SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Tuesday, April 22, 2025) — Every win is special to the connections of a horse, but sometimes, a win means more. When Galpin Sunday crossed the wire as the winner Wednesday, April 16, it marked a milestone for a hard working man on the backstretch at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The victory was the first for Jose Rodriguez, who recently moved up to assistant trainer for the Aaron West Stable after working in horse racing for more than two decades.
 
Rodriguez, a native of Guatemala and now a resident of Shelbyville, Ind., has worked his way up through every aspect of horse racing to reach the status of assistant trainer. He and his wife, Edilsa, worked for longtime Indiana trainer Kim Hammond for more than 17 years before she announced her retirement from racing two years ago. At that point, Rodriguez began looking for a new job.
 
“I always try to do the best I can, and Kim (Hammond) helped me learn a lot,” said Rodriguez. “When she retired, I went to work as a groom for Aaron (West) one and a half years ago. My wife now works for (Trainer) Shannon McGovern, so we aren’t in the same barn anymore. We live in Shelbyville all year. This past winter, I had 15 here at the track for Aaron. Now, we have 30.”
 
More horses mean more responsibility, but Rodriguez has the experience to tackle all tasks. He still pays attention to the small details in caring for the horses in the barn while also stepping into a new supervisory role with West, who is based in Russell Springs, Ky. at his training center. West relies heavily on Rodriguez to manage the Indiana string as he travels back and forth.
 
“Jose (Rodriguez) is a very hard working member of our team, and he has worked hard his whole life,” said West. “It meant a lot to him to move up to assistant trainer, and to see him get his first win in that role was very rewarding to our entire crew.”
 
Rodriguez watched trackside as Sammy Bermudez rallied to the lead with Galpin Sunday in the stretch and pulled away to a one and three-quarter length win in only his third career start for owners ACG Thoroughbreds. When the horse came into the winner’s circle, West positioned Rodriguez at the hip of the horse for the win photo, a spot he had never fulfilled before in his career.
 
“My boss gave me a surprise and put me in the news,” added Rodriguez. “He has given me so much confidence. He is a good boss and has helped me a lot. I was a little scared to take the test, but I passed it. It is so special to me.”
 
Rodriguez and his family have lived in Shelbyville since 2005. He and Edilsa have two daughters, Marlyn, a senior at Shelbyville High School, and Shailyn, who is in middle school. Rodriguez notes the best horse he has been associated with was Hammond’s Sucess is Racing, a stakes winner of more than $550,000. However, he’s quickly developing a few favorites in the West shedrow, including a filly he is excited about that will make her first start soon, Catty Justice, and standout stakes winner Goodlookinjustice. Working for West will catapult Rodriguez into a different frame of racing as West has many stakes caliber horses in his barn.
 
“When I got to the United States, I started working with horses for the first time,” added Rodriguez. “I like the horses so much. This is all I want to do.”
 
The 23^rd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing runs through Thursday, Nov. 13. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.