LOS ALAMITOS : Jockey Bets on Racetrack Management Career

Billy Peterson is not your average jockey.

Not only is Peterson, who will turn 22 on Sept. 7, leading the quarter horse riders’ standings at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico, he also is on his way to a bachelor’s degree in business at Texas El Paso.

Having recently begun his senior year at UTEP after compiling a 3.75 grade-point average in three years at Weber State, Peterson is planning a career in racetrack management. If it works out, he doesn’t foresee being a jockey much longer.

“I’ll get my degree next year and I want to wait and see what kind of opportunities come up,” Peterson said from Ruidoso.

“I like management. I like working with people. I like the idea of a business environment--getting up in the morning, putting on a nice, clean suit and going to the office.”

Meanwhile, Peterson, who is 5 feet 6 and 116 pounds, will ride in the remainder of the Ruidoso season, which ends Monday, then ride occasionally in the State Fair meeting at Albuquerque before moving to Sunland Park on Oct. 15.

During this time, he will also attend UTEP four days a week. His classes are from 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A 3.4 student in high school and a member of the debating team, Peterson also competed in prep rodeos as a calf and team roper, which wasn’t surprising because his father, Spence, participated in rodeos.

Spence Peterson also raised quarter horses and rode in match races at bush tracks, and his son rode in his first race at 15 in Utah.

“When I first started, I didn’t know very much,” Billy Peterson said. “I just watched people and learned and asked lots of questions. I really worked hard because it was something I wanted to do really bad.”

After riding in Wyoming, Nevada and Idaho, in addition to attending Weber State, Peterson went to Sunland last fall. He considered riding at Los Alamitos, but didn’t like the way he was treated by Southland colleges.

“I was trying to get an academic scholarship, and the schools I talked to weren’t very friendly or helpful,” Peterson said.

UTEP awarded him a scholarship, and so did the American Quarter Horse Assn. Now, he regularly makes the three-hour drive from El Paso to Ruidoso Downs.

“It can get (overwhelming) at times,” said Peterson, who was married last October. “But my wife (Angie) is such a big help. She’s always giving me support and she helps with school any way she can. Plus, she never misses a race, so that’s one thing I have going for me.”

Peterson, who won the West Texas Futurity at Sunland with Andrews EZ Effort earlier this year, is looking forward to his first mount in the All-American Futurity on Monday.

He will be aboard Doo Dominate, a son of Coup De Kas out of the Dash For Cash mare Ms Doo Dash. The fourth-fastest qualifier for the Futurity, Doo Dominate won his trial by a length. He broke his maiden by 1 1/4 lengths after finishing third in his debut.

“He’s been very impressive in his last two races,” Peterson said. “I think he’s got a good chance to get a piece of it. It will be an honor to ride (in the All-American). It’s something I’ve always dreamed about, and now here we are.”

Los Alamitos Notes

Totally Illegal, a nose loser to Sheza First Down in the Los Alamitos Derby earlier in the meeting, was the fastest qualifier in Friday night’s trials for the $85,000 Governor’s Cup Derby. In beating Movados by 1 1/2 lengths, Totally Illegal ran 400 yards in 19.85 seconds. Successful in the Governor’s Cup Futurity last year, the Tolltac filly will try to join Corona Chick and Aladuino as the only horses to win both the Governor’s Cup Futurity and Derby. She is trained by Blane Schvaneveldt and ridden by Henry Garcia. Also qualifying for the Sept. 9 Derby were Artesias Special Gal, The Money Crunch, Dash For Debbie, Follow The Sign, Daily Triple, Dream A Secret, Movados, Rainbow Sun and Ramblin Kind. Racing will be conducted on a Thursday-Monday basis this week because of the Labor Day holiday.