Horse Racing Is Therapy Part 2

The holiday season is almost upon us. I say the heck with the Elf On the Shelf when you have jockeys and mint juleps! Am I right?

It’s funny. Last year we went to the Pennsylvania Derby 2015 and I saw John Velazquez (Johnny V) was going to be there, so I brought his bobble head with me for him to sign in case I saw him. We walked over to the paddock and he was coming back from a race. I stood there holding that thing and waited for him to finish up. I asked him to sign it and he laughed. He asked, “That’s me? I didn’t even know I had a bobble head! It doesn’t even look like me.” We laughed, I got a picture with him and went back to our table. I couldn’t stop laughing all day!

It’s a photo finish with the bobble head stories. I call a dead heat with the day Dad and I went to Delaware Park for Ramon Dominguez day, September 14, 2013. My dad bought four bobble heads, three of Ramon and one of Rosie Napravnik. We went in and there was a line to meet Ramon. I said to my dad, “I’m here for this, I’ll wait.” Before I got in line I placed a bet and Dad went to “his seat.” I didn’t care if I missed the race, but I did play a 10 cent boxed superfecta for $2.40 and a $2 win-place-show on a horse. I forget who I played, but it was probably Edgar Prado riding.

I got in line and talked to Ramon before I saw the results. I had the winning bet on both, but the even money favorite won of course. I looked at the prices and said to Ramon, “How did I win a bet and lose money? The super paid $2.20!” We laughed, I took a couple pictures and got one with him. The one of Ramon signing Dad’s hat is my favorite though. Personally, I think Delaware Park should do more events like this.

It’s another great memory at the track. I have so many of them I decided to do part 2 of Horse Racing Is Therapy, with much more to come in the future. If you haven’t read part 1, I suggest you do. If you have, thanks! I’ve received a lot of positive feedback and I decided to keep it going.

The next picture is one I forgot to include in my first blog. It’s the scrapbook I made of the pictures everyone signed. I must admit every time I went into my pictures to put with the story I found it harder to write this. I’d say, “Oh, yeah, that picture. OK, that can wait until part 3,” and I’d make a note of it.

It filled up so fast I decided to make another book with this year’s pictures I took. I can’t wait to show it to everyone. Besides all the pictures with jockeys, my favorites are the ones I took of them walking down the steps at Parx on Pennsylvania Derby day.

Below is Mike Smith, Javier Castellano and I at the signing. It was a pleasure meeting Javier and seeing Mike again. Mike signed my photobook in two spots. First he signed the front page, then I showed him the picture of him with my sister and I from last year and he signed that too. I think they all enjoyed looking through the picture book, and I know from experience they would rather sign something more personal than a bulk produced item.

Even when I worked in the music business I always brought a picture of the musician and I to get signed, not that I would ever sell any of my stuff online, but people do. I know the next time I meet up with Edgar I’ll have him sign this year’s edition of the photobook because he’s in there the most. Maybe it will be the pictures from Delaware Park, the one from opening week and the one of him with my dad and me.

First thing I thought when I looked at the picture from May 16th was, “Oh my God, I need a tan,” but it’s one of my favorites of Edgar and me. Plus, it’s in front of the “Benches for Jockeys Only” sign.

Back to what I was saying about them walking down the steps at Pennsylvania Derby—

Mike Smith was the jockey aboard Songbird, who won the Cotillion. When I look at his picture I think, “How peaceful, I wonder what he’s thinking?”...

...but when I need a good laugh I look at the picture of Mike I took at the jockey signing.

Laughter is a good therapy and so is horse racing, especially when you capture a candid memory. I must have taken a hundred pictures that day. I didn’t really get a chance to look through them all until we got home. I got to the one of Mike at the jockey signing and busted out laughing. One great thing about these signings is you get to meet a lot of great people and the ones who make this sport possible.

People don’t realize what a tough job jockeys have and what goes into it. Most only see the final product of the race. For jockeys to spend so much time doing signings for fans is awesome. This was actually the first signing like this I ever went to. I’ve been lucky to meet jockeys and trainers on my own.

The reason I went to the signing was because I wanted to meet Kent Desormeaux. Sometimes I do better picking the name of a horse that sticks out rather than reading a fifty-page racing form. Exaggerator was one of those names that stuck out for some reason. I had never met Kent before and it was a pleasure to do so.

It stinks he was in plain clothes, but I did capture him coming down the steps in silks in the picture below.

As I’ve said before, it’s a rough sport. I cringe every time I see a spill, even if it’s something simple like a broken wrist. This happened to Julien Leparoux recently, but he assured me he was all good when I talked to him at Parx.

It’s sad when you follow a jockey and find out they can never race again due to their injury, but it’s a great thing when they can make a comeback, like Rajiv Maragh.

Rajiv made his big comeback at Aqueduct the same Friday as Breeders’ Cup after being sidelined for sixteen months. To be honest, I was more excited to see him back in that saddle than I was about Breeders’ Cup. A couple days before then, he tweeted a picture of his reissued racing license. I tweeted back saying that has to be the best photo ID I have ever seen in my life. He had a big grin from ear to ear, and I wished him luck and to be safe! I hope to meet him one day too.

Before I close this session out, I want to send out a special thank you to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund for everything they do. I will see you all soon! Riders Up!

P.S.  Betting tip of the day at the track— Never throw a ticket out unless you’re absolutely sure it’s a losing bet. I’m sure most of you know that, but you never know. The objection against Larry Jones-trainee I’m a Chatterbox in the Delaware Handicap 2016 is a case in point. I put $5 on the filly to win and it took forever for the results to become official. I was in the grove area and thank goodness the trash can was on the other side. During the judging I thought they were going to take her down. I thought I lost that race and stuck the ticket in my program for some weird reason. Normally I’d crumble the ticket up and put it in the trash bag at the table to throw out later. I’m glad I didn’t that time, because the officials ruled no change of order and I’m a Chatterbox was left up as the official winner.

By Becky Trettina