Backstretch Forward
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By Annie Lambert
CHRB member Oscar Gonzales, Jr, possesses the backside credentials to confidently tackle his new position.
He may have come from humble beginnings, but recently appointed California Horse Racing Board appointee Oscar Gonzales, Jr, drew from family values on and off the racetrack in pursuit of success.
Gonzales is proud of his large racetrack family, including National Museum of Racing Hall of Famer Ishmael ‘Milo’ Valenzuela. Almost every one of his relations, in fact, has worked on the backside at California racetracks.
The 51-year-old former groom worked his way through college and into corporate business and public service. Gonzales has a passion for people, which his career goals have embraced.
“I grew up in East Los Angeles where poverty rates are high, but dreams and hopes are alive and well,” acknowledged Gonzales. “That, coupled with my experience on the backstretch where the work ethic and commitment to a bigger picture, is really what got me started into public service.”
On Track
Gonzales is the penultimate of four children born to Oscar, Sr, and Yolanda Gonzales as a young couple living in East Los Angeles.
His extended family is a complex blend of the Gonzales and Valenzuela families. Jockey Milo Valenzuela is Gonzales Sr’s uncle, making rider Patrick Valenzuela Oscar Jr’s second cousin. Milo had 21 siblings, so, plenty of family worked on the backside. A four-generation pedigree could seem daunting.
“My dad’s mom, Maria Gonzales, is the sister of the Valenzuela brothers,” Oscar pointed out. “The boys were all jockeys or trainers; the women worked a combination of jobs.”
At 6’1” Oscar chuckled that he never had a shot at making a rider.
Oscar, Sr, was an exercise rider in his younger (lighter) years before grooming and working as a barn foreman. Grandpa Jose (Joe) Gonzales, fondly nicknamed Chelo, was a groom for Lou Carno and others. Grandmother Gonzales, Maria, sold her homemade burritos barn-to-barn on the backside.
Oscar and his brother, Alfred, followed in the shadow of their father and grandfather. Alfred spent three years grooming horses for Tom Blinco, before sadly passing away at a young age.
Oscar, Jr, truly grew up on the backstretch; in his early teens he helped his father and grandfather whenever school afforded him the time. He often ate in the track kitchen where his mom worked. Once he secured his first license he stepped out from under the family umbrella.
Gonzales enjoyed his school days era. He was a Student Body President in high school, as well as in college - his first two leadership positions. His initial, official boss on the backside was his uncle, Albino Valenzuela in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“You always kind of start off with the family and then you find people outside the family pay just a little bit better and they don’t work you so hard,” Gonzales said with a laugh.
Gonzales is confident he can be a bridge between individuals and groups to help resolve some of racing’s bigger challenges.
“When I first got my license in 1984 at Hollywood Park, my dad was a barn foreman for Martin Valenzuela, Sr, who had some really good horses back then,” said Gonzales. “I was able to work for some big outfits and learn the ropes. My first two full-time hot walking jobs were during the summers of 1984 and 1985 working for Joe Manzi and Dick Mulhall respectively. Those were really good experiences, great horsemen, well rounded, quality horses with good people around them all the time.”
Once graduated from Rosemead High School, just four miles from Santa Anita, he attended East Los Angeles College in nearby Monterey Park, California, before transferring to University of California San Diego three years later.
While attending ELAC, Gonzales went to work full-time at the racetrack rubbing horses in Darrell Vienna’s barn for three years. When he transferred to UCSD he spent two years working for D Wayne Lukas and his assistant, Randy Bradshaw, at San Diego Chargers owner Gene Klein’s training facility in Rancho Santa Fe near Del Mar.
During his school years Gonzales never quibbled about the size of his paychecks.
“I always asked for flexibility because of my class schedule and extra curricular activities,” Gonzales offered. “Everywhere I worked people were always supportive. I never asked for any other favors except to hang my tubs early so I could go take an exam or go to a meeting at school.”
“It all worked out,” he added. “Without that experience on the backside I don’t think I would have gotten through school; I’d never have been involved in public service. There were so many people that I surrounded myself with that understood that I was kind of on a mission in life to help people and to not forget where I came from.”
There was a crossroad for Gonzales once he finished his education. Training horses had always been a passion of his. He secured his trainers license at Sunland Park in New Mexico, but before he dove into that profession life circumstances drew him into politics.
“Training was always a desire of mine because it’s such an honorable profession,” said Gonzales. “It takes a lot of hard work and attention to detail. I always looked up to the trainers and their ability to straddle many worlds; they have to be competent in so many ways. It’s one of the best professions out there. The good trainers last so long because they love what they do.”