Sunday, February 9, 2025
William Antongeorgi III NEWS from Santa Anita **** Jockeys: Mieszerski recommends Assael Espinoza and William Antongeorgi III as northern regulars with the best chance of competing with more acclaimed riders at Santa Anita. Espinoza is tied for 10th in wins at Santa Anita with five (10% of his starts), while Antongeorgi has four wins (13%) and Frank Alvarado has three (11%). https://www.dailynews.com/2025/02/06/horse-racing-column-santa-anitas-new-horses-pose-a-challenge-for-bettors/
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Friday, December 8, 2023
CHASING DREAMS: Breeder, Owner, Trainer, Jockey & World Cup show jumper rider Alexandra Madigan with ESPN's Tom Durkin on The Thoroughbred World (1996)- a horse racing historic & equestrian rider first - Alexandra retrained & rode her $500 homebred thoroughbreds to jump World Cup Grand Prix! these equestrian accomplishments cannot be topped. & Alexandra also coached her now top jockey son William Antongeorgi III who jumped the same horses & he became one of the top Jr. Jumper riders nationally at age 15. Alexandra was also her sons jockey agent at the time he was a successful apprentice in Southern California (Santa Anita & Hollywood Park).
VIDEO PAGE: (4) Chasing Dreams | Facebook
PHOTO ALBUMS: (4) Chasing Dreams | Facebook
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
BILLY " THE KID " ANTONGEORGI
Q & A With Jockey William "Billy The Kid" Antongeorgi III
Thu, 04/17/2008 - 2:02pm — archer_the_great
William Antongeorgi III
I had the pleasure of being on hand at Hollywood Park the day William Antongeorgi III rode his very first race. He instantly captured the hearts of horse racing fans in attendance by displaying nerves of steel through out the seven furlong race on the main track. Watch as William "Billy The Kid" Antongeorgi III guides Five O'Clock to the wire.
..
Q: What made you choose being a jockey as your occupation?A:I grew up around the racetrack. My father was a jockey and my mother was a trainer and rode races for a short time. I started riding show jumpers first then went to galloping at the track for extra money and fell in love with it. The rest is history.
Q: When and where did you ride your first pro race?A: December 4th 2005 at Hollywood Park
Q: What do you remember about your first winning race?A: I won the first race I rode and lost my right iron out of the gate. I just kept thinking "hang on, hang on and hurry up wire"
Q: How did you celebrate your first win?A: I think I had dinner with my agent that night. Nothing too exciting because I had to work a horses early the next morning.
Q: How do you prepare your mind before races?A: I just focus in on the race. Staying calm is the most important thing. When you're calm the horses know and most of the time they relax and run better.
Q: Do you have a favorite horse that you like to watch, ride, or root for?A: I always loved watching Lava Man run. Hopefully he will return in top shape to defend his title in the Hollywood Gold Cup this year.
Q: When you are riding a horse and you have to make a choice on the final turn between taking the hole on the rail, going 4 wide, or waiting down the stretch for an opening, which do you choose and why?A: The rail is the shortest way around, so if you have a horse that likes to run on the inside then you take it. Some horses run better out in the clear and taking them to the rail will only cause them to slow down. You just have to know your horse and the way the race sets up.
Q: Is there another Jockey that you look up to?A: Alex Solis, David Flores, Corey Nakatani and Mike Smith all helped me out when I rode with them. They taught me how to ride smart races. They helped me train and get fit by running with them and going to the gym. To learn from such good riders really helped me with my performance on and off the track.
Q: Is it best to let the horse run his/her own race, or for you to position the horse based on the competition?A: From my experience, it is the jockey's job to put the horse in the right position to win the race. It is up to the horse from there. When I receive instructions from the trainers I try my best to follow them, but sometimes the race unfolds different from the way it looks on paper. That's where knowing the horse and the competition come into play.
Q: Is there a type of horse that is easier to ride,? For example front runner, stalker, mid pack, or closer.A: If they can run, it doesn't matter which style to me. There are just some thing you have to watch out for like speed duels with front runners and slow paces with closers.
Q: Which winning race gets your more pumped up, the stretch duel victory or the run away victory ?A: A stretch duel is my favorite. I love that battle down the lane. Gets me pumped and the crowd loves it.
After undergoing surgery in November of 2007, William wasted no time getting ready for his return to the races. He recently returned to early morning work outs in mid March of 2008. He has already posted wins in his return to racing in April. William is currently riding at Bay Meadows Race Course located in San Mateo California. While in Northern California he faces a jockey colony that includes Russell A. Baze, the most winningest jockey in North America flat races.
Thu, 04/17/2008 - 2:02pm — archer_the_great
William Antongeorgi III
I had the pleasure of being on hand at Hollywood Park the day William Antongeorgi III rode his very first race. He instantly captured the hearts of horse racing fans in attendance by displaying nerves of steel through out the seven furlong race on the main track. Watch as William "Billy The Kid" Antongeorgi III guides Five O'Clock to the wire.
..
Q: What made you choose being a jockey as your occupation?A:I grew up around the racetrack. My father was a jockey and my mother was a trainer and rode races for a short time. I started riding show jumpers first then went to galloping at the track for extra money and fell in love with it. The rest is history.
Q: When and where did you ride your first pro race?A: December 4th 2005 at Hollywood Park
Q: What do you remember about your first winning race?A: I won the first race I rode and lost my right iron out of the gate. I just kept thinking "hang on, hang on and hurry up wire"
Q: How did you celebrate your first win?A: I think I had dinner with my agent that night. Nothing too exciting because I had to work a horses early the next morning.
Q: How do you prepare your mind before races?A: I just focus in on the race. Staying calm is the most important thing. When you're calm the horses know and most of the time they relax and run better.
Q: Do you have a favorite horse that you like to watch, ride, or root for?A: I always loved watching Lava Man run. Hopefully he will return in top shape to defend his title in the Hollywood Gold Cup this year.
Q: When you are riding a horse and you have to make a choice on the final turn between taking the hole on the rail, going 4 wide, or waiting down the stretch for an opening, which do you choose and why?A: The rail is the shortest way around, so if you have a horse that likes to run on the inside then you take it. Some horses run better out in the clear and taking them to the rail will only cause them to slow down. You just have to know your horse and the way the race sets up.
Q: Is there another Jockey that you look up to?A: Alex Solis, David Flores, Corey Nakatani and Mike Smith all helped me out when I rode with them. They taught me how to ride smart races. They helped me train and get fit by running with them and going to the gym. To learn from such good riders really helped me with my performance on and off the track.
Q: Is it best to let the horse run his/her own race, or for you to position the horse based on the competition?A: From my experience, it is the jockey's job to put the horse in the right position to win the race. It is up to the horse from there. When I receive instructions from the trainers I try my best to follow them, but sometimes the race unfolds different from the way it looks on paper. That's where knowing the horse and the competition come into play.
Q: Is there a type of horse that is easier to ride,? For example front runner, stalker, mid pack, or closer.A: If they can run, it doesn't matter which style to me. There are just some thing you have to watch out for like speed duels with front runners and slow paces with closers.
Q: Which winning race gets your more pumped up, the stretch duel victory or the run away victory ?A: A stretch duel is my favorite. I love that battle down the lane. Gets me pumped and the crowd loves it.
After undergoing surgery in November of 2007, William wasted no time getting ready for his return to the races. He recently returned to early morning work outs in mid March of 2008. He has already posted wins in his return to racing in April. William is currently riding at Bay Meadows Race Course located in San Mateo California. While in Northern California he faces a jockey colony that includes Russell A. Baze, the most winningest jockey in North America flat races.
ANTONGEORGI'S CHANCE TO SHINE
Jockeys pounce on chance to shine..
By TIM SCOTT/Times-Herald sports editor
Article Launched: 07/13/2008 08:03:21 AM PDT
..With Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze absent from Saturday's slate of horse racing at the Solano County Fair, opportunities abounded for other riders to shine.
And into the spotlight stepped Alex Bisono and William Antongeorgi III.
Bisono tied his career best day with four victories, a feat he once pulled off at Bay Meadows. And Antongeorgi notched back-to-back wins in the 10th and 11th races, beginning with the 45th running of the Solano County Juvenile Stakes.
Baze, meanwhile, didn't exactly take the day off. He hopped a jet to Calder Race Course in Florida for a day dubbed the Summit of Speed, winning two races there.
But without him in Vallejo - he had won three races each on Thursday and Friday - the day took on a different, Baze-less, feel. Antongeorgi was one who took advantage.
The last time out for the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Babs Moossa, Baze rode the black and brown gelding to a victory. Saturday, it was Antongeorgi's turn in the featured No. 10 stakes race that might be best remembered for a spill down the homestretch.
Favored Cross Fire dueled with Frumious through a very fast early pace, but with no warning Cross Fire pulled sharply into the rail and flipped jockey David Lopez into the infield. Loose in the infield while the race finished, Cross Fire suffered cuts to his leg and shoulder; Lopez remained down in the infield for some time, but walked off under his own power and was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be no serious injuries.
That cleared the way for Babs Moossa and Antongeorgi, who were stuck in traffic for much of the race, but were there to pick up the pieces after the incident along the rail.
Asked if it was good to get the opportunity with Baze gone, Antongeorgi replied: "Definitely."
"I just want to thank Jerry for putting me up on the horse," Antongeorgi said. "She ran real good. She broke good. I saw the two leaders up there ... they were setting some pretty good fractions.
"Then the horse jumped the rail and, luckily, we stayed out of trouble and everything. ... And we got 'em."
Aboard Crouching Dragon in the 11th, Antongeorgi rode another winner, spoiling what would've been a career day for Bisono by just nipping Bisono and Go Cardinal Gal at the finish line.
"Oh yeah, it always nice to win a couple," Antongeorgi said. "It's always nice to leave the jock's room with a couple wins under your belt."
It was still a big day for Bisono, who had never before won in Vallejo but got going early - with wins in the fourth, aboard Sexy Soldier, and fifth, on Stanford Dolly. In the seventh, Bisono and Pull Away did just that, outclassing the field down the stretch. And, because of the spill with Lopez in the 10th race, Bisono filled in and picked up a win in the final 12th race of the day.
"I knew going into today that I was aboard some live horses," Bisono said. "I just got lucky, they ran very well today."
Of course, it doesn't hurt to have North America's all-time winningest jockey spending the day in Florida.
"Well, Russell has been the king here forever. He's got the pick of mounts, so it's always tough when he's here," Antongeorgi said. "But, you know, you do the best you can. But it definitely opens doors when he's gone."
Said Bisono: "Once he's gone, the mounts become open. It helps the whole room out."
By TIM SCOTT/Times-Herald sports editor
Article Launched: 07/13/2008 08:03:21 AM PDT
..With Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze absent from Saturday's slate of horse racing at the Solano County Fair, opportunities abounded for other riders to shine.
And into the spotlight stepped Alex Bisono and William Antongeorgi III.
Bisono tied his career best day with four victories, a feat he once pulled off at Bay Meadows. And Antongeorgi notched back-to-back wins in the 10th and 11th races, beginning with the 45th running of the Solano County Juvenile Stakes.
Baze, meanwhile, didn't exactly take the day off. He hopped a jet to Calder Race Course in Florida for a day dubbed the Summit of Speed, winning two races there.
But without him in Vallejo - he had won three races each on Thursday and Friday - the day took on a different, Baze-less, feel. Antongeorgi was one who took advantage.
The last time out for the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Babs Moossa, Baze rode the black and brown gelding to a victory. Saturday, it was Antongeorgi's turn in the featured No. 10 stakes race that might be best remembered for a spill down the homestretch.
Favored Cross Fire dueled with Frumious through a very fast early pace, but with no warning Cross Fire pulled sharply into the rail and flipped jockey David Lopez into the infield. Loose in the infield while the race finished, Cross Fire suffered cuts to his leg and shoulder; Lopez remained down in the infield for some time, but walked off under his own power and was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be no serious injuries.
That cleared the way for Babs Moossa and Antongeorgi, who were stuck in traffic for much of the race, but were there to pick up the pieces after the incident along the rail.
Asked if it was good to get the opportunity with Baze gone, Antongeorgi replied: "Definitely."
"I just want to thank Jerry for putting me up on the horse," Antongeorgi said. "She ran real good. She broke good. I saw the two leaders up there ... they were setting some pretty good fractions.
"Then the horse jumped the rail and, luckily, we stayed out of trouble and everything. ... And we got 'em."
Aboard Crouching Dragon in the 11th, Antongeorgi rode another winner, spoiling what would've been a career day for Bisono by just nipping Bisono and Go Cardinal Gal at the finish line.
"Oh yeah, it always nice to win a couple," Antongeorgi said. "It's always nice to leave the jock's room with a couple wins under your belt."
It was still a big day for Bisono, who had never before won in Vallejo but got going early - with wins in the fourth, aboard Sexy Soldier, and fifth, on Stanford Dolly. In the seventh, Bisono and Pull Away did just that, outclassing the field down the stretch. And, because of the spill with Lopez in the 10th race, Bisono filled in and picked up a win in the final 12th race of the day.
"I knew going into today that I was aboard some live horses," Bisono said. "I just got lucky, they ran very well today."
Of course, it doesn't hurt to have North America's all-time winningest jockey spending the day in Florida.
"Well, Russell has been the king here forever. He's got the pick of mounts, so it's always tough when he's here," Antongeorgi said. "But, you know, you do the best you can. But it definitely opens doors when he's gone."
Said Bisono: "Once he's gone, the mounts become open. It helps the whole room out."
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