Page 37 - The Game August 2006

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, August 2006 37
2006 Princeton Racing Days
Photo Left: The atmosphere is relaxed as the outrider chats with jockeys between races. Photo Right: Railbird and Sport of Kings TV Commentator Carmen Thomas
Photo Right:
The Daily Racing Form's own Randy Goulding and his band played for the fans
Photo Left:
Former rider Anrella Velleseche relaxing her with Hastings trainer Jim Brown came out of retirement for the Princeton meet.
Photo Left: Hastings Operations Manager
Raj Mutti was on hand to relax
Photo Right: The Similkameen Cup the jewel of the Princeton Days race meeting
A Jockey’s room with an International Flair
Tommy Wolski
Backstretch Briefs
This season at Hastings, racing fans along with horsemen are being treated to watching and wagering on perhaps the strongest group of riders seen at this racetrack in years.
No longer is Hastings racecourse an old boys club for jockeys who either grew up in this province or gravitated there as youngsters to remain at Hastings for decades.
jockeys standings.
With less then two months remaining
on his apprenticeship status, Gutierrez, appears destined for the more lucrative California circuit.
Aside from Gutierrez, the rider who has impressed nearly everyone is veteran jockey Anderson Ward, who hails from
Instead what you have today is one of the most international and diverse jockey’s quarters perhaps in North America.
Of the nineteen jockeys presently riding at Hastings, more than half are from another country.
They include three young apprentice jockeys, each born in countries miles apart.
Jason Pang, 18, born in China, migrated to New York, where he exercised horses for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Through word of mouth, Pang decided to embark on a riding career and made his way to Hastings. Currently riding with a ten pound apprentice weight allowance, Pang, with four winners, is expecting he’ll have to add five pounds shortly.
Jockey Anderson Ward
Barbados, W.I.
“My trip here to
Hastings comes through my close friend Patrick Husbands, who also hails from Barbados.” explained Ward, “Patrick called me in Barbados and told me the riding here in Canada is very good and I should give it a try.”
He arrived at Hastings after the conclusion of last year’s Assiniboia Downs meet in Winnipeg.
“I did very well there, but when I arrived here last fall and did win races with purse money so good here, I decided to make this my home base. And it has paid off nicely.” adds Ward.
Already sixth in the standings with 23 winners, Ward remains within strik- ing distance of Gutierrez for a third place finish among the top jockeys at Hastings.
Other international riders who rank among the top ten
Jockey Mark
Stephen left his
native Trinidad with the dream of following in his uncle, Anthony Stephen’s footsteps.
jockeys at Hastings are Pedro Alvarado (Mexico City), Robert Skelly (Ireland), Carlo Silva, Felipe Valdez and Mario Valazquez (Mexico) and the ever popular Jake Barton, (Provo, Utah).
With such a fine collection of foreign and local riders, one could say, so far this has been a bumper year in the riding department at Hastings racecourse.
Off to a slow start, Stephen, who has now hired Lani Collins as his new agent, is now catching on with several trainers and recently guided Ezra, trained by Brian Giesbrecht to an upset winner in a $16,000 starter handicap.
Yet when it comes to new faces at Hastings, two jockeys, Mario Gutierrez and Anderson Ward appear to stand out, not only with owners and trainers, but with their fellow riders.
Since his arrival at Hastings less than 3 weeks ago from his native Mexico City, 18-year-old Gutierrez has been winning races at an amazing 23 percent clip and has moved up into third place in the Hastings
Photos by Tom Wolski
Red Hot apprentice jockey Mario Gutierrez
Mexican born rider Mario Velazquez with agent Lani Collins
PADDY HEAD - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 An occasional broken finger, always a
riding hazard, slowed my progress. (Broken fingers have become a lifelong curse.)
As my writing skills grew, so did my reputation for improving the performance of eccentric and difficult horses. I could gallop Argentine style without stirrups, loose-rein horses to prevent bolting on the turn, or keep them calm in the gate. One morning, I sat in the gate on a reluctant horse for almost two hours while other horses came and went. The little gelding finally took a deep breath and broke.
Soon after, I became the talk of the backstretch when I finished second on a horse named Salem Prince at 200-1. Unfortunately, many of the mounts that followed also ran at long odds but without Prince’s ability.
One morning, as the final day of the spring meet was approaching, I was feel- ing desperate about my winless situation. I had a long talk with myself. Could it be that my desperation that was keeping me out of the winner’s circle? Race riding is about harmony with the horse and cool- headed decisions made in a split second, no room for desperation here.
That morning, on my first horse of the day, I jogged onto the freshly harrowed track just as the sun rose. The magical pink glow filled me with warmth and inspira- tion. I had overcome obstacles considered by many to be impossible. Here I was, liv- ing my dream, riding magnificent Thoroughbreds. Life couldn’t be any bet- ter. Why not be content and ride each horse to the best of my ability?
And so I did until the final day of the spring meet, July 7, 1974, when I felt the touch of destiny once again.
Leading Jockeys
at Hastings Racecourse
As of: 07/29/2006
Pedro V. Alvarado 51wins $797,502 David Wilson 39 wins $900,208 Mario Gutierrez 30 wins $426,593 Francisco Fuentes 30 wins $485,882 Chad Hoverson 29 wins $515,985 Anderson Ward 24 wins $447,267