Page 52 - Speedhorse Canada Spring 2020

“For the younger generations, I’d say work hard and stay positive no matter what happens . . . make mistakes, learn, grow and move on.”
NAME: CORY SPATARO
HOME BASE: Barrie, Ontario, Canada YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 15
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: “I was Canadian Champion in 2014 and 2018, Regional Champion in 2016, set multiple track records at Ajax Downs, and had a six-win day last year.”
FAVORITE HOBBY: “In my spare time, I like to create music, spend time with my two children and also break yearlings through the offseason, which I find to be very rewarding.”
Cory Spataro’s never been the biggest guy in a room—far from it, in fact. So, after he started
working on the front side of Woodbine Racetrack in his native Ontario at the age of 18, it didn’t take long before folks in the racing business began asking him if he wanted to try his hand at being a jockey.
“Up until this point, I had relatively no experience with my equine counterparts other than the odd trail ride,” said Spataro, who loved horses despite his lack of experience riding them. “I decided to go and take riding lessons. It turns out I was a bit of a natural, and it only took me about three years before I rode my first race.”
Spataro was in a rough time in
his life when he began working at Woodbine. In a 2018 interview with OntarioRacing.com, he recalled “floating through life” following the recent death of his father. From there, he worked his way up the ladder in
the sport, from apprentice rider to
his first full competitive campaign in 2010. Since then, Spataro has built a fine career in the irons, racing mostly in his native country of Canada. He’s been awarded two jockey titles at Ajax Downs—in 2014 and 2018. Spataro still races regularly, making more than 100 starts in 2019, but he also founded S&S Equestrian Center, a center for breaking and training horses he runs along with his wife, Kim. Spataro also found time to participate in the latest installment of our Backside feature.
CORY SPATARO
by John Moorehouse
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SPEEDHORSE CANADA Spring 2020
John Moorehouse
THE BACKSIDE