Successful horse jockey turned to trucking during his racing hiatus

A successful horse jockey turned to trucking during a hiatus from horse racing over the last two years. 

Robert Alvarado Jr. achieved 2,798 wins before stepping down from the saddle in August of 2022. During that time, Alvarado climbed up into the cab of a semi truck, hauling chemicals and even Thoroughbred horses. 

“I took a break (from race-riding). It got to the point where I needed some time off to clear my mind,” Alvarado said to Paulick Report.

“Driving trucks, I showed people jockeys can do a lot of stuff besides ride horses. People think because we retire, there is nothing else we can do,” he said. “But it’s hard to walk away from this business. I’m born to ride horses, and my body wanted to come back. I’m still strong, thank God I’m healthy and my body wanted to do something besides drive trucks.”

The 50-year-old Jockey decided to go back to racing horses six weeks ago, and won the Tampa Bay Downs on Wednesday, April 17th, on the back of 8-year-old gelding Auger. The victory marks his 2,799th win in his career spanning over 30 years. hors

“I might go to Delaware or Monmouth, but we’ll see what happens. There are a lot of opportunities out there,” he said.