Doctor Rap Struts His Stuff

The power of positive thinking permeates trainer David Carroll’s barn family these days, and was fittingly exemplified by the 16 1/4-length victory of My Meadowview Farm’s Doctor Rap on New Year’s Eve.

“When this horse was a 2-year-old, he showed a lot of promise but then fractured an ankle just when he was getting ready to make his first start,” said Stuart Clilverd, Carroll’s assistant currently running the local shedrow. “Then when he recovered from that and was coming back during his 3-year-old year, he got loose on the track and ran straight into another horse and suffered nerve and shoulder injuries that almost cost him his life.

“We thought he might run well the other day, but I don’t think anyone thought he would win that race by 16 ¼ lengths after all he’d been through,” said Clilverd. “That makes for an excellent comeback story to his career.”

JOCKEY JAMIE THERIOT OFF ALL HIS MOUNTS MONDAY 

Jockey Jamie Theriot, Fair Grounds’ jockey champion three seasons ago, took off all his mounts Monday to attend his grandmother’s funeral, according to Theriot’s agent, Frank Bernis.

Entering Monday’s program, Theriot had ridden 29 winners, one off the pace of current leading rider Richard Eramia and five in front of current third-place jockeys Miguel Mena and Rosie Napravnik.