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Loveberry’s good and getting better

CHESTER – The 210-day race season at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort is divided into four meets. And the leading jockey for the one that extended from Oct. 1 through Dec. 21 of last year was Jareth Loveberry, who topped the standings with 60 victories.

Deshawn Parker led the Mountaineer rider colony with 281 wins for the season. But Loveberry finished a strong second with 195. Parker left Mountaineer midway through the final meet to ride at Tampa Bay Downs. Loveberry remained at Mountaineer until the meet ended, and secured his first upper panhandle riding title.

The 25-year-old Loveberry is a native of Michigan – born in Lansing and raised in Mount Pleasant.

“I began riding in 2005 at Great Lakes Downs, which is in Muskegon, near the shore of Lake Michigan,” he said. “Muskegon’s a tourist area during the summer, and being there was a nice experience,” said Loveberry.

“But being a leader at Mountaineer was surreal. It was awesome”

Loveberry’s 2012 win total at all North American tracks came to an even 200, a career-best. His mounts last year earned $2.23 million. That made for his best year.

John Costanzo is in his third season as Loveberry’s agent.

“When you look at his 2012 statistics, remember, Jareth only rode for 10 months,” Costanzo said. “He spent January and February recovering from a left-shoulder injury. He’s well on his way, and that way is up, way up”

Career totals for Loveberry include 5,730 mounts, 670 wins, 1,353 placings and purse earnings of $6.84 million. His resume lists 10 stakes triumphs, the initial quartet of which occurred at Great Lakes Downs in 2007.

Three of those stakes wins came aboard Hot Chili, a 2-year-old trained by Laura Jackson. The most lucrative was achieved by 2 lengths in a $125,233 Michigan Sire Stake.

“Hot Chili was a big chestnut, a closing sprinter,” said Loveberry.

Favored at 1-2 in the field of nine, the colt and his jockey made it look easy.

That same season, Loveberry booted a 4-year-old filly, Silent Sunset, to a front-running score in a $50,000 stake at Great Lakes. In 2011, he guided another front-running filly, a 2-year-old Ohio-bred named Motega, to a trio of stakes scores – two of which came at River Downs and the third at Thistledown.

In those races, Motega was either near the lead or on the front throughout. Her margins of victory were 17 lengths, 4 lengths and 8 lengths. Joseph Martin trained Motega.

“She was a young horse who had matured very quickly; a very quick sprinter,” Loveberry said.

In 2012, Loveberry piloted Only Boy to Ohio Horse of the Year honors. He was aboard when the 4-year-old gelding won the $50,000 George Lewis Memorial at Thistledown; the $75,000 Best Of Ohio Endurance at Thistledown; and the $50,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap at Beulah Park.

In each of those races, Only Boy closed from last position to gain the win. The Best of Ohio Endurance was a 1-mile event; the other two were run at nine furlongs.

“He likes to go long and likes to come from off the pace,” said Loveberry of Only Boy. “Larry Rivelli trains him. A tough, strong horse.”

This winter, Loveberry took his tack to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. On Feb. 18, he rode Heaven’s Runway, the 59-1 longest shot in the field of 10, to a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes.

Heaven’s Runway is a candidate for Oaklawn’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 13. Further down the road, he might be a candidate for the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer. This year’s West Virginia Derby will be run on Aug. 3, Loveberry’s 26th birthday.

Loveberry’s Mountaineer assignments on opening weekend this year include five mounts today, three on Saturday and six on Sunday. He and his wife, Stacie, have an infant daughter, Kennedy (her first birthday will be May 4, Kentucky Derby day).

They have a home in nearby Newell and are considering a move to Youngstown.

“But we want to remain in the general area of Mountaineer, which has a great central location” Loveberry said. “There are also tracks in the region such as Thistledown, Presque Isle Downs and the new one being built near Youngstown. The purses at all these places are getting pretty good. This is where we want to be, and it’s where we want to stay.”

“But being a leader at Mountaineer was surreal. It was awesome”

Loveberry’s 2012 win total at all North American tracks came to an even 200, a career-best. His mounts last year earned $2.23 million. That made for his best year.

John Costanzo is in his third season as Loveberry’s agent.

“When you look at his 2012 statistics, remember, Jareth only rode for 10 months,” Costanzo said. “He spent January and February recovering from a left-shoulder injury. He’s well on his way, and that way is up, way up”

Career totals for Loveberry include 5,730 mounts, 670 wins, 1,353 placings and purse earnings of $6.84 million. His resume lists 10 stakes triumphs, the initial quartet of which occurred at Great Lakes Downs in 2007.

Three of those stakes wins came aboard Hot Chili, a 2-year-old trained by Laura Jackson. The most lucrative was achieved by 2 lengths in a $125,233 Michigan Sire Stake.

“Hot Chili was a big chestnut, a closing sprinter,” said Loveberry.

Favored at 1-2 in the field of nine, the colt and his jockey made it look easy.

That same season, Loveberry booted a 4-year-old filly, Silent Sunset, to a front-running score in a $50,000 stake at Great Lakes. In 2011, he guided another front-running filly, a 2-year-old Ohio-bred named Motega, to a trio of stakes scores – two of which came at River Downs and the third at Thistledown.

In those races, Motega was either near the lead or on the front throughout. Her margins of victory were 17 lengths, 4 lengths and 8 lengths. Joseph Martin trained Motega.

“She was a young horse who had matured very quickly; a very quick sprinter,” Loveberry said.

In 2012, Loveberry piloted Only Boy to Ohio Horse of the Year honors. He was aboard when the 4-year-old gelding won the $50,000 George Lewis Memorial at Thistledown; the $75,000 Best Of Ohio Endurance at Thistledown; and the $50,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap at Beulah Park.

In each of those races, Only Boy closed from last position to gain the win. The Best of Ohio Endurance was a 1-mile event; the other two were run at nine furlongs.

“He likes to go long and likes to come from off the pace,” said Loveberry of Only Boy. “Larry Rivelli trains him. A tough, strong horse.”

This winter, Loveberry took his tack to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. On Feb. 18, he rode Heaven’s Runway, the 59-1 longest shot in the field of 10, to a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes.

Heaven’s Runway is a candidate for Oaklawn’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 13. Further down the road, he might be a candidate for the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer. This year’s West Virginia Derby will be run on Aug. 3, Loveberry’s 26th birthday.

Loveberry’s Mountaineer assignments on opening weekend this year include five mounts today, three on Saturday and six on Sunday. He and his wife, Stacie, have an infant daughter, Kennedy (her first birthday will be May 4, Kentucky Derby day).

They have a home in nearby Newell and are considering a move to Youngstown.

“But we want to remain in the general area of Mountaineer, which has a great central location” Loveberry said. “There are also tracks in the region such as Thistledown, Presque Isle Downs and the new one being built near Youngstown. The purses at all these places are getting pretty good. This is where we want to be, and it’s where we want to stay.”

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