Page 17 - October 2005 The Game

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, October 2005 17
Words from Wolski
He wants to know what's the worst horse I ever rode. Jeez, I like to forget those kind.
I'm sitting in the cookhouse the other day and this friend of mine says: "Tommy, what's the worst horse you ever rode? I look at him like he's crazy.
What jockey wants to remember the worst horse he ever
rode? These are not among the fondest of memories. But it got me thinking and I remembered this one animal that took a chunk out of my life. I'm not going to tell you his name because he doesn't deserve a mention. I will tell you it was a sunny Sunday in October.
My day began like most early mornings at Exhibition Park, now Hastings racecourse. Up at 5:30, exercise a few horses then visit with several trainers. By 10 a.m. I was on my way back home for a quick snack, a short nap and a little psyching up for the races that afternoon.
Jockeys are no different from other athletes. They work at psyching themselves up for each race. And for me there's a routine. I would do a little simple meditation followed by some rock 'n roll music with the ghetto blaster.
Usually I would leave for the track on weekends about 11:30a.m., but this day I might even have been a bit early because I've got this wonderful horse to ride in the first. "He's a runner. No bad habits," the trainer told me that morning. "He's coming around now."
I'm ready for him. I get to the jocks' room and weigh in. I'm lucky. Just one pound over which is good. Some riders have a tough battle with weight, maybe sweating off as much as five pounds. But I'm in good shape today as I head for the sauna.
There are about six guys in there already. You can always tell the over-weight guys. They've been in the sweat box for two, maybe three hours, sweating, chewing ice, their heads wrapped in towels soaked in iced water. It's torture. But for them it's just part of the day.
Anyway, I grab a copy of the 'Form' and turn to the first race. I want to know a bit about this horse that's going to start my day off right.
My jaw drops. I am not impressed. This is not Secretariat!
This horse had six starts in his illustrious career. And ran last five times and second to last once. That's right. He has only finished in front of one other horse in his entire life. In six races he's been beaten by a total of something like 76 lengths. This has to be a mistake, who would pay the feed bill for a horse like that?
Anyway, you think, even if it's true, maybe they've found the key to this horse. You know that little something that an exercise boy or a trainer found that is finally going to make him run.
I tell myself that must be it. Show time approaches and this means it is time for the silk pants and those pretty colors. Time to do what you're paid to do, ride the hair off your horse.
As I wait in the paddock talking away, they lead in this thing that is acting like he's never seen a human before. He's rearing up striking out at the groom, kicking at the air. And he's wearing saddlecloth number nine. I double check the program, and see this is my mount for the race.
A few minutes go by and I have a brief chat with the trainer. "He's just a little excited," he says.
"Jeez.- I think. I hate to see this horse when it’s really upset. As the trainer gives me a leg up, he bucks and I'm back on the ground. The trainer assures me that the horse is just feeling good.
When I re-mount, he gets spooked by the lead pony. My mount doesn't know what this white thing with four legs is and does not want to know. All the way to the post he's
acting like an escapee from some rodeo.
- CONTINUED PAGE 30
Tommy Wolski
PHOTOS BY DAVE LANDRY
THERE IS A
CANADIAN-BRED THOROUGHBRED
TO FIT ANY SIZE DREAM Find yours at Woodbine
Find yours at Woodbine
December 3rd and 4th
December 3rd and 4th
2005 Winter Mixed Sale @ Woodbine Racetrack
Sales Pavilion December 3rd & 4th
Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division) P.O. Box 172, Rexdale, Ontario, M9W 5L1 PH: 416-675-3602 FX: 416-675-9405 email: cthsont@idirect.com website: www.cthsont.com