996 – October 17, 2008) was a France, French-bred Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse who competed successfully in France and the United States and was best known for winning the 2001 Breeders' Cup Mile. Background Val ...

when he won the 2001

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a conditions races, Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a sod, grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup World C ...

and that year became a breakout year.

Year-end charts

References

Jose Valdivia Jr. at the NTRA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valdivia, Jose Jr. 1974 births Living people American jockeys Peruvian emigrants to the United States