Arriega could teach the derby whiners something...

[superfecta]

Article in the DRF about him after his accident at Bay Meadows this year.(Iwould post the link,but Im not that swift).Close to death,had part of his brain removed,and he says he hopes to return to riding in a month after rehab.
I saw that race at my OTB,and thought it looked bad.I remember a story about a jock killed at Fairplex park a couple of years ago.A track worker was the first to him,and said he had heard the sound of a hoof hitting bone,and his first thought was "I hope it killed him instantly so whoever it was wouldn't suffer."
Everytime I see a jock go to the floor,I shudder and hope he's all right.But it disappoints me how many players are mad at the guy for blowing their ticket.

[Observer]

I know how you feel superfecta. This can be a cruel game, seemingly heartless sometimes. But, I do admit, I feel the same when a horse goes down, or is injured during the running of a race. Most jockeys get this in their blood, and wouldn't have it any other way. They make the decision to ride .. knowing the unfortunate risks. Horses don't get that option. Either case ... many players will get angry at either rider or horse for whatever incident might happen during the running of a race .. losing sight that these are living beings out there risking their lives each time they step foot onto the track together.

It's true what they say, when you fall, you want to get right back up again .. even the horses often try.

[Vinnie]

Superfecta,

I remember reading about that poor young jock a couple of years ago at the Fairplex! (I believe that he was merely 23 years old, but, I might be mistaken). I can remember seeing a photo of him on a mount. He was a young up and comer (of course, that didn't make any difference one way or the other (it was so TRAGIC!)

Just this last month, I was down at Gulfstream Park to watch the races on the same Saturday of the Illinois Derby, and while I was down near trackside watching the 9th Gulf. Race! Well, I was playing the #2 Aggressive Action (generally a front running type) who got out badly. He had jockey Michael McCarthy aboard (a jock whom I had always admired a great deal when he was tearing up the circuit at Delaware Park several years ago). When I lived in New Jersey, I used to venture over there to watch him ride quite often. Anyhow, #2 Agg. Action got out horribly in a turf race at about 8f with about 13 or 14 horses running and at one point he was 17 lengths from the front at the beginning of the backstretch. Well, he truly put in a tremendous effort negotiating through traffic while pretty much swinging completely around the field coming down the stretch to get 3rd for a piece of the money. I lost the bet (I had him to win) sure enough, but, I was very impressed with what he (#2) had endured to overcome the early adversity that he quickly found himself in for that race to nearly get up for the win at the wire. Well, I told my wife, "I am going to wait for M. McCarthy to come through the tunnel way and I am going to say a little something to him"! By this, I mean issue some positive comments. I called out to him and he turned toward me. I told him that he had performed very well in that race that he just ridden in, and I also mentioned that I had always enjoyed watching him run from the time that he was riding regularly at Delaware Park. He seemed very surprised, yet pleased by my comments. You see, he was very disappointed that he lost the previous race that just ran which is nice because I think that it is a very nice thing that a jock would want to win each and every race that they are involved in. But, at the very same time, I thought "I know that I probably caught him off guard by making those comments to him". I knew this because the majority of the time people are hurling all sorts of unpleasant verbage their way after a race is over with whether they bet $2 dollars or $200 on the race.

I have the utmost respect for those tremendous (tiny) athletes and the discipline that they exhibit through their daily lives and living to even be able to ride those fabulous horses that we all love to watch like nothing else.

"Besides the horses running the races, the Jocks themselves are the Show if you ask me!"

[Observer]

Vinnie,

That's a really nice story. :)

[Vinnie]

Observer,

Thanks! You know, I know M. McCarthy was taken by surprise by me when I approached him and he probably felt bad because he more than likely realized that I had in all likelihood lost money on that race that was just run, but instead of calling him a ton of names I look more at that race or any race that I lose (many! <g>) as an experience that I try to learn something from. I don't want to ever be one of those folks that starts making all sorts of excuses as to why my horse didn't win. I know that this game is a real rough one at times even for the most astute of players. (Not that I am by any means in that category).

I have picked many winners in the short time that I have continued to learn more and more about this game, and lord knows I have picked far many more that haven't came in at all, but, I don't wish to "ever lose" a genuine appreciation for the countless numbers of little things that make horse racing such a special and spectacular event as virtually each and every horse race is!

[Tom]

Mike McCarthy used to ride at Finger Lakes as was banned from the track for a supposed obvious stiff job. I saw the race live and couldn't believe it! I saw the replay many times and could not believe it...It was so obvious that it could not be waht really happened. No Way a jock would be so obvious with a stiff - he stood up in the irons the entire mile and kept the hoprse very wide and appeared to be pulling on the reins the whole time.
It was more obvious that the harness race stiff in a Rodney Dangerfield movie, whre the driver had his feet out on the track slowing up the horse.
Something happened during that race that made him ride that way and the truth never came out. Mike did not stiff that horse and anyone who knows spit knows this. He was banned from FL for political reasons - FL was waging war against certain jocks
who they felt were leaders during bad wether and forced some track cancellations. At one point, they banned something like 8 of the top 10 jocks at the end of a season-told them not to come back in the spring.
Thank God FL wised up and finally hired some people with brains in their heads to run the place.
Mike McCarthy endured a lot of crowd hazing during his tenure at the thumb - the shout of "Frank-y, Frank-Y" always accompanied
him onto the track. FL was better known for its drunks than it's horses. It was nice to see him do so damn well at Deleware Park, and when he came back to FL and not only rode in, but won one our better stakes races, I felt it would have been very appropriate for him flip off the crowd as he entered the winner's circle. He had to much class to do that, and only tipped his hat and saluted with his whip.

[Vinnie]

Tom,

Thank you very much for the nice background piece about Mike McCarthy. I didn't know anything about most of what you wrote about as it pertained to him. I never knew that he once rode at Finger Lakes and I also didn't know anything at all about the "Florida Fiasco" and there singling out of those jocks. Clearly McCarthy has had to endure far more than any reasonable man should ever have to in any profession.

That is what I love about this site more than any other. "I am always learning something from you guys"!

Thanks again for the very informative piece Tom!

[kitts]

I recall years ago at Santa Anita when a jockey had passed away from a racetrack incident (I think it was Jackie Westrope) and the next day the PA system at Santa Anita asked us all for a minute of silence in the jockey's memory. It became so quiet that all you could hear was the ticket machines grinding out tickets. You guessed it, Santa Anita was not about to lose revenue respecting that jockey so betting continued nonstop.

[Vinnie]

Kitts,

It is horrible to do something like they did there at Santa Anita on that day. How heartless some of these folks can truly be! I had never heard of anything like that before. Thank you for sharing that story.

[superfecta]

I remember a story about an announcement made at the track made after a former president died(Maybe it was SA).The announcer said when the funeral was and where the body would be laid to rest.He then asked for a moment of silence,and a lone voice cried out "F*** HIM, I'M GETTING BURIED, RIGHT NOW !
I can't remember the book, but it was written by an old hollywood writer and author just a few years ago.William.....,jeez,can't remember.Anyhow he wrote two books on horseracing ,his experiences mainly,no advice.Great stories.