5 Furlongs: Sofia Vives
TORONTO, May 2, 2023 – In this monthly series, a familiar Woodbine horse person will step into the spotlight to answer a handful of fun, offbeat questions, while giving readers a unique perspective into their personality on and off the racetrack.
Rising star jockey Sofia Vives has begun her second year as an apprentice rider. With eleven career wins and counting, Vives is working nonstop to make her way to the top. The 21-year-old Floridian is currently splitting her time between two tracks: Woodbine and Parx. Vives secured her most recent Woodbine score on April 23 with Catherine Day Phillips trainee Popnfizz.
What are you looking forward to most this season?
“Being a bug rider, probably just the learning aspect of all of it. I'm trying to just learn as much as I can, ride as many as I can and do right by the trainers and the horses.”
What’s your pre-race ritual?
“I always go back over the Daily Racing Form. My agent and I go over every race. So, I go back over the forms, and I always make sure I pray before I put my helmet on. That’s a big ritual of mine. I also tell all the other riders in the race, ‘Good luck and ride safe.’”
When you’re flying to Parx, what’s on your playlist?
“Hopefully, the back of my eyelids on that flight, but normally I like a lot of country music. Morgan Wallen is probably the best out there, but I’ll listen to any kind of country music.”
If this wasn’t your job, what sort of career would you have pursued?
“Nothing else… I have never thought about anything else. This has been my dream since I was a little kid. Riding horses was always what I've wanted to do, and I never took a second out of the day to think about what else I would have done.”
What’s your favourite TV show?
“HPItv [laughs]. I watch the races a lot. If we’re talking about a show on Netflix though, I’ve actually gotten into the show The Night Agent. It’s pretty good.”
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Grace Martin