Apprentice jockey Bryan Torres' fifth career victory was a bit more exciting than the 24-year-old from Puerto Rico bargained for. Though Torres didn't realize exactly what had happened until after the wire, his saddle slid so far back that, at the wire, he was nearly perched above the horse's hindquarters.

Legged up on Breezy Dance for the second race at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa.., on July 7, Torres was hoping he could get the 4-year-old Hoppertunity filly back on track after a few subpar races.

"(Trainer) Mike (Moore) told me that the horse wasn't running very well, so I just tried to take her to the lead," Torres explained. "She broke good, went to the lead very sharp, so I was holding and holding and I think that’s why the saddle started coming back. I didn’t feel it, the saddle, until I was getting to the quarter pole, and I started having a hard time trying to breathe. Her neck was getting farther and farther away. I thought, 'Am I getting tired or something? It's only a mile race. What is going on?'

"I just gave everything I had to stay on the saddle and keep the balance."

After crossing the wire four lengths ahead of the nearest rival, Torres was surprised to see the outrider coming out to help him pull up. 

"I didn't know what was happening, because the horse, she was galloping out good," he said. "The outrider said, 'Look at the saddle!' When I looked down, I was almost on the butt of the horse. I said, 'Wow!'

"Thank God this horse had a lot of class, because if I wasn't on that horse, I don't know what would have happened."

When track photographer EQUI-PHOTO posted the image of Torres and Breezy Dance on social media, fans were quickly reminded of the Dubai World Cup-winning performance of California Chrome and Victor Espinoza, when his saddle also slid back.

"I think it was almost the same, but Chrome's saddle wasn't as far back," said Torres, laughing. "It was a fun trip, and a scary one."

The native of Puerto Rico graduated from the renowned jockey school there, the Escuela Vocacional Hípica (EVH), with the class of 2022. He struggled to get good mounts at Camarero Racetrack in his homeland, riding 14 horses but winning no races, and there was a brief period when he almost gave up on his dream of riding racehorses.

"I had a friend tell me not to give up, and to try Belmont Park," Torres said. "By the time I got there, it had been one month since I'd been on a horse. So I wasn't ready. I started galloping for Rudy Rodriguez in the mornings."

Rodriguez eventually put Torres on his first U.S. mount, at Saratoga. He finished sixth that day, but the experience still sticks with him.

"I met Irad Ortiz, John Velazquez, and they gave me some really good advice," said Torres. "It’s very beautiful in Saratoga."

After 14 months galloping for Rodriguez, Torres made the move to Pennsylvania and began galloping horses for John Servis, and later his son, Tyler Servis. Once Torres got comfortable, he met agent Jimmy Boulmetis, and started making a plan to return to race-riding. 

His first winner came for John Servis in March, and Torres has slowly increased his afternoon assignments until he was able to stop galloping and pursue his jockey career full time.

"He's really taken things slowly, waited until he was ready, and done it the right way," Boulmetis said. "He's a good kid."

Torres immediately followed up his eventful win on Breezy Dance with another win on Monday at Parx, and he won his seventh lifetime race on Tuesday afternoon. 

"It is going great now," the jockey said.

He added: "I used to get on so many babies, jumping around and stuff, so I'm prepared for any situation now!"