Page 11 - May 2008 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
The Game, May 2008 11
New role suits “Jocko” just fine
BHy Chris Lomon
e might have traded in his racing silks for much different attire, but Jack Lauzon is
a couple.
“Like any job, you have to be committed to
still very much part of the fabric of Canadian thoroughbred racing.
what you do and you have to give your best effort every day.”
For more than 25 years, Lauzon, who launched his riding career in 1981, was a staple of the southwestern Ontario jockey scene.
Just how long Lauzon will work as an agent is up for debate. One thing is a certainty, though: the racetrack is exactly where he wants to be.
He built up an impressive resume over time, one that included two Queen’s Plate scores,
the rst with Regal Intention in 1988 and the other with Basqueian in the 1994 running of the Canadian classic.
“Once you get involved in horse racing, it gets in your blood. This is my home away from home. The people I work with are my friends and they are my family.
But for all of the memorable moments, Lauzon’s name will always be associated with one of the most frightening racing incidents the sport has seen.
“I really can’t believe how people have treated me over the years and in my new role. I feel very fortunate that people respect me as a person. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that. I was brought up at the races by a good man in John Tammaro. He told me to treat everybody the way I want to be treated. I haven’t forgotten that.”
Lauzon is still the bene ciary of sound advice.
New Jockey Agent, Jack Lauzon, anked by the Jockeys he’s representing at Woodbine, David Garcia (l) and Garry Cruise
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Without a doubt, Lauzon’s greatest challenge came in 1996 when he was involved in a horri c spill in Macau, one that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
“One of the top agents here at Woodbine told me to go home every night and study the Daily Racing Form for 20 to 30 minutes. He said that you’d learn a lot just from what you read and he’s exactly right. You realize you can always learn something new every day.”
After hundreds of hours of grueling rehabilita- tion, the man known as “Jocko” made a remark- able comeback that would see him return to riding.
But before he would get back in the irons, Lauzon tested the waters as a jockey’s agent, representing current Woodbine jockeys Constant Montpellier and Jerry Baird.
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“I have more respect for what agents do than I ever have,” said Lauzon, who used swimming and karate to get himself back into riding shape after his accident. “You realize what a demand- ing job it is, how much you have to study and how much is involved.”
On April 9, 1999, Lauzon got a leg up on the lly Be Prosperous, his rst mount in over two and a half years, which he described as a “greater thrill than winning the Queen’s Plate.”
Less than a month later, he piloted Essa’s Secret to victory for his rst score since the accident.
The Welland, Ontario native would go on to win 1,619 lifetime races, including 72 stakes and more than $31-million in career purse earnings.
It was near the end of the 2007 Woodbine campaign when Lauzon made the decision to return to the ranks of jockey agent.
Although he knew he’d miss the thrill of competing on the track, the 46-year- old had no regrets when it came to retirement.
“I do miss riding, but not desperately,” said Lauzon. “One day, I’d like to get back on horses again, but I love being an agent.”
Currently, Lauzon holds the books for Woodbine riders David Garcia and Garry Cruise.
“I’m thrilled to have Jack as my agent,” said Cruise. “You feel as though your status is elevated with him working for you. He’s dedicated, he’s hard-working and he’s well-respected. I couldn’t be any happier.”
As for similarities between his former career and his new calling, Lauzon sees
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