Page 18 - The Game October 2006

18 The Game, October 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
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Apprentice Catherine O’Brien took her Time
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News In Review
Apprentice jockey Catherine O’Brien took her time to make sure she did things right. And now with one win under her belt she is on her way to a promising career as a jockey.
With a name like O’Brien you can trace her ancestry overseas however there is a slight french lilt that has left many people guessing.
Actually Catherine was born in Montreal, Quebec to a french speaking mother, Nicole Bessette and an Irish born father, John O’Brien. Her mother was an endurance rider of Arabian horses which is where Catherine’s love of horses was nourished.
When she was eleven Catherine moved with her family to a small farm close to Cornwall which is on the Ontario border with Quebec. The family had 3 to 4 horses of their own and Catherine was taking lessons and competing in three day eventing at another farm in the area. During highschool she began teaching riding lessons herself and went to Kemptville College, taking the Equine Study Program, she happened to be in the same class as Woodbine’s current leading jockey, Emma-Jayne Wilson.
Catherine had intended to use her knowledge to become an eventing riding instructor and eventually have her own farm however that all changed when she started galloping thoroughbreds at Castle Peak Farm her second year.
“It was my first taste of riding ‘non- jumper’ horses.” said Catherine, “My first taste of the racing industry.”
Catherine galloped thoroughbreds
during the summer and on weekends and once she graduated from college the decision was made to continue galloping.
In 2001 she took a job with trainer Roger Attfield who had horses wintering at Kinghaven Farm at the time. She was there for a month before the horses shipped in to the racetrack and that was where she got her second education on thoroughbred horses.
“It was scary.” said Catherine with a slight look of horror as she remembered her experience, “I had no experience on the racetrack and although I had been riding all my life, it was completely different. I didn’t know that the inside rail wasn’t the place to be. And what worked with slowing down jumpers didn’t work with these horses.
“It was too much too soon.” she admitted, “and I lost all my confidence.”
She stayed at the racetrack grooming for the season at Woodbine and travelled with the Attfield crew to Florida for the winter.
Riding is what she really wanted to do and upon her return she decided to give galloping another try, this time at Fort Erie with Assistant Trainer Nancy Sullivan who was looking after a string of horses for trainer Mark Casse.
“I slowed down a bit and got a chance to get experience.” she explained, “Other gallop people were willing to help and Nancy put me on horses she knew I could handle.”
Catherine built up her confidence and was galloping full-time at Fort Erie in 2002. That winter she travelled to the Fair Grounds in Louisiana in search of employment.
Full of confidence she walked into
trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn and was hired. He promptly put her on 9 or 10 horses a day.
“I got fit very quickly.” she says laughing, “It was a very good experience because they allowed me to pick and choose the ones I could handle and as the winter went on I was getting on tougher and tougher horses.”
Thinking of her prospects when she returned to Woodbine, Catherine approached Mark Frostad, who was stabled in Louisiana with Sam-Son horses, and asked if he needed anyone at Woodbine. She travelled with them to Keeneland before heading to Woodbine in early April 2003 to get on the horses shipping in from the farm. She has been with Sam-Son and Mark Frostad ever since.
Becoming a jockey had always been in the back of her mind. Many people had told her that because of her natural size she could make it and she spent two winters in New Orleans and a winter at Palm Meadows in Florida, practicing and learning on the exerciser with her roommate, Emma-Jayne Wilson.
“The more confidence I got, the more appealing it seemed.” said Catherine about making the decision to become a jockey, “I didn’t want to rush things. I am watching what I eat and I am fitter than I ever was.”
Catherine’s first race was on Sept. 4, aboard the Mark Frostad trained, Diamond Blues at Woodbine. “I just tried to make sure I didn’t get in any trouble,” says Catherine of her experience, “I asked my horse at the end. I had fun. I was pleasantly surprised.
“It was a thrill just to wear those colours (Sam-Son Farms) alone and I am very happy that they gave me the opportunity.”
Her parents and her younger sister Nadia had driven six hours from Cornwall to watch her first race.
“I have a lot of support.” she said with a smile, “It looks promising so far, I have live horses coming up.”
“I want to be as successful as I can be in my field.” she said commenting on her future goals, “I will be happy just knowing that I’ve done my best.”
The 26-year-old apprentice had her first career win on Monday, September 18 at Fort Erie aboard GT’s Polecat for trainer Steve Owens and the G.T. Heat Stable.
She was quoted after her win, “It was great every step of the way. I’m thrilled to win here (at Fort Erie) where I got started.”
Catherine’s book is being handled by veteran agent Gary Kemplen.
• The Roger Attfield trained, Gary Tanaka owned, 5-year-old mare, Noble Stella (Ger), finished second to Murani in the one and one half mile turf $100,000 Flaming Page Stakes at Woodbine on Sept 24, coming off of a win in the $112,100 G3 Glen Falls Handicap on the turf, September 4 at Saratoga Racecourse.
If the daughter of Monsun (Ger) - Noble Pearl (Ger), by Dashing Blade (GB) had won the well fought battle down the stretch it would have given Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield his 300th career stakes victory. However that milestone will have to wait to be obtained another day.
In 2005, Noble Stella was the winner of the G3 Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine and has also been victorious in the G2 New York Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Belmont and the G3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland this season. She has also placed in three other graded stakes. She has a record of eight wins in 26 starts with earnings of $643,716.
• After a perfect 4 for 4 this season, the David Dwyer trained and owned 2-year- old, Barilko, has been put away for the rest of the season according to Daily Racing Form.
Dave was quoted as saying, "He's been in training since last September in Ocala [Fla.], where we broke him after I bought him in Kentucky. Enough's enough. He's been fantastic to us, so we're going to be good to him."
Purchased at Keeneland for $30,000 Barilko won his first start on July 3 and went on to win the Colin, Silver Deputy and the Swynford Stakes taking his earnings to $231,180.
Barilko will reportedly spend the winter in Florida.
• New x-rays taken in late August, of Barbaro’s right hind leg, showed continued healing. The left hind, which was being treated for acute laminitis, has also shown hoof growth of about a quarter-inch. The Kentucky Derby winner has remained in good spirits and has a good appetite as he continues to recover from a broken hind leg and shattered ankle which he suffered just after the start of the Belmont Stakes in June.
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The Fort Erie Jocks would like to wish Dale Hemsley
a belated Happy 47th Birthday!
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