Page 18 - February 2005 The Game

18 The Game, February 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
A Jockey for all Seasons
Son of Storm Cat moves to Ontario
It was a deal that was start- ed in 2002. At that time there were no other sons of the mighty Storm Cat standing in Ontario and Serendipity Farms’ John Whytall was looking to fill that void.
John had his eye on the Kentucky bred son, Hubba Hubba, who boasted a nice mare family.
Out of the mare, Pasiflin
(ARG), by Flintham (IRE),
Hubba Hubba is the half-
brother to multiple Graded Stakes winner, Paseana, who is a Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner of more than $3.1 million. Paseana had won graded stakes from age 3 to 8 before being retired.
Hubba Hubba himself had a short racing career due mainly to the fact that he was not given enough time off after an injury at age two. He was retired at age three and began stud duty at age five after (unfortunately for John) being sold to Lance Gabriel in Grain Valley, Missouri.
John had kept up his interest in the horse and developed a good relationship with Lance.
Hubba Hubba was bred to four test mares in 2003, who are yearlings in 2005, and has eleven mares due to foal in 2005.
“The market in Missouri just wasn’t there,” said John in a recent interview, “So we made a deal to bring him to Ontario.”
Hubba Hubba is now owned in partnership with Lance Gabriel’s Rocking G. Horse & Cattle Company and John Whytall’s Serendipity Farms in Oakwood, ON and is standing at Serendipity Farms for $2,500 CDN.
“He’s going to be everyone’s horse here in Ontario,” says John, “We are selling genetics.”
Stallion Hubba Hubba
By Chris Lomon
His mother once referred to it as a "nice summer job," but more than 25 years later, Richard Dos Ramos has carved out quite a career as a jockey.
Dos Ramos was just 18 when he got his leg up in the thoroughbred industry, guided by veteran trainer John Mack, who helped the teenager transform from a raw rookie into a polished professional in a relatively short period of time.
It was during his formative
years, the days before he
would even experience his
first race, that his mother,
Jeannette, told her son that riding thoroughbreds was a "nice summer job."
The classy veteran has proven it to be much more than a seasonal gig.
After capturing his first career win aboard Lord Henry on April 20, 1981, Dos Ramos, originally from Port of Spain, Trinidad, has gone on to record 1,907 career wins from 16,083 lifetime starts heading into 2005, his 24th campaign.
A two-time Oaks winner (Playlist, 1986; Plenty of Sugar, 1994), Dos Ramos has won the Sovereign Award twice, in 1981 and 1982, both as Top Apprentice. In the latter year, he captured 162 races, 156 as an apprentice, winning three of five meets that season. A remarkable feat on its own, even more so considering he missed three months of action.
Of all his many triumphs, including a second- place finish aboard Sir Khaled in the 1983 Queen's Plate and a victory aboard 31-to-1 longshot Benburb in the 1992 Molson Export Million, it was an improbable triumph in 1999 that stands out as his most memorable racing moment to date.
In a display of sheer determination from both horse and rider, Dos Ramos piloted 18-to-1 Thornfield to triumph in the $1.5 million Canadian International, a moment that still brings a smile to his face.
Two years ago, on June 8, Dos Ramos netted a unique "double." Under a sunny sky at Woodbine and surrounded by family, friends and other riders, the longtime Brampton resident received the prestigious Avelino Gomez Award, terming it "one of the biggest honours in my career."
Later that day, Dos Ramos teamed with Ginger Gold to win the $500,000 Labatt Woodbine Oaks, the country's pre-eminent race for Canadian-bred three-year-old fillies. Jockey Robert Landry went on to duplicate the feat the very next year.
"I wish I had the opportunity to ride against Avelino," said Dos Ramos, of the legendary jockey. "I saw highlights of him race and I heard so many great things. I have a great deal of respect for him and for what he did for thoroughbred racing."
For Dos Ramos, the award, given to the person, Canadian-born, Canadian-raised or regular rider in the country for more than five years, who has made significant contributions to the sport, is indeed a humbling one.
"I was speechless when I found out," he admitted. "For nearly 15 years I sat in Avelino's stall in the old jockey's room at Woodbine without ever knowing it. When someone told me, it gave
me a great sense of pride. And then to go out and win a race like the Oaks, that's something I'll never forget."
But it's not only on the track where Dos Ramos has enjoyed success.
He's a member of the board of directors for the Jockeys’ Benefit Association of Canada (JBAC), which represents riders across the country in any jockey-related matters.
It's a position Dos Ramos grateful to have.
"I think it is important for all jockeys to be involved in the JBAC for the benefit of the present riders and also the younger jockeys to come."
And while he credits Mack for his early development, Dos Ramos points to family - his wife Linda and daughters Stephanie and Melanie - for his long-term success.
"I've been very lucky to have the support of many people, including my family. They have always been a source of inspiration for me."
Linda Dos Ramos can say the exact same thing of her husband.
"With Rick's dedication to his job, he has taught Stephanie and Melanie that hard work really does pay off."
Life is indeed good for "Dos" these days. While he might not receive the same number of mounts as some of his counterparts do, his desire to rack up numbers in the win column is the same as any rider in the room.
When Woodbine's 2005 Thoroughbred meet begins on April 16, Dos Ramos, who has a new agent in Ron Burke, will have gone to great lengths to reverse one particular pattern in his career - shedding his reputation as a slow starter.
"I'm going to be really fit when the year opens," he stated. "I'm going to Florida to work some horses in February. I'm also looking to ride, too. I want to be able to get off to a nice start this year."
If he requires a role model in terms of getting out of the gate quickly, he can look to the horse that has done exactly that over her career, including in 2004, when Dos Ramos and his favourite "Blonde" won four stakes races together.
"She's an unbelievable filly," praised Dos Ramos, of 2004 Top Sprinter Filly, Blonde Executive. "Just to be part of it, it's been great. She definitely knows how to get off to a fast start and always hangs in tough."
Dos Ramos was front and centre on December 17, the night of the Sovereign Awards gala, on hand to take part in accepting the award for the daughter of Bold Executive.
"It was a great win for Bruno Brothers Farm," praised Dos Ramos. "I didn't want to go up to the podium, but they said, 'If you don't go up there, we're not going up there either.'"
How many years he has left as a rider is still up in the air. Still, Dos Ramos can't help but wonder what the future holds.
"I've been very fortunate to ride great horses during my career. Blonde Executive is definitely one of them. Hopefully, she's not the last one."
Jockey Richard Dos Ramos
New Stallion at Anson
Six-year-old, The Judge Sez Who, will be standing stud in 2005 at Anson Stud Farm in Caledon, Ontario.
The millionaire son of Judge TC, out of the mare Mandy Mack, by Native Prospector, left Florida on January 24 and is likely to be settled in by the time this edition hits the streets.
The Judge Sez Who was owned and bred by Richard Simon’s, Sez Who Thoroughbreds and will be standing in partnership with Anson Stud Farm for a yet to be determined fee.
The Judge Sez Who was retired after finishing out of the money on January 8 in the Gr.3 Hal’s Hope Handicap at Gulfstream. Owner Richard Simon said in a recent interview that the horse had started to pay more attention to ladies and didn’t really have his mind on racing.
Richard couldn’t say enough about The Judge Says Who whom he describes as ‘one of his most favorite horses’. “He is the iron man of racing.” said the enthusiastic owner, “He has won on every surface and every type of racetrack. Dirt, mud, grass...he can do it all.”
The Judge Sez Who began his career at age two, winning
4 races, placing twice and a third in nine starts, including a second in the $100,000 Foolish Pleasure Stakes and a third in the $100,000 What A Pleasure Stakes at Calder.
His best racing was done at age three where he recorded wins in the Gr.3, $250,000 Oklahoma Derby; the Gr.3, $100,000 Fred Hooper Handicap Calder and $40,000 Migrating Moon Stakes at Calder. He finished second in the Gr.3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer; the Gr.3 Tropical Park Derby at Calder; the $100,000 Unbridled Stakes at Calder; and the $200,000 Carl G. Rose Classic at Calder. He also recorded a couple of third place finishes in the Gr.2, $300,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown and the Gr.3, $200,000, Calder Derby.
He retires with a career record of 8-6-6 in 36 starts including black type 3 wins, 5 seconds, and 6 thirds and earnings of $953,039.
The Judge Sez Who was retired sound and Richard says, “If he passes on the heart that he has...his kids will be great.
“We thought ‘The Judge’ would do well in Ontario and we have every faith in Anson Stud Farm.”