Page 53 - Speedhorse Canada Spring 2020

Q. WERE THERE ANY PARTICULAR PEOPLE WHO MENTORED YOU OR HELPED YOU ALONG THE WAY WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED AS A JOCKEY? IF SO, WHO WERE THEY AND HOW DID THEY HELP YOU?
A. I’ve had a lot of mentors over
the years as I do my best to learn and grow to become the best that I can be. Never too old to learn new tricks! But, I can say that there is one who stands out the most as he was one of the first people to help me and continues to do so even
to this day. His name is Umesh Kumar. He went to jockey school when he was 16, but went through
a growth spurt and got too big to become a jockey. But, his younger brother is a jockey. Umesh trained and was an exercise rider in Asia and Dubai. He had immigrated
to Canada, and I met him at Windfields Farm, not far from Ajax, where I was learning to ride. Umesh helped not just with the physical aspect of being a rider, but with the mental aspect of being in the business. In my experience, the mental aspect is harder to deal with than the physical and capability demands. Umesh hails from India and comes from a family of jockeys. I call him the riding guru because of his calming aura that horses just love. And I’ve NEVER seen him fall off or get run off with!
Q. YOU’VE GOT
EXPERIENCE RIDING
BOTH QUARTER HORSES
AND THOROUGHBREDS. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO, WHEN IT COMES TO COMPETING IN A RACE?
A. I find the biggest difference between Thoroughbred race riding and Quarter Horse race riding is that being a Thoroughbred jockey requires you to be a different level of fitness. You really need to help a Thoroughbred down the stretch to get better results. On Quarter Horses, I find that just staying in rhythm and staying out of their way is the best way to get the best results. Let them do the running.
Q. YOU RUN HUNDREDS OF RACES A YEAR. WHAT’S THE SECRET TO DOING THAT? WHAT KIND OF PHYSICAL TOLL DOES IT TAKE?
A. Our bodies take quite the beating and as I get older, it’s getting tougher to bounce
back from things that happen. But, I find stretching and
staying hydrated help. I also
do a lot of outside treatment: Osteopathy, massage, acupuncture and chiro. It’s a bit of a financial investment, but in order to be
able to perform, I believe taking care of your body is very important. Just like doing maintenance on your car!
Cory Spataro & Country Boy 123 win the $82,188 Alex Picov Derby by 1 1/4-lengths, equalling the Track Record.
SPEEDHORSE CANADA Spring 2020 53
THE BACKSIDE
Clive Cohen Photography