Page 3 - The Game May 2006
P. 3

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, May 2006 3
Groom Gary Emde holds the horse Fire Power as Assistant Trainer Leroy Trotman helps jockey Jim McAleney remove his tack after winning the first race of the 2006 season at Woodbine.
Woodbine Jockeys Ease Into Another Season
By Peter Gross
The start of another thoroughbred season at Woodbine is like opening a gigantic present; even as you take the wrapping off, you're pretty sure it's going to be something terrific. On the first day of the meet, I chose to loiter in the jockeys' room not only because it's one of the coolest places in sports, but also to pose a few early season questions to the men and women who ride horses for a living.
Jillian Sharfstein was wide-eyed and buoyant about working again and didn't mind that the meet was easing us back slowly with mostly sprints and only racing on Saturdays and Sundays.
"It's nice to be back," she says with an infectious energy," and it's nice to be starting with two or three days a week. That way you get full cards and full fields because not everybody's ready for opening weekend."
I point out to her that with just two or three cards a week, there's not going to be a lot of mounts for some jockeys.
"Then you just have to maximize on the ones you get," she exclaims with a laugh.
The 23 year-old Sharfstein has some modest goals for her fourth year as a professional race rider.
"You're always trying and you always hope," she says, "I'm shooting for at least 20 wins. That's double from last year and I'll be happy."
Jim McAleney is looking to top what was a terrific 2005 and if he gets just one win for every freckle on his face, he'll break several records. With Danny Williams now handling his book (taking over from Mike Luider), Jimmy Mac expects to challenge for the riding title.
"The decision to change agents was basically amicable between Mike and myself," he says, "I'm here to be number one. I don't want to be second. The work load is too much for one agent to stay on top of and I want to maintain a one on one relationship with an individual who's got me 100% first and foremost."
McAleney is comfortable with the light schedule to start the season, as he understands not all the horses available for racing are even in the country.
"You've got 5/8th specialist horses and that's their main agenda," he says, "When you have only week- ends, the fifth day race in your condition book, horses are going to be coming back from the first day to the fifth day, so those races are going to fill with the horses that focus on shorter races. There's just not that many horses to fill
longer races."
Champion Jockey Emma- Jayne Wilson was practically bouncing off the walls an hour before the first race of the season. Talk about one year making a difference. Twelve months ago she was looking for her 5th career win and most horse-players didn't know the difference between Emma-Jayne and Mookie. This year, Woodbine has made her the face of Canadian racing, chaperoning her to all the local radio and TV stations to
promote the game.
"It's very overwhelming," says Wilson, dancing up
and down on the balls of her feet," I just love giving the opportunity for people to know my story. People know who I am for the success I've had on the racetrack and if that means I have to go upstairs and sign some autographs and encourage people to come out and watch, I'm all for it."
As a bettor, when I'm in the company of the best, naturally I ask for wagering advice. Opening day is no different.
"I would take all of my money," answers Wilson to my request for a tip, "and split it among every race I ride."
Robert Landry, now in his 26th season as a jock recognizes that the riders who struggle with weight might prefer a full week of racing off the top.
"It's hard to race two days a week especially when you're trying to maintain your weight," he says, "For me and a lot of other riders, we'd prefer to start a little later and go five days a week."
The senior citizen among the jockeys, David Clark, looked exactly as he does every year - fit and anxious to get on some live ones and not too annoyed with the oft-repeated question how much longer will you ride?
"I'll know when it's the end," says Clark and then a wide smile grows across his face, "I'm going to ride every year as long as I'm getting more wins than my daughter Cory."
The diminutive Justin Stein may take up very little room on a horse, but he's hoping to occupy some serious space in the jockey's standings with the move from Vancouver to Toronto.
“Well I believe I should be able to make the same amount of money I was making at Hastings," says Stein, giving this reporter the rare experience of actually looking down at his subject, "The money is so much better here and that's important because I would like to pay off all my bills. As far as the number of races I will win it will depend on how busy I will get." Working for Stein is the fact he will keep his apprentice bug until August.
And finally they were off and for a few races Emma-Jayne Wilson was not the leading rider. A familiar combination was responsible for the first visitor to the winner's circle in 2006 as the Reade Baker trained Fire Power scampered home......
CONTINUED PAGE 4 - SEE JOCKEYS
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