Shaun Bridgmohan: A Jockey's Journey To Kentucky Derby Dreams

He traveled from the tiny island of Jamaica, an island that is rich in the tradition of jockeys. Shaun Bridgmohan didn't begin his journey into the life of a jockey on the island, but after arriving in Florida, he got the urge. The riding bug hit him when he was seventeen, and after graduating from high school he began writing his journey not knowing how far the racing gods would take him. Shaun Bridgmohan began riding in 1997 and quickly recorded his first win. The bug boy, a name given to a young jockey who hasn't won a certain amount of races moved his journey to New York. Six months later he won six races in one day at Aqueduct racetrack. When I asked Shaun about his greatest achievements, he  highlighted the six wins that he had the privilege of accomplishing twice. He achieved this feat in New York and then came back at the Fairgrounds in New Orleans a few years later, and duplicated the achievement as a journey man jockey. After arriving in New York, the young apprentice would go on to win the Eclipse award for best young apprentice, which essentially is the academy awards for horse racing. The journey had taken full flight.

Shaun Bridgmohan's career as a journey man jockey progressed well while he was in New York. He had  his first graded stakes win, wrote his legacy with some stirring rides on horses like Brutally Frank, Evening Attire, who he rode in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Volponi, and one of my favorites Peeping Tom whom he also rode in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Bridgmohan also climbed aboard Midnight Lute at Saratoga and rode him masterfully. Shaun would continue writing his story in New York with over nineteen graded stakes wins. Something was missing. He was deeply rooted in a jockey colony with Hall Of Fame jockeys rubbing elbows with him in the jockeys' room. Trying to break into the top barns proved challenging. He believed in his skills. He knew he had the talent, so he had to make a move.

Bridgmohan's career really blossomed when he journeyed to Arlington Park in 2005. Being new to the colony the young rider knew he had to prove himself to trainers and owners on the circuit. Shaun took the riding colony by storm and won the riding title. He found his way into many barns, but one trainer took extra notice of his talent and something special was about to be born. Trainer Steve Asmussen liked how the young rider sat on a horse. He admired his horse intelligence and quickly gave him the status of stable rider, which meant that Shaun would have the first call on horses in the barn. This is how Bridgmohan always saw his career evolving when he dreamt about success. He knew if given the chance consistently to sit on horses that are runners, his ceiling would be very high. He was now on the national stage and not just a journey man jockey lost amongst the midst of Jerry Bailey, Richard Migliore, and Johnny Velasquez in New York. The stage now belonged to him. Bridgmohan and Asmussen became a formidable team. Asmussen and "Bridge' as he is called by racing fans, quickly formed a bond that cashed many winning tickets. Asmussen and Bridgmohan teamed up three times in the Kentucky Derby. Their best horse together was Pyro who was on every one's top ten list going into the 2008 derby. Pyro and Bridgmohan didn't set anyone on fire that day and finished ninth in the prestigious race.

In this year's Kentucky Derby, Shaun will be aboard the West Point owned Commanding Curve. The three year old is trained by Dallas Stewart whose long shot Golden Soul almost left us dumbfounded. Golden Soul came running last year and finished second in the Derby. Commanding Curve is a late developing horse. He broke his maiden by getting his first win after four starts. His maiden victory was a nice win on a chilly Saturday at Churchill Downs with Bridgmohan in the saddle.

Dallas Stewart shut the horse down after that win and shipped him down to Fairgrounds for the winter. After a few steady works, Commanding Curve made his three year old debut in the Risen Star, an ambitious start for a horse who had only won one race. But this is the time of the year when trainers are figuring out if they have a derby contender or just a nice horse. His try in the Risen Star didn't put him on any list to win the Kentucky Derby. He waltzed home sixth that day. Stewart knew exactly what he is doing with the horse. He knew the horse would need a race compared to some others who already had made a couple starts for their three year old campaign. He got Commanding Curve working, and he tightened him some more for his next start.  Commanding Curve showed he belonged with the titans when he came back in the Louisiana Derby and finish a troubled third behind Vicars In Trouble. The young horse was reaching at the end of the race wanting to go further. He will get that this Saturday as the three year olds all attempt to navigate a mile and a quarter for the first time. When asked about Commanding Curve and how he sees the horse in the derby, Bridgmohan states,"Commanding Curve is an improving three year old with a lot of upside. The race should have a lot of speed which should benefit my horse's running style."

There are various accomplishments that define an athlete. In the NBA its the end of year championship, and in football, the Super Bowl is the pinnacle that all football players journey towards at the beginning of every season. In horse racing the Kentucky Derby is the ultimate goal. Bridgmohan has won titles at various tracks. He has ridden in Dubai on Dubai World Cup night. He has won several grade one races and has made a very good living as a jockey. However, this journey that began at the age of seventeen in Florida, when he knew he wanted to be jockey, won't be complete without a Kentucky Derby win. Bridgmohan said,"Winning the derby would mean everything to me, it is the ultimate prize." Bridgmohan also thinks a win in the derby would have  an impact on the island of Jamaica that has many great athletes.

Will he win? Only the racing gods know what will happen. They have the race scripted from a few weeks ago when Commanding Curve was on the outside looking in, hoping to get in the body of the race. Unfortunately some horses had to withdraw because of various issues and a spot opened for Commanding Curve, Bridgmohan, Stewart, and WestPoint Stables.  Don't be surprised if when the horses turn for home at Churchill Downs, the voice of Larry Collmus picks up Commanding Curve weaving through horses to win. Don't be surprised! Bridgmohan won't be. His wife and kids won't be surprised either. The people of Jamaica won't be. This is the journey he has been on. A journey that started in Spanish Town, Jamaica, a journey scripted when he was seventeen years old and making the decision that he wanted to be like his idol Mike Smith.

Untapable A Freak Amongst Ladies

In the mornings she glides around the race track with the gentleness of a lady, but in the afternoon she demolishes everyone like a freak. Untapable the three year old filly trained by Steve Asmussen will be the favorite in this year's running of the Kentucky Oaks. The Oaks is the female version of the Kentucky Derby and is usually run a day before the boys take their running to the track. After this weekend is over, everyone may only be talking about the filly that sent shock waves through Kentucky. Rachel Alexandra did that in 2009 when she took jockey Calvin Borel on a joy ride in the Oaks. Her win opened pocket books and wallets. She was sold to Stonestreet Stables who quickly moved the horse to trainer Steve Asmussen. The Rachel saga grew as she took on and beat the boys in the second leg of the triple crown, the Preakness Stakes. Untapable has a lot more to do before she can be compared to Rachel Alexandra, but she is well on her way.

Untapable broke her maiden in a five and half furlong race at Churchill Downs. She came back in the Pocahantas and while racing a little green surged at the wire to win by a head.  That win propelled her into an early betting choice for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The young star disappointed that day. She finished up the track a disappointing eighth. She would then be wheeled around a month later at Hollywood Park for the Grade One Starlet, where she would finish third.  Horse racing is all about what have you done for me lately, and after that showing on Breeders' Cup day, and at Hollywood Park, people started to sway in other directions. Her trainer, Steve Asmussen  gave her some time off and sent her down to the Fairgrounds in New Orleans where he does most of his business for the winter.

The Fairgrounds woke up the freak in this talented young lady and she began her three year old journey with a resounding win in the Rachel Alexandra. She reunited with Rosie Napravnik who was her pilot for her first two wins. The two made little work of their competitors, and the swaying tongues that had began to look elsewhere for their next delight started to sing her praises once more. While Untapable was bringing back her lovers to her, another three year old filly was starting to write her own history. Unbridled Forever,  introduced herself to the world when she won in her first start at Churchill Downs. Her win had those fickle lovers jumping on her bandwagon. They have found another one to fall in love with. She also went down to the Fairgrounds with her trainer Dallas Stewart and began a love affair with the sweet melody of Louisiana. Unbridled Forever made her three year old debut in the Silverbulletday and sent her rivals back to their stalls with their heads hung. She wanted everyone to know that Untpable wasn't the only female in town trying to secure princess status. The buildup began. Who would win in a matchup between Untapable and Unbridled Forever? The lovers took sides and the money showed they favored Untapable a little more when they both met in the Fairground Oaks. The race wasn't much of a race by the time the females turned for home. Untapable with Rosie using her strong hand urging and whip, left Unbridled Forever and the other wannabe princesses in the midst of her freakiness. She crossed the wire and Unbridled Forever gasped home in third. Her time for the running of the Fairgrounds Oaks was better than the Louisana Derby winner and the older horses that day. How would she fair in the Kentucky Derby? Sadly we won't know because the derby and its point system doesn't include the filly races. That is a case to be tackled for next season, but this season she will compete against the girls on the first Friday in May.

Who can dethrone this filly whose muscles are breaking through her flesh. Who will be able to break her will if she is a hundred percent? A close look at the field and one would see horses that she already defeated with ease. Ria Antonia with Mike Smith in the saddle comes to town after being shipped to Bob Baffert's barn where she displayed a nice run in the Santa Anita Oaks. She galloped home second behind a young lady who is developing a lovely style of her own. Fashion Plate will bring her high cat walk fashion to town after winning the Santa Anita Oaks. She has won three in a row and will be ridden by Hall Of Fame jockey Gary Stevens. She will be the second choice behind Untapable and some believe her to be very dangerous in the Oaks. Unbridled Forever comes back for more and this time hopes to give Untapable some of her own medicine. The rest of the field is comprised of lovely young ladies who will be heard from down the road. Their story lines will be written throughout the summer.

This Friday, it is hard for me to see Untapable getting beat when the starter lets them go. If she breaks well and settle in her normal spot, a few lengths off the leader, then turning for home she will take them apart and break their wills. Will we see a Rachel Alexandra's type of performance? We all don't know. This field has some nice young ladies who can run, but if she was to display that same type of freakish behavior like Rachel, then in two weeks she may just show the boys how its done in the Preakness. One race at a time and that first race is Friday. I am looking forward to seeing this princess strut her style over the Churchill surface leaving a memorable performance  with lovers wanting and begging for more.

Willie Simms...1901..The End

They dominated the sports and then they were by gone by 1904. Black jockeys stood in the stirrups and won race after race before sweeping racism soared over racetracks barring them from doing what they enjoyed most. Most of these riders didn't attend school but handling a race horse was the genius found in their hands. They knew how to get run out of a horse, by getting the horse to do more than they would for any other jockey.

One black jockey that stood out amongst the crowd was Willie Simms. Willie was born in Georgia in 1880,  and the glamor of horse racing placed its love in his blood from an early age. He knew he wanted to be a rider. Simms took his skills to Kentucky and quickly showed that his talents weren't just a tongue filled wish but God given. He rode in the Kentucky Derby in 1896 and in 1898. Both times he entered the race the young jockey produced winners. He guided Ben Brush in 1896 and then came back aboard Plaudit in 1898 to win once more.

 Willie Simms gifts enabled him to do what other black jockeys at the time didn't do and that was to win all triple crown races. He won the Belmont Stakes in 1893 and 1894 and also won the Preakness Stakes in 1898. Willie Simms took his riding style over the ocean and introduced the American style of riding in England.  The English called him a "Monkey On A Stick" but quickly the riding style was adopted. They called his riding style the "American Seat".  He became the first American to win in England.  The young jockey skills was much taller than he ever was.

The climate of the country changed and white jockeys started to boycott as a result of black jockeys and their tremendous riding skills. White jockeys would deliberately do things on the track to impede them. Jim Crow flew with wings that spread wide and far. Many believed that  these young talent belonged on the back stretch of the race track. They believed that they should be the one doing the preparation not the one that the crowd came to see. Unfortunately, the climate of the time caused many of these young men to abandon the sport they loved. They migrated to the stalls, mucking and shucking. Willie Simms hanged up his riding skills in 1901.


Today most African American youths are running towards other sports. They are not chasing the glory of the black jockeys from yesteryear. Sadly, when we think of icons in American sports and the contribution that African American made , we tend not to remember the black jockeys who rode and dominated the sport. You can ask any youth and they can tell you a little about Jackie Robinson and the major impact he had. My son who is ten years old saw the Jackie Robinson movie a couple years ago and quickly fell in love with the man. He plays baseball and forty two is the number he always request at the start of the season.

I hope one day that the racing community and the sporting world would pause and remember these giants who were too tiny to fight the claws of Jim Crow and racism. I hope one day that this sport that I fell in love with as a youth, would be generous in remembering those who didn't read and write very well, but whose hands were gifted from God in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing.

Fake Dirt And The Kentucky Derby

Have you ever eaten tofu chicken? It was presented to me on a lovely plate, accompanied by some vegetables and dressed up with some type of sauce that would typically cover chicken. When the impostor hit my mouth and began that dance I automatically began to revolt. This isn't chicken and my mind and body knew it. Horse racing has been eating some fake chicken over the past few years, and as a result the Kentucky Derby and even a Breeders' Cup classic race were hijacked by horses who wouldn't otherwise be entered. Gio Ponti almost won on the fake dirt but Zenyatta restored order that day. Gio Ponti was a very nice horse but wasn't a dirt horse, and even the fake stuff couldn't help him beat one of the great horses that we have seen in a while.

The Kentucky Derby over the past few years has become a mixture of dirt horses and horses that really don't like dirt but who have accumulated enough money or points to qualify. The Bluegrass ran at Keeneland, and the Spiral who does its business at Turfway, are the main contributor to this disruption of purity. We have seen some horses ran well at Churchill who were mainly fake dirt and turf horses, but those horses are usually really good horses who can compete on levels that superstar compete. Animal Kingdom and his dominant win in the derby gave false hope to trainers and owners. They began to believe that their horses can run over the dirt, but most quickly find out that their horses aren't Animal Kingdom. Another horse that send out the wrong message was Dullahan. He ran third in the 2012 derby and came back to win the Pacific Classic at DelMar  a few months later. His best finish after that win was a third place finish in the Arlington Handicap. Paddy O' Prado also gave false hope to many. He ran third in the derby after finishing second in the Bluegrass Stakes, but his most accomplished performances were done on the grass. Not a true dirt horse.

Over the years other horses have tried the fake dirt to real dirt method but failed. Dominican finished eleventh in the derby, Stately Victor finished seventh, Brilliant Speed finished seventh, Java's War was taking notes from the back finishing a rousing thirteenth, but those results have not deterred many. They keep coming hoping to strike gold. This year's fake dirt to Kentucky Derby hope and dreams are Dance With Fate,  We Miss Artie, and Harry's Holiday. We Miss Artie came running at the end of Spiral under a strong ride by Johnny Velasquez. He nosed out Harry's Holiday who came back to finish off the board in the Bluegrass Stakes. But onward march to the derby. Dance With Fate seems to be the most talented of all the fake dirt to Kentucky Derby dreamers. He took apart a good field in the Bluegrass Stakes,  and the horse who ran behind him, Medal Count, is a pretty good horse, but he too may love the lawn and fake dirt more than the Real McCoy.

I am all in for owners and trainers who want to get dressed up and show up with their charges on derby day hoping and dreaming. If you earn the points then its within your rights to participate, but I  did a little reggae dance when I heard that Keeneland who had lost their mind in the last few years is abandoning fakeness for the real stuff. I understand the mentality behind the fake dirt. I understand safety issues and all the studies did by someone in a lab somewhere. This is horse racing. Dirt and grass. Ditch the impostor.

When the odds are laid out this year by Mike Battaglia I believe We Miss Artie and Harry's Holiday will be in the midst of 50 to 1 and Medal Count and Dance With Fate much lower. On derby day We Miss Artie and Harry's Holiday will probably be higher, but they give hope to someone somewhere until the finish line come calling. I am curious about how Medal Count will perform. I think he has the ability to be a freak. He is strong and powerful, and Dale Romans has talked him up all winter. I wouldn't be surprised if he charged home like Dullahan or Paddy O' Prado. Dance With Fate looks like a runner. He did some nice work in California before strutting his attitude in Kentucky. If he loves the dirt then his chances goes up immensely.  I am going to pass.

Do the best horses always win the derby? Of course not, but I am willing to take my shot against those who are really up against it, especially when so many horses who love the real dirt seem capable of dominating. I am throwing out the fake dirt madness this year. Mine That Bird. I know. Not Real. Just an aberration.

I look forward to the races at Arlington Park and Colonial Downs this summer. I look forward to touting horse like Dance With Fate and Medal Count. I look forward to the Ramseys winning another turf race with We Miss Artie, but for the derby I want real chicken and what those three horses are serving I am not just eating.

Is The Kentucky Derby and Horse Racing A Big Deal?

I have heard over the past few weeks how the Kentucky Derby is no longer the race it once was. That the race has lost some of its luster over the years, and that horsemen and women are more concern with the long term goal of their horses rather than winning the Kentucky Derby. The idea that the Kentucky Derby is no longer the marquee event that trainers and owners alike want to shoot for if they have a quality three year old is so ludicrous. The Kentucky Derby is what the Oscars are to movies. Every actor and actress wants that shiny gold dude on their mantle. It is a sign of acceptance. A big notch in the belt of well done. I remembered being in college and majoring in theatre directing. When I won that little award called the Tyrone Guthrie award for best directing I was on cloud ten and higher. Then one day has I watched the Tony Awards, and saw my fellow classmate walk away with a Tony for Rent, it validated all the hard work we all put in those four years. Horse racing is a sport that has been taken over by some many entities that the tracks nowadays can look like a battle field with only a few strong men and women standing. The racing industry needs anything it can hold onto to bring the sport to the masses. The Kentucky Derby is one of the few things in horse racing that the common man would know. He probably wouldn't know the difference between an exacta and trifecta, but the Kentucky Derby he would know, and if you ask just the right person they may even know who won the previous year derby.

At some tracks the purses are going out the roof because of the introduction of slot machines. This is one of those false positive for racing. The purses are rising not as a result of patrons loving the product but because they are digging the appetizer. Horse racing needs to find that meat that people are going to love to eat. On one day in May the sport gets to show that. The derby shouldn't be this thing that appears and then falls asleep until the following year. It should be an advertised event year round, just like potato chips or fast food commercial hits me over the head every few minutes. Where is the money being generated by the sport? start investing into the industry and draw the masses to the sport. Nascar is one of the biggest money makers in the world of sports. They are making money because they have built their fan base and treated them well over the years by allowing them access to the stars. Horse racing needs to showcase their athletes. Wise Dan needs to be showcased. He needs to have the wide appeal like a Zenyatta had. People should know when this equine superstar is going to hit the track. Publicity is the hunger of horse racing that is not being fed. Nascar never runs away from its accidents and misfortunes. Drivers dying on the track. Some of the most horrific crashes, yet they shine. Horse racing is afraid of the petas of the world. Horses go down. Jockeys go down. It is a part of the sport that we shouldn't runaway from but educate and invite closer scrutiny. Another aspect of the sport that needs attention are the jockeys. Why isn't the jockey guild telling its participants that in order for then to make more money and have a higher profile that they need to learn the language. I am sure this isn't the most political correct thing to say in our day of being political correct but lets deal with the elephant in the room. I have watched coverage on the biggest day of horse racing and the jockeys sometimes can't answer the questions. I am not talking about having everything sounding perfect because that isn't the real world. A few years ago a young jockey won a major race and when approached by the announcer he looked at her and everyone around him like what is this person saying. The announcer was professional. She said he was so choked up he couldn't answer. I have seen jockeys made remarkable growth in the language since their beginnings on the track. Javier Castellano is growing and have grown tremendously. That is effort and his workman like attitude is also shown in his riding skills. Rafael Bejarano and Joel Rosario are too other jockeys whose command of the language has grown leaps and bound, and one should never forget Johnny Velasquez whose first interview at Breeders' Cup Day is night and day from his command today of the language. Nowadays he could talk forever. Julien Leparoux is another beacon in this area. We need to market our stars, and to make them marketable we need to present them in the best light. The NBA tells it players to come to the arena in sports jacket and tie. They understand the rules. They understand product selling. Those are the rules of the world. It just is.

The Kentucky Derby will have celebrities walking the carpet and parties will flow during the week, but once they have packed up and leave town the sport will still go on. The other legs of the triple crown should then take up the torch and run with it. The Preakness should be the next step that occupies everyone thought process. We should make the Kentucky Derby winner the second coming of Christ. We need to build him up like the superstar that he is. We need to see him breezing and eating. We need to see commercial asking whether or not he is going to do it. Will he win the second crown of the jewel? Who is going to stop him? People needs to be excited about something for them to watch it. I watched this past Super Bowl with my team the New York Giants sitting at home. I was still excited about watching the game. I found a reason to root for someone in the game. I needed a villain for me to watch. I found one and enjoyed the game immensely. The Preakness, the second leg of the triple crown needs heroes and villains.

After the Preakness is over then the Belmont Stakes takes center stage. If we are lucky to have a horse win the first two legs of the triple crown then the marketing of the even for New York Racing Association should be easy. Use some of that slot money and splurge on the event. Buy spots on television and invite the audience to watch your sport. If we are without a triple chance, then market the event as such. Let the audience know that the grueling task of winning the second jewel took down the derby winner, but he is back in the Belmont Stakes trying to show he is the best horse. Have it be  an event based on the winner of the first two legs of the triple crown.

After the triple crown season is over we move into Saratoga and Del Mar. Sell sell. Have people understand the magnitude of Saratoga. Introduce people to the history, and while doing this make a case for the Arlington Million and Haskell. Sell! Have people excited about the sports until the Breeders' Cup rolls around. The Breeders' Cup and the build up should be one of the easiest sell for the industry. This is a worldwide event and it should be sold as such. Let people know that the world is showing up to take on America. That is a winning point. America versus the world, so when Tom Durkin say Tiznow wins it for America it should resonate deeply. This is us against them. Sell!!

Horse racing is alive and well and those who think the sport is dying are the ones who are still living in that dense fog that doesn't allow them to see beyond their own hands. The sport has turned a corner and headed in other avenues with HRTV and TVG becoming the Mutuel Teller of todays horse racing, but the sport still have plenty of room for growth. The various parts of this sport needs to align themselves together. Too many cooks in the kitchen. We need one commissioner to oversee the on goings of everything. We need commonality throughout the game. One set of rules for all. We need small tracks to have inviting purses like their siblings. Get rid of the step child mentality and function as one. When one dies the entire sport suffers.

The Kentucky Derby is that moment each year that I look forward to. I probably look forward to it more than the Super Bowl and definitely more than the NBA championship, especially when my Knicks are not in contention. I enjoy the prep races leading up to the big dance. Who will make it and who won't. Can a horse get the distance or not? All the jockey juggling. This sport is no longer just for kings and queens and deep pockets. The life blood of the sport are the small people who are just in love with the science. The life blood of the sport are the Kentucky Derby and its appeal and all the side dishes that are offered throughout the year.

In the movie Field Of Dreams, Kevin Costner character was told if you build it they will come. Horse racing has the components in place to be successful. It is a product worth selling but management and direction is a thorn that will let the sport bleed to death if common sense and knowledge doesn't rear its head.

Caymanas Park The Birth Place

Why horse racing? That is a common question  I get when someone finds out how much I love the sport. I grew up walking distance from the race track in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Caymanas Park was the place to be on Wednesdays and Saturdays. My father who owned a race horse named Keep Going was a horse player and I wanted to be just like him. I loved sitting around, listening to the Saturday night conversation about the various races that took place that day. Often the conversation would be about a certain jockey or a trainer who pulled off a shocker. My mother disliked how much I loved the horses. She did everything possible to discourage my love for the sport, but eventually she knew the battle was lost. I wanted to be a horse player.

One of the most dramatic moment happened when I was around ten years old. We all were having breakfast when my dads' groom came on the veranda of our home. The look on father's face told me something wasn't good. That was the first time I had ever heard the word colic. My dad's horse had colic and passed away. My mother said nothing. My siblings and I had no idea what was going on but my father excused himself from the table and went with the groom. Keep Going had won one race with jockey Emilio Rodriquez riding him. Emilio would eventually become my favorite jockey on the island. After the passing of Keep Going I would go in the closet that stored the silks of my father's stable and put it on. The smell. The thought that a jockey had put this on made me dream of riding a horse in a race.  I would crouch over like a jockey and using a long piece of stick, I would ride and pump, reciting a race that had stuck in my head earlier. The game had me in its clutches and wasn't about to let me go.

The jockeys were and still are one of the biggest draw to  Caymanas Park in Jamaica. The jockeys would get nicknames from the locals based on how they ride or because of something that sticks out about them.  Emilio Rodriguez nickname was "Bimbo", then you had Winston "Fanna Griffiths who was the people's champion. Jamaicans loved "Fanna" who got his nickname from how he would use his stick on a horse. He would show the horse the whip and like a fan he would wave it rapidly back and forth, usually getting an extra drive out of his horse. Jockeys like Charles Hussey and George HoSang were regular money players for the fans at the track. We had jockeys who lived in the neighborhood and that added to beauty of the races for me. Jockeys like the Andrades lived a short distance from my home. I remembered when the youngest of the Andrades, Boyd Andrade won his first race. The young apprentice stood up in the saddle when he hit the wire and raised his right hand to the crowd. It was big news on the television that night. His career never lasted long because he outgrew the saddle, and he never got the recognition his brother Alton got who was a skilled rider. Other jockeys who lit up the tote boards and made fans angry and happy all in one day were, Robert "Collie" Reid, Pernel Linton, Carl "Duece" Morgan, Neville Anderson, Fitzroy "Pumpkin" Glispie, David "Scorcher" Mckenzie, Hubert "Chinna" Bartley, and many more that gave me  lasting images  on many cool Saturday nights.  These jockeys and their horses would be a topic of conversation at my house on a Saturday evening after the races. Men would argue how badly a horse was ridden and how they could have done it better. This was all usually washed down with jerk chicken and some Red Stripe Beer.

The biggest moment at the track in Jamaica when I was a child was the running of the Derby. Everyone had their horse. Arguments would break out between  people over who the best horse was. Legal Light was the first dominating horse I ever knew. He won the Jamaican Derby in 1977. What a moment that was. Everyone had him it seemed after the race. His trainer, the legendary Billy Williams, nickname Masters, won the prestigious Jamaica Derby five times. Williams was the first Jamaican to saddle a winner in Puerto Rico during the running of Confraternity Classic in 2006, when his charge Miracle Man who had won the Jamaican Derby in 2005 pulled out the win. Williams passed away in 2009 at the age of 78. Another horse that had me excited as a youth was Harlequin. What a horse. I remembered when he journeyed down to Puerto Rico for the Caribbean classic. My dad and his friends circled around the radio to listen to the race. I was buried in the midst. The race caller had Harlequin in front. The excitement enveloped our three bedroom house. Sadly, Harlequin's stay in front would be short lived. He finished up the track, but the joy of hearing one of our own being called in a race, in a place that was foreign to us was thrilling.

Female trainers made their way around the mostly men dominated track. One woman that stood out when I was a child was the legendary Eileen Cliggott. I remembered her big horse truck vanning her horses on race day to the track. She never won the trainers title, but she was a constant force winning over nine hundred races. The British born trainer retired in 2001, and she died at the age of ninety in 2007.

Over the years Jamaican jockeys made the trip across the ocean and landed in places like Canada and The United States. On the backstretch you can find many working as exercise riders and many who have made a living riding in races. Jockeys like Andrew Ramgeet, who won the Jamaican Derby a few times continue to show off his skills along with Ramon Parish, and Barrington Harvey. Also young apprentice Andre Worrie just moved his skills to New York and Jermaine Bridgmohan is still trying to find a steady fit for his talent. The most notable of Jamaican jockeys are Shaun Bridgmohan and Rajiv Maragh. Both jockeys have competed in the prestigious Kentucky Derby, which is big on the island, and both are consistently on the top money winner list year round. Rajiv Maragh has his derby mount this year with Wicked Strong, and Shaun Bridgmohan is hoping to draw into the body of the race with Commanding Curve. Both horses should  make a good account of themselves if  all goes well. Other Jamaicans who have made a name for themselves are trainers Ralph Ziadie and Colin Maragh. Jockey agent Richard Depass was a former champion jockey in the seventies in Jamaica. He has represented Jorge "Chop Chop"Chavez and Rajiv Maragh.

Horse racing is a story line that lives in my blood stream. It came to me one day when the Jamaican sun baked on asphalt and country dirt. It wrote a story of love and joy in my blood. Horse racing became to me what basketball or football would be for any kid growing up in the United States. When I moved to the states it took a moment for me to find my way around the New York tracks. The loves fest began once again once I regained my footing. The story that birthed itself in Caymanas Park started a rewrite with my new journey. The joy came full circle on a chilly day at Aqueduct when my favorite jockey when I was a kid in Jamaica, Emilio "Bimbo" Rodriquez won. Memories flooded to the backdrop of my mind, bringing back that cool Saturday when going to Caymanas Park was the thing that filled a young Jamaican kid with excitement.

Kevin Krigger...It Was Only A Year Ago

It was only a year ago when Kevin Krigger took his confident personality and displayed masterful riding aboard Goldencents. Krigger a native of the US Virgin Islands came into the Santa Anita Derby confident that his charge would dismantle his rivals. The horse and Krigger did just that, and at the wire a confident but relieved Krigger  placed his head in the horses' mane as he pumped him past the wire. Back at the winners' circle, years of thinking that he belonged came rushing to the surface. He raised his hand in victory like a climber who just conquered the tallest mountain. Swarm of crowds descended in the winners' circle. Kevin hugged everyone in arms length. He was the conversation. He was sitting on the best horse in Southern California. Kevin dreamt of winning the Kentucky Derby when he was a child back home in the Virgin islands, He would sit on the armrest of his parents sofa and pretended he was riding in the derby. The moment was no longer a dream. He had his derby ride and possibly a ticket to being realized as a top jockey. He arrived  in Kentucky and the confidence soared even higher. The horse was doing great and training lovely over the Churchill surface. Doug O'Neil the trainer of the horse had won the previous derby with I''ll Have Another, so experience  in the big dance wouldn't be an issue. Krigger had the victory suit made. His family all came to his side. The sweet melody of his Caribbean accent embraced the microphone, giving the sometimes stuffy derby experience a new face. Social media fell in love with the jockey. Could he be the first black jockey in decades to win this prestigious race. People who had never watched a horse race before came to the sport. They all knew who Goldencents was and the history that awaited him and his jockey.

A downpour washed over the Churchill downs surface and everyone wondered how would Goldencents and others take to the sloppy surface. The plan for Goldencents was just like in the other races. Go to the lead, slow it down, and then let them come get you if they can. I sat and watched the parade of horses. Goldencents looked spectacular. Krigger's was still flashing that smile that had endeared him to so many. My Kentucky home, the final touch before the horses made history, sang beautifully throughout the grandstand. The  crowd was ready. they loaded in the gate. Mark Johnson and his British accent gave the moment a sense of beauty. The starter unleashed the horses and they were off running. Goldencents popped out of the gate with the quickness that all had become accustomed to. He was quickly joined on the front end by Palace Malice who was geared to go on with it. Krigger took back and quickly found himself in fourth and eating dirt. Palace Malice chewed up the front end. I knew it was done. Krigger knew he was done. Palace Malice wouldn't last either but he clearly took Goldencents out of his game. The horse and Krigger crossed the finish line a muddy seventeenth. History had to wait another year. The racing gods were not ready to change this just yet. After the race, both Krigger and trainer Doug O'Neil said the horse didn't care for the surface.  Onto the Preakness, the second jewel in the triple crown glory.

Kevin Krigger decided to travel with the horse to Pimlico. He wanted to be involve in the daily routines of the horse. Was it a bad decision? Well after the running of the Preakness where Goldencents did not fire and finished up the field, Krigger returned home to California to find out that business wasn't as usual. He had just won the Santa Anita Derby two months ago. He rode one of the favorites in the Kentucky Derby, and then to show his dedication to horse and sport, he traveled with the horse to Pimlico. Surely someone had to notice his seriousness for the game. Surely someone will remember how he was a talented rider. They didn't remember. Kevin Krigger wasn't getting booked. He was riding long shots that are usually tucked way for journeymen jockeys whose talents are yet to be recognized or bug boys trying to make a name for themselves. Kevin Krigger hadn't done drugs. He wasn't arrested for domestic abuse, he hadn't done anything detrimental to the game or himself, but the reception was cold. Then the kicker in the mouth was when he was removed from the horse and the ride was given to Rafael Bejarano, who won the Breeders' Cup mile on the horse. Kevin stood around the Southern California circuit until it was time to pack bags and move down to Golden Gate where he had made a name for himself. The commentary on Krigger was that he shouldn't have gone with the horse to Pimlico because he lost his business. I laughed. Everyone with common sense laughed. The horse racing game is a weird but enjoyable business.  The fact that a jockey who made a decision to be with his horse, a horse that he believed would take him to great heights would be shun by many is confounding. I have seen jockeys do some ridiculous things in the game and it was back to business the moment they climbed back in the saddle. The fact that some jockeys can be arrested and go missing for days yet are still rewarded for this behavior is mind blowing. The question every trainer and owner ask themselves is whether or not a jockey can get the job done. Can they make money if this jockey is riding their horse. If that is the fundamental question then Krigger shouldn't have lost his business, but he did, and the remaking of Kevin Krigger is underway.

Last weekend Kevin Krigger's name surfaced at Gulfstream Park. He won. Just like he has done in other places. He is trying to find the dream once again. Chasing the big horse that will propel him into star quality. Kevin Krigger star never dimmed in the Caribbean where jockeys toiled in the hot sun doing what other jockeys everywhere are doing. The first Saturday of May is only a couple of weeks away and the horses will once again shine on the track. Celebrities will pack the Churchill Downs stands. Parties will flow with champagne and dreams will sing happy endings in jockeys' minds. Krigger probably won't be there this year. He will probably be sitting in a jock's room on a equicizer horse  watching the race, and when the voice of Larry Colmus brings them home, Krigger will be on the winner pumping away past the wire like he did on Goldencents a year ago, like he did on his parents' sofa. The Kentucky Dream will never die in Kevin's heart, and when that train is once again ready to take him on the ride he will be better prepared for the journey.

Kentucky Derby Top Twenty...

The major preps are over for those trying to get into the starting gate for the first Saturday in May. There were some major setbacks and surprises last weekend.

1. Constitution: This year's derby field isn't that strong. Apollo's  ghost may die a quick two minute plus death on derby day...the time maybe right

2.Hoppertunity: Mike Smith is committed and I am all in with him. This horse is a beast that may bring back the Real Quiet posse to the winners' circle.

3. Cairo Prince: Yeah boyee..he is in..looking forward to see how he trains...if all goes well it maybe a matter of how far.

4.California Chrome: I am looking for some Dr. Dre tunes to lead him out to the track...He maybe the fastest horse in the field..

5.Intense Holiday: Johnny V replace Mike Smith..that is a wash...he will be charging and knocking them down

6.Wildcat Red: A race horse is a race horse and he is pure  race horse..Ante Up..the pace will be smoking and he may just not stop

7.Wicked Strong: The "Yardman" Maragh got his derby ride...ghosts from the past maybe in the stands witnessing history...get ready for the Marley Trenchtown Rock to flow at Churchill.

8.Social Inclusion: He is here because one can dream.. I want him to run...he is special and this is the occasion for special horses.

9.Medal Count: If he can run on dirt he will be nasty. He is a monster..one week turnaround and almost pulled off the double....Dale Romans will have him ready if he digs the dirt....See Animal Kingdom

10. Samraat: If only the derby was run on the inner track at Aqueduct with freezing weather and all is competitors ran as fast as Uncle Sigh...

11. Dance With Fate: This one made  Kurt Hoover happy...another California horse...you got to give it to the man..he is a die hard Cali fan..even when the ship is sinking..impressive win..fake dirt lover...Don't see  Animal Kingdom

12.Tapiture...Number one fell hard this past weekend..FYI Santana Jr won a bunch for Asmussen on Saturday...FYI Joel Rosario ride on Tapiture was terrible..wide the entire way...FYI he loves Churchill Downs

13.Commanding Curve....I hope he gets in..third off the layoff..will be dead fit...live long shot

14. Ride On Curlin...he proved me wrong...didn't think he would be around..is he better than Tapiture..I think not but he was consistent in his preps

15.General A Rod...He did everything Conquest Titan couldn't do...qualify..a horse that beat him stylishly on a cool Saturday at Churchill...he may get a piece which  is a lot better than those ranked under him

16.Danza...if the "Boss" is really boss then the derby is all about who is running for second money..stop the madness...that was just weird and I don't care what Bravo said...He almost wet his pants after that win..he looked around at the wire and wondered what the hell was that.

17.Vicars In Trouble...He will be in the mix early but will  "back da thing up"..see Juvenile

18.Ring Weekend..No chance...I know its horse racing and anything can happen..No chance..."Murder she Wrote"...see "Chaka Demus and Pliers"

19.Chitu..I got ninety nine problems and the derby is one.......I will wait for the Ohio Derby..are they still running that one?

20. We Miss Artie...Yellow Brick Road..the Eminem version..anything is possible..but this episode  will write an ending from the back of the field. One Love Mr. Ramsey..you love the game..one day.

Horse Racing..Wise Dan And The Breeding Shed

Today in the Arkansas Derby and the Bluegrass Stakes, three years old will try to put their names in the vernacular of horse lovers everywhere. They will attempt to become that horse whose name writes headlines and is synonymous with greatness. In the past few years we have had horses that flashed brilliance only to disappear like a whisper in the middle of the night. They go off to the breeding shed to reap millions and produce offsprings only becoming a footnote of what if. Zenyatta was that rare exception. A horse that stayed long enough in the story lines to produce a worldwide appeal. She took horse racing beyond the hardcore followers and introduced the sport to casual fans who were looking for something to grab on to. She even had Oprah taking notice which spoke to her draw beyond the race tracks of Southern California. Zenyatta would put breeding on hold after losing out horse of the year award to Rachel Alexandra. She came back and campaigned beautiful until her narrow defeat to Blame in the Breeders' Cup classic. In defeat, Zenyatta was even more beloved because of the fearless drive she displayed. Rachel Alexandra was suppose to be that horse that had fans beyond the apron of race tracks shouting, but her love letter to the sport was short lived. She won the oaks in stylish fashion and beat the boys in the Preakness stakes, the second jewel on the triple crown. She came back for her four year old campaign but was never the same horse. Quietly she left us without giving us a proper goodbye and ending to the love story.

Having a horse stay around in the game healthy and happy is an arduous journey for both horse, trainer, and owner. It requires a special animal who is both mentally and physically ready to become special. Wise Dan is that special. The two time horse of the year came to the Makers Mile yesterday at Keeneland and drew a mass of lovers looking to fall in love. He gave them an introduction to his new journey with a convincing win. He toyed with his competitors like they were a ball tossed in his stall for his enjoyment. He displayed power and strength that the really good ones are blessed with. I watched his muscles come alive and he glided over the lawn with such ease. The  lovers stood on the apron dressed in their Sunday best and marveled. He came back to the winners circle as if he went for a stroll in the park. Just an easy morning gallop. He bowed to the masses and let them know this is only beginning. John Velasquez is jockey was in love after the race. His lips dribbled with love producing these words, "he is the best horse I have ever ridden." John Velasquez was in love. He had falling in the story that many on that Friday afternoon had fallen in. Wise Dan is the story today in horse racing. The prospect of what could happen in a potential showdown with him and the  handicap boys on the dirt makes my mouth salivate. Will the story take such a turn? Will we see the muscles and power flexed up against the likes of Palace Malice, Will Take Charge, Mucho Macho Man, and Game  On Dude? Only if we could read ahead of this story and see the outcome. The first chapter to the story was a fitting beginning. One thing for certain is that we don't have to worry about Wise Dan running off to the breeding shed to make babies. He is a gelding and will be around with us for a very long time. Right now the tank is full and it has been been for the past few years. Let us hope the tank remain full and that the story will once again develop into that sweet sunshine that bless the morning shore line, giving lovers everywhere  an opportunity to fall in love. Maybe even Oprah will find his name amongst the headlines and horse racing will once again dance on the tongues of many.

Today's derby preps are filled with newbies trying to become shiny and marketable. They will attempt to make the first step towards becoming the horse that draws followers from everywhere to the sport to embrace their magnificence. Yesterday their big brother showed them how it is suppose to be done.  I hope they watched and put on a show today that will leave lovers gasping for more.

All About The Points In The Arkansas Derby

Who will win the Arkansas Derby? A close look at the field and you will find a competitive race waiting to break out. Bayern the flashy winner at Santa Anita brings his impressive running style to the race. In his last race he broke smoothly and quickly took a strangle hold. His competitors were all left wondering what happened. He glided over the Santa Anita surface like an elegant ice skater. That performance published his name on several derby watchers top ten list. Bayern will be up against it this Saturday. He needs those coveted points to get into the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Outcomes  I envision with Bayern this Saturday are: He will break like he did in his last race and display a California Chrome type behavior that will once again have tongues wax knowledge about how he will win the derby. Another scenario I see for this horse is that he breaks smoothly, but the time off and the competition will be too much, and he will be swallowed up by a tidal wave of seasoned horses. Bayern is a talented son of Offlee Wild with horses like Seattle Slew, Thunder Gulch and Alydar in the backdrop of his pedigree. Will he stay the distance? The pedigree suggest that he will relish the distance, but something about the way this horse moves and his body scope concerns me a bit.

Another horse with a big chance is Strong Mandate. I once was invited to listen to  a motivational speaker. I sat in the audience and the speaker laid out his credentials then proceeded to let his listeners know what they had to do to achieve his status. One thing he said that still stuck with me was that potential will remain potential if you never step up to the plate and make something happen. Strong Mandate is at a crossroad in his three year old journey. He flashed immense talent when he spat mud back at other horses in the Hopeful Stake at Saratoga. That day even Tom Durkin dug into his bag of hyperboles and crowned him something special. I am usually a believer when Durkin's call crowns a horse during the Saratoga meet. The son of Tiznow like Bayern needs derby qualifying points. Wayne Lukas knows what it requires to get a horse ready for the derby. He understands that his peak performance is not needed Saturday but Strong Mandate will have to drop his belly and run. He needs to stay focused. The time is now! Realize the potential and seize the moment or he could be on the outside wondering "What if...?"


Ride on Curlin brings his in the money running to the field. He is a tough, hard horse, that consistently tries, and one must love a horse that tries. Will he get to the wire first? He is good, but his class is not good enough to break these down especially, if the real Strong Mandate stands up, and Bayern shows up ready to run.

Conquest Titan exits a disappointing fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby. He came into the derby season off a strong win at Churchill Downs. His next race in the Holy Bull he chased Cairo Prince, finishing second to that charge. Calvin Borel hops aboard the son of Birdstone. He will settle him behind the pack and will come running at the end. Conquest Titan has the the talent to brind back a nice dividend  on Saturday. Thundergram also is entered from the Mark Casse stable. If he has matured mentally and  ready to fire, then he could potentially steal away a few points from those hoping to cash in.

Commissioner is the pretty boy of the field. He is that pop star that all the young girls are screaming over. His hits include his maiden win and an impressive win over Top Billing who everyone thought was the real deal. Since his allowance win, Commissioner finished off the board in the Fountain Of Youth and placed third behind  horses Chitu and Midnight Hawk who are not high on my derby list. That was a soft Sunland Park Derby field. He came running, and his trainer that boy band manager who knows how to get his boys ready for a big race, will have him ready to fire this Saturday. Commissioner may find his groove this Saturday and Mike Smith may once again flash his hired gun status by doing what I don't think will happen. If Commissioner brings the performance that took down Top Billing, then he may once again have fans lining up for his autograph.

Tapiture is the class of the Arkansas Derby Field. This is the horse with all the gifts and breeding that took an eternity to break his maiden.  He flashed his pearly whites with running a nice second to Strong Mandate at Saratoga. Then he began to become the horse that is overly bet, burning money. Then one day when the stars were aligned and the heavenly host stood on the precipice of greatness, he woke up from his slumber and did it. He won! The Kentucky Jockey Club announced what everyone had thought. The horse is very good. He came back in the Southwest to dominate with a lengthening stride that made one think of possibilities. Tapiture is blessed with a strong combination of power and stamina. He is a brute that will take you down in a horse fight. Will Asmussen have him cranked up for this race? It is a grade one with grade one status and money on the line, so he will be ready to fire. Tapiture will sit right off the pace under the gifted hands of Joel Rosario, and then the beast will be unleashed for the run. In the Rebel he got into a little trouble and couldn't fully get to running. Hoppertunity the horse that beat him that day came back to run lovely in the Santa Anita Derby. Tapiture will destroy this field on Saturday and the only conversation to be had is who will be your Kentucky Derby favorite, Tapiture or California Chrome?

Hunger Season For Jockeys

It is the same jockeys on the good horses this time of year. Trainers and owners are all looking for that edge that will take their horses to the starting gate on the first Saturday of May. One doesn't have to look very far to see this practice. Just take a look  at the Arkansas Derby field and you will find new riders on horses that didn't run bad in their last start. A perfect example of let me get the best on my horse is Tapiture. Trainer Steve Asmussen gave a big break to a young and talented Ricardo Santana Jr last season during the Oaklawn Park meet. The young rider took his chance and showed everyone who looked why he will be one of the best in the game. He won the jockey title and announced his arrival at Churchill Downs and Saratoga. He rode Tapiture in his first six starts and  always tried on the horse. It took four starts for Tapiture to break his maiden, and when he did, he did it in style by winning the Kentucky Juvenile cup at Churchill. The win solidified what everyone had thought and hope with the horse. A horse with immense talent and power. Tapiture took a break from that win in November, and promptly came back to win the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn. The win in the Southwest was so dominating and powerful it had mouths salivating about the possibilities. He came back in the Rebel and was beaten a head by  Hoppertunity, who is a very good horse. There was some contact in the running of the Rebel that may have prevented Tapiture from fully striding out like he did in the Southwest. That lost immediately prompted Asmussen to make a change to  Joel Rosario, who also rode in the Southwest and Rebel. He rode Strong Mandate in both races and couldn't get the horse to the wire in first.

What did Santana do other than haven't ridden in the Kentucky Derby before. The young jock showed his talent and horse IQ all year round, but for potentially the biggest chance of his life he is removed for a jockey who couldn't beat him with Strong Mandate. If one was to look at the entries for this Saturday at Oaklawn you will  see that Santana Jr is named on all of Asmussen other horses. Including horses running in minor stake races but for the big bonanza he is not welcomed. Joel Rosario is one of the best jockeys in the game. He has an ability to get run out of horses that wouldn't normally run for other jockeys. There are some jockeys who are just ahead of the game than others. I have watched countless races over the years and I have seen  terrible rides given on horses. Not all jockeys are cut from the same cloth, but a talent is a talent, and Ricardo Santana Jr is a talent with an upside that will have trainers and owners clamoring for the young star in the future.

Another horse making a jockey switch is Conquest Titan who previously was ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan. Conquest Titan revamped his running style in an allowance race at Churchill downs. Bridgmohan took him back and made one run and the win was dominating. The horse he beat in that race, General A Rod, had  a good showing down at Gulfstream Park this season. Conquest Titan started his season by finishing second to Cairo Prince in the Holy Bull ,which was the strongest prep race of the derby season. From that race, Wicked Strong came back to win the Wood Memorial, Intense Holiday won the Risen Star and finished second in Louisiana Derby. Coup De grace came back and won the Bay Shore at Aqueduct. Conquest Titan then took his running style down to Tampa Bay and finished a disappointing fourth. Everyone was quiet about the horse and his performance after the race and then came the change to Calvin Borel. What did Bridgmohan do wrong to lose the ride on the horse? Unlike Ricardo Santana Jr who is a young pup in jockey years, Bridgmohan has established himself over the years and his credentials speak volumes. He has won numerous jockeys titles and grade ones. Calvin Borel credential is also very stellar and I understand his knack for winning the Kentucky Derby, but we are always looking at horses form as a predictor of how they will compete in races. Calvin Borel's form this season wouldn't allow me to bet on him if the game was about betting on jockeys. Great horses will get a sub par jockey to the wire first. I was watching a race yesterday at Aqueduct and the young jock made a move with her horse turning for home and I thought she had it locked away, but she got nailed at the wire. The more I looked at that race I saw how much run another jockey could've gotten out of that horse. The ride wasn't great, and the jockey who nailed her at the wire was just a good finisher. Maybe in time the young jock will learn to finish what she started.

In the next few weeks jockeys will be bouncing all over the place trying to find the right mount for the derby. Mike Smith has an interesting choice to make and he will probably sit on his decision until the very last minute. Gary Stevens who rode Candy Boy and his piloting Bayern this Saturday will also have a choice. He may not even end up on any of those horses for the derby. The jockey game is a fickle business and there are only so many great horses. Everyone is looking for that great horse to propel them to elite status. Jockeys like Johnny Velasquez, Mike Smith and Gary Stevens no longer have anything to prove. Their elite status was garnered over years by winning grade ones, but someone took a shot with these young jocks. Whether its Mott giving a leg up to Mike Smith when he was strolling around New York tracks, or a horse like DA Hoss putting Johnny Velasquez on the map. All jockeys  need that one person or horse to get them to that place. Rafael Santana Jr will get there. Just watch the kid ride and you will enjoy his talent. Shaun Bridgmohan status was cemented on various  rides over the years. Winning six races  a day multiple times, and doing it as an apprentice. Winning the eclipse award for best young apprentice and last Saturday produced a grade one win on Room Service down at Keeneland.

This is the hunger season for jockeys and horse racing is a game that isn't for the weak of heart if you are a jockey. 

Horse Racing Divorce From Reality

I had a friend once commented while we were at the track that he didn't see the big deal with horses running around a track with a underweight  person riding. Unfortunately there are many who feels this way about this sport that requires more than just horses running around a track. People outside of horse racing doesn't see the hard work and dedication that it takes to keep these magnificent animals happy and healthy on a daily basis. That is why I am puzzled how the horse racing community has dealt with the Peta undercover story done on the Steve Asmussen's barn. Peta who thinks their love for animals supercede all others, inflitrated the Asmussen's barn and documented his now fired assistant Scott Blasi saying insane and absurd things about the horses in his care. Blasi sounded like an old bitter assistant who never got his big break. He is that understudy that night after night watches the leading man receive all the accolades while his name and work is never realized. I watched the video and was amazed at the level of lack of love that crept out of his mouth. He needed time away from the animals to remind him that they are the reason he was in the position he was in.  A top assistant in a top barn. Steve Asmussen had no recourse but to fire him, trying to stop the wildfire that was swallowing his barn with a fury that he wasn't ready for. Ahmed Zayat one of the owners who had horses with Asmussen removed his horses from the top trainer's care.

The horse racing community has stood in silence since the story broke. I listened for the chatter and the outcry for sweeping changes to be done but remarkably everyone with the exception of the first few days stayed away from the storm. The two major horse racing network in the United States barely touched the firestorm. They gave it a passing glance and quietly went on with other matters. Sadly that is horse racing. That is the day to day operation of the sports I have love since I was a little boy going to the track, trying so desperately to be like my father. Horse racing likes to ignore its wounds. Whether its trainers who are drugging their horses, selling horses to slaughter houses, or tracks who treats the jockeys like second class citizens. That is horse racing. The marriage that looks beautiful on the outside but behind close doors the wife is addicted to depression drugs, the husband is an alcoholic and the children are all doing drugs. Yes horse racing, the sports of kings. A facade of hypocrisy that runs deep.

Steve Asmussen sadly to say isn't the only trainer that is treating his horses unfairly. There are probably countless trainers whose practice mirrors that of the trainer with the high win percentage. What was the mantra a few years back? Just Win Baby..JUST WIN. Trainers all want those owners with the deep pockets. They want the owners that are going to sit at the sales and shell out the six figures for the horse with the royal breeding. In order to attract these big spenders..one rule..JUST WIN BABY and in some cases at all cost. don't you think there are trainers running five thousand claimers that wants to have the glamour and glitz of Todd Pletcher and Bob Baffert, or have a winning percentage like Jerry Hollendorfer and Steve Asmussen. What about having a horse of the year like Bill Mott and Wayne Lukas..JUST WIN BABY..JUST WIN

Peta's behavior is not one of lets save these horses. They are all about themselves and the attention they crave. Sadly there was good reasons to go undercover in the Steve Asmussen's barn. Asmussen has been the center of attention before from other news organization with his violations. He hasn't been the poster boy for the sport when it comes to running a clean operation. The infractions have been multiple.

This Saturday Asmussen will send out Tapiture in the Arkansas Derby. Tapiture will be one of the betting choice and if he gives a good account of himself, he maybe one of the favorite in the Kentucky Derby. That would be great for the horse and the owners, but it will shed more light on the Asmussen than he probably wants. This triple crown season has been a little slow developing with no horses really stamping their dominance over the rest of the group. Peta and Asmussen maybe the biggest story of the derby season and that is unfortunate for the sport where the horses should be the deserving story.

I hope horse racing  can clean up its house before the clock strikes midnight on this sport. The life support is weak and we need voices that aren't afraid to stand up and make a difference. We need individual who aren't afraid that owners and trainers won't grant them interviews if they expose the truth. The only thing that matters for those of us who love this sport is seeing the sports spread globally and achieve the exposure it had once upon a time. JUST WIN HORSE RACING..JUST WIN!

Kentucky Derby Top Twenty...April7th

1.Tapiture..still number one until but this week's Arkansas Derby is big boy time. He needs to bring the fire or slide down the slippery slope.

2.Constitution..I am loving this horse the more I see the derby preps. Castellano maybe sitting on the right one. He will come and get them at Churchill

3.Hoppertunity...The best horse to run second this triple crown season. You know Bob Baffert smiled all the way back to the barn after his effort in Santa Anita Derby. Mike Smith will be glued to this one.

4.California Chrome... The little engine showed up and blew the gasket off the Santa Anita's race track. The entire setup was played to his hand. Love the Art Sherman's stories that will follow.

5.Intense Holiday...Still loving his Risen Star stakes win...nothing has changed my mind...he will be coming in the Derby.

6.Wildcat Red..The time off between races will recharge this one's battery and he will be on fire at Churchill. California Chrome will probably be looking at his backside the entire race...ode to the movie Dreamer

7.Cairo Prince...The only reason he isn't number one is because of his lackluster performance in Florida Derby. He is the best three year old at the beginning of season and still is.

8.Samraat..His defeat in the Wood Memorial was a winner to me. This horse proved me wrong. He has what it takes to compete at the highest level..is he fast enough?

9.General A Rod...He will love the Churchill's surface and maybe in the jockey business a few weeks from now. Rosairo won't be getting of Tapiture anytime soon.

10.Wicked Strong..Strong finish in Wood Memorial...validate Holy Bull..best prep of the derby season..will be running at the end..happy for Maragh..

11.Conquest Titan..lost his jockey..trainer's reason...Borel knows the Oaklawn strip like the back of his hand..will need a strong finish to qualify for derby

12.Strong Mandate...Will the real Strong Mandate please stand up...Go time

13.Social Inclusion...I hope he gets in the derby..this horse is a beast..watch the Wood Memorial again and you will be a convert as well...

14.Bayern...He is a one turn horse..proved me wrong bad boy..put on your big boy pants and Lets GO!

15.Commanding Curve..his third race off the layoff you could be the charm..Broke his maiden at Churchill in a stylish way..he will be coming

16.Vicars In Trouble...Rosie Rosie..enough said..she will give him a chance

17.Ring Weekend..still confused by this one..but the motion to the derby ocean is starting to get deeper..he maybe a no show by the time this is all over

18.Chitu..will setup it up nicely for Hoppertunity...Intense Holiday and Commanding Curve..everyone needs a hype man

19.Candy Boy...I needed a number 19 and his last race was just dull. He got all dressed up for the party and then stayed outside while California Chrome had all the fun

20.Thundergram..you saw it here first..watch out

Derby Fever..Temperature is high

They are off! He stumbled. Jock quickly recovered and took hold. California Chrome was brilliant in Santa Anita Derby. He looked like Usain Bolt turning for home. Chest puffed out. Striding with ease and never giving back anything to his competitors. That was an impressive showoff style win. He can now strut his big boy attitude going into Kentucky, but what about the horse behind him. Hoppertunity lost nothing in that effort. Mike Smith knew he was up against it with the Santa Anita surface and the running style of Hoppertunity, and he gave his horse every chance to operate within the lines. Hoppertunity lost his momentum turning for home but Smith gathered him, went to the stick, and his horse came and tried the entire time. The Kentucky Derby sets up beautifully for Hoppertunity. He will be passing horses and passing them fast with an expected fast pace. Mike Smith will now have an interesting choice to make. He is the rider of Intense Holiday who won Risen Star and came back to finish second in the Louisiana Derby. It is great to be Mike Smith right now.
I know who I will choose.

 Art Sherman the horse man with a blue collar love for the game  got dressed up for the occasion and the occasion welcomed him with opened arms. California Chrome will now bring him back to the place where hoopla of pom and circumstance reigns supreme for a week. The Santa Anita Derby is a validation for what he thought about the horse after a few races. He knew his charge was maturing mentally and ready for big effort going forward.

Jockey Victor Espinoza rode California Chrome with such confidence. The little engine that could broke off from them and said bye bye. This little engine is reminiscing of War Emblem. He can go until he can't go anymore.

I don't know if California Chrome will win the Kentucky Derby but it will be fun watching Sherman treat the derby fever that will take hold of him now. It will be exciting watching him maneuver through the tape recorders and television camera that will document every moment of his life.

Unlike the Santa Anita Derby, the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct didn't have the fairytale ending that many was hoping for. Social Inclusion ran his heart out in the Wood. His post position was a tall order and his jock tried his best to get him away from there and settled. Social Inclusion wanted no part of settling. He took off and told them to come catch him if they can. They could and they did. Wicked Strong who showed off the Holy Bull form, ran him down with Jamaican born jockey Rajiv Maragh. This was the first win in the Wood Memorial for the Jamaican born jockey.

Social Inclusion was a tired horse at the end of the race. He showed he is a tough animal that will give it all he has. He finished third. Maybe not enough points to enter the starting gate on the first Saturday of May, but one never know with horses. He may be there in the end.

Hoppertunity Chrome Will Shine In Santa Anita Derby

The year was 1998 and I sat in the poor man's section of Belmont Park which is standing room on Belmont Stakes Day. The grand track swirled with excitement of the possibility of seeing a triple crown winner. The horse with the beer drinking owner and a trainer whose appearance speaks of Hollywood, champagne, and caviar, with pinky hanging out just right when holding the champagne flute. Real Quiet gave us a chill that day and Tom Durkin's call summed up the moment sweetly. "It's too close to call, was it Real Quiet or was it Victory Gallop?! A picture is worth a thousand words! This photo is worth five million" That was one of my best moments watching a horse race in person.

This Saturday at Santa Anita the same connections are back again with a few more mileage and challenges over the past few years.  Bob Baffert had to overcome the experience of having your life flash before your eyes. It is great to  have the silver hair master strolling the triple crown story lines once again this year, hoping that this time around the ending would be something he would pen. Hoppertunity, their new shiny colt is hoping to silence the crowd at Santa Anita by sending California Chrome and Candy Boy back into never never land. California Chrome will probably be your post time favorite for the Santa Anita Derby. The little engine that could race horse  is trained by Art Sherman the once upon time jockey. Sherman who is 77 years young, is the kind of horse racing memorabilia that one would love to sit and talk to about all his eyes have seen over the years. There won't be any champagne glasses or caviar, just a bag of chips, peanuts and cold beer to wash down the history. His horse California Chrome will be a tough engine to stop from rolling on the front end Saturday. He could kiss everyone goodbye early.

Candy Boy comes to the showdown with a few scalps to prove his battle worthiness. He took down Chitu and Midnight Hawk in a flashy style. Candy Boy created a buzz after that win and the buzz permeated deeper after Chitu and Midnight Hawk came back to finish first and second in the Sunland Derby. Candy Boy is nice, John Sadler has journeyed a long way with his barn of fine horses and his charge will make some noise on Saturday.

Hoppertunity comes into the Santa Anita Derby off a battle against Tapiture in the Rebel. Mike Smith who isn't racking up wins and titles like Bejarano and Castellano but whose big day ability is unmatched by any jock in any jock's room around the country, took the race and position to the young, talented Ricardo Santana Jr. He got the best of the young jock that day. Since the race Santana Jr. was taken off Tapiture. Hoppertunity entered the Rebel after finishing fourth in the Risen star, a race that I hold in high regard. The pace was slow and he didn't finish quickly like the winner Intense Holiday that day, but in the Rebel, Smith had in the groove from the start and he bullied his way to the win and derby qualifying points.

Would I love to see Art Sherman and the little engine that could win the Santa Anita Derby? You best believe I would. The horse racing game and Kentucky Derby is often times a love fest of owners with big wallets and trainers with Armani suits. That is our culture. That is what television believes we all want to see.The lights, camera, action, with Robin Leach head popping out of the pockets of the wealthy. I enjoy a glass of champagne occasionally and its usually the type you find in the front of the store. What I really love is an old cloudy room filled with characters that traveled in their shoes and others has well. I love the stories these characters have buried deep in their souls. I would love to sit in that cloudy room with a pen and paper and record years of yesterday. Art Sherman is one of those yesterday characters. A horse man who understands he isn't bigger than the animal. A horse man whose yesterday will be probably forgotten after the first Saturday of May but whose history will linger on the backside of California tracks for a long time to come. I will be rooting for the the little engine California Chrome with the trainer who has given all he has to this game, although my wallet will be looking for a Hoppertunity.

Its A Social Inclusion Party

It is five minutes to post. The horses are warming up behind the gate. Eighty five year old Manny Azpurua seems unfazed by the magnitude of the event. His horse Social Inclusion is the main reason the crowd has gathered at the old Aqueduct racetrack on this mild Saturday. He looks out at the historic race track and breathes calmly. He knows big races. His family knows big races. Ron Sanchez takes a peek from his corner eye to see how his trainer is holding up. The legacy of Aqueduct surrounds the grandstand today. You can feel Angel Cordero Jr. history having a seat. His history is joined by Jean Cruguet, Eddie Maple, and Jancinto Vasquez. The legacy of trainers hovers around Azpurua. Allen Jerkens is keeping his giant killers away today. He wants the big horse to shine. Howard Tesher and John P. Campo and their history comes by the old trainer side as well. Rick Lang takes out his old type writer. He places a sheet of the whitest paper in it and began to tap away. He will be recording this one for those who have taken their tack and backstretch knowledge to some place in the sky. Jockey Luis Contreras uses his whip to wipe away a little nervous energy that surfaces on Social Inclusion skin. He is confident. He knows the horse loves the track and he willingly told anyone who had a tape recorder and wanted to know how the horse was doing.

His main threat Samraat warms up like a horse that knows its game time. The young Ortiz who a few years ago was virtually an unknown name in the racing game bounces up and down lightly on the horse. Corey Nakatani who is always confident, runs his hand gently alongside the neck of Uncle Sigh. Both Uncle Sigh and Samraat are aware of each other. They can smell the intensity in the air. Today is race day but something about this day is different. The crowd is different, and they are aware that their is another horse that is fearless in the race today. They both have watched him since the march over from the backstretch. Another horse that has come to the party is Harpoon, train by Pletcher and ridden by John Velasquez. The horses begin to load. Everyone went in without incident. A yell can be heard from a starter to let them know he isn't ready yet. He has got the horse calm. Tom Durkin's voice is sending excitement throughout the crowd. And they are off in the Wood Memorial comes raining from Durkin's voice. Samraat and Uncle Sigh is immediately put in the game by their jock. Contreras guides Social Inclusion three wide and have him under a tight hold. Harpoon settles fourth and Velasquez is feeling good about his position. They travel down the backstretch doing a 24 flat open quarter and a 48 half. Contreras is biding his time. Sensing how the race is going he takes off. Durkin's voice yells "there goes Social Inclusion, and he quickly opens up" They turn for home and his lead is becoming wider. Luis looks over his shoulder. Samraat and Uncle Sigh is wondering what is going on. Harpoon is guided to the outside but is effort won't be good enough today. They come to the wire and Social Inclusion is the winner by six lengths. Tom Durkin tells the Aqueduct crowd that they have just witnessed something special.

Trainer Manny Azpurua had the same look he had on his face before the race started. He accepts the congratulation from those around him and slowly start making his way down to the winners' circle. Owner Ron Sanchez and his Velazulean pride bounces with excitement. There is a lot of noise singing with a knowing ruckus that envelopes the old Aqueduct race track. Writer Rick Lang is furiously documenting this day. The legacy of Cordero and all the other trainers and jockeys quietly exits the grandstand. The legacy is talking about the race and how beautiful the horse looked moving over the track.

Social Inclusion comes back to the winner's circle. Uncle Sigh and Samraat can be seen paying respect to the winner. Their eyes let him know. Both Nakatani and Ortiz, saddle in hand, are explaining to their trainers how the race went from their perspective. The winners' circle is filled with jubilation. The Venezuelan flag is draped over the horse. This is more than about a horse race. This is more than winning the Kentucky Derby. This is much bigger. The country..its people.. their uprising..this is their moment on the national stage. The horse is going to bring attention. It was never about the money. It was much bigger. Ron Sanchez knew it. Manny Azpurua knew it. The people of Venezuela knew it.