JC / Railbird

Jockeys

House Rule

Relevant Belmont Stakes-eve information on whip use via the New York Times:

In New York, the state issues a fine or penalty for excessive use of the whip. But since 2010, racing stewards have also enforced a house rule of no more than five strikes in succession, with a pause of two or three strides to see if the horse responds.

When a rider violates the rule, one of the tan wall phones in the jockeys’ locker room will ring, Dr. Hill said, and the call will go out: “Movies for Jockey A tomorrow” — meaning a violation was caught on film, and the jockey will be given a $500 fine that will go to a track-related charity.

Retired jockey and NYRA analyst Richard Migliore says he’d like to see a whip rule that goes beyond the soon-to-be implemented California guidelines: “one strike of the whip, then wait a few strides to see if the horse responds.”

Posted in Racing on June 5, 2015 / Tagged Belmont Stakes, Jockeys, New York, NYRA, Stewards, Whip Use

Case-by-Case

Daniel Ross reports on how horse racing is handling domestic violence:

Unlike the NFL, where the sport’s awesome revenue-generating capacity appears to be a driving factor behind their decision to initially go easy on Rice, horse racing is perceived as a different sort of beast, the close-knit confines of the racetrack and the familial atmosphere it can foster seem to have a noticeable impact on the way in which jockeys charged or convicted with domestic violence are treated within the sport.

In 2010 for example, Albarado’s mounts garnered over $10m in collected earnings. In 2011, the year of his first domestic abuse charges, his mounts earned a little over half that. In 2012, his business had been more than halved. The past two years, however, have seen a gradual uptick in his earnings once more, though not to 2010 levels.

California is leading on the issue, just by talking about it.

Posted in Racing on May 14, 2015 / Tagged Jockeys, Social Issues

More Than Strength

Diane Crump reflects on her pioneering career as a jockey with Mary Simon, and the debate over whether women are strong enough to ride in races:

“You know what? None of us is that strong when compared to a horse. It’s the feel you have for them that matters. If you can get along with them, relate to them, those are the things that make you a horse person and a rider. Brute strength has no relevance at all …”

Or as Julie Krone, another rider who accomplished a number of firsts for women in racing, told Ed Zieralski recently:

“I know one thing. It takes both genders to ride a racehorse, the feminine for soft and subtle, and the masculine for strong and effective.”

Posted in Racing on June 21, 2013 / Tagged Diane Crump, Jockeys, Julie Krone, Racing History, Women in Racing

Dominguez Retires

This game … it’s the best when you’re winning. It’s the worst when you’re losing. And today, racing is losing one of its most gracious, popular, and successful jockeys of recent years. Ramon Dominguez — at the peak of his career, winner of 4,985 races, earnings of almost $192 million, and the Eclipse award for riding 2010-2012 — announced that he is retiring due to a brain injury suffered in an accident at Aqueduct last January.

David Grening has reactions from the New York racing community in his report on this morning’s news: “It’s just devastating to lose someone like that in our industry,” said Steve Rushing, the rider’s agent. Many share the sentiment.

Good luck to Dominguez as he continues his recovery. He’ll be missed.

2:30 PM Addendum: Here’s a spreadsheet of Dominguez’s record in graded stakes 1999-2012 and lifetime stats by year, compiled by Equibase.

Posted in Racing on June 13, 2013 / Tagged Brain Injury, Jockeys, Lifetime Stats, New York, Ramon Dominguez, Retirement