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If you think you can guess this months “Where Am I?” 

BY BILL STEELE
Roughly a year and two actual miles (Holiday Inn,Ocala) from a meeting that knocked the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association off of its axis, the organization gathered at the Hilton

Ocala to introduce new director, Lonny Powell and to update members on what was being done to correct past sins and to take a step toward resurrecting members’ confidence in the Board of Directors and the organization itself.

Ironically the man chosen to lead the organization out of the drought is also the son of  jockey, Taylor Powell.  So tight squeezes and urging tactics should be nothing new.  One member of the audience said that Lonny Powell could be an evangelical minister (after hearing him speak) if horse racing did not work out.  Some members were still skeptical, but hope was in the voices of even the skeptics.

“Step back non-believers or the rain will never come

somebody start a fire burning, somebody beat a drum

He said some might think I’m crazy for making all these claims

But I swear before this day is over, you folks gonna see some rain”    (Lucy and The Rain Man)

The Association has been mugged by its own employees, directors, and officials; good reasons for being skeptical.

What transpired was an orderly and smooth meeting in which some of the members looked a bit less weary than when they walked in.  President Phil Matthews and new CEO Powell worked well together in dialogue which hopefully will translate to putting trust and efficiency back into the FTBOA.

The first order of business must be to correct the flawed election process.  The “proxy” ballot and the uneven playing field created by some candidates having to get fifty signatures while others are automatically on the ballot due to a back room meeting anointing them will no longer be accepted by the general membership.  This needs to be done quickly not just before the next election.  Most of the other problems will dissipate once integrity is restored to the election process.  Some board members feel that “some of the wrong people” will be elected.  People with “not enough leadership” might be elected.  My question is simple.  Could they have done worse than what we have been doing for the last five years?

The membership has been asked to be patient and yes, they should, but the board members also need to trust in the members as fully vested partners in the organization.

For the first time in a long time, everyone is rowing in the same direction and it is time to keep the momentum going.  Being a board member is not an easy job and it is a volunteer position.  On the other hand, it is a position of representation and that means representing the membership that elected you, not just the guy sitting next to you or across the table.  Members wantFloridato be a viable venue for thoroughbred breeding and racing.  They want, as do the board members, to seeFloridaracing restored to its former position.  This cannot be done without cooperation, trust and being able to look one another in the eye with honor and respect.

...well a man’s gotta have a dream

And if you can’t walk on the inside with me, I’ll meet you in between

Oh come with me …. and the stars will write your name

And if you think I’m lying to you, look a yonder here comes the rain!”    (Lucy and The Rain Man)

We all must realize that we do not control everything that has an influence on us, but we must manage the things that are in our control.

Newly elected FTBOA President Phil Matthews agreed to be  ” On The Anvil “  and the following are his answers to the seven questions asked.

1.   Hold Your Horses:  How is the elimination of proxy ballots and the revamping process for electing FTBOA board members progressing?

Phil Matthews:  I have had several questions concerning the proxy format and do think that the process is certainly worth reviewing.  There was a preliminary discussion at the board meeting in November and will be a topic for the board in the near future.

2.  HYH:  Will the “recommended candidates slate” still be a part of the election process and if so why?

PM:  I think there should always be recommendations from the board on the selection of future board members.  As a board member a person knows who has made valuable contribution to the process in the past and who may do so in the future.  I also think it is incumbent upon the board to be looking to the membership for “new blood” and new ideas from people that are sincerely interested in the good of the association.

3. HYH:  You have “transparency” high on your agenda.  Does that mean that monthly board meetings will be posted well in advance so that members can attend?

PM:  I think transparency is always important in any member owned association.  Do I think that translates to having open attendance at a board meeting?  Absolutely not.  If that were the case, there should be no board.  A board of directors is charged with making thoughtful decisions for the good of the organization based on each individual’s knowledge, experience and research as well as open and honest dialogue during the board meeting.  I believe that open and honest dialogue is thwarted by “an audience”.

4.  HYH:  Under provisions already in place the breeders’ awards program could be administered at 20% rather than 15% and would allow a 15% – 3% – 2% split for the first three spots rather than the 10% - 3% – 2% that is now in play or some other configuration. Why has that not been considered?

PM:  I think that a 15, 3, 2% split is worth considering as is paying awards for stakes races (and possibly other races) out of state.  The problem with expanding the dollars awarded in whatever fashion you deem to do it, is that you need money to do so.  If there isn’t enough money, expansion of any kind isn’t possible.

Our association has taken a big hit from ADW (advanced deposit wagering).  We are not getting our fair share of the money that is being bet using this format and ADW is growing every year as a percentage of handle which means that every year our association is receiving less in to the trust fund.  This has been balanced somewhat by slots and card rooms but has prevented us from gaining any ground.  We are battling hard to get this situation rectified.

5.  HYH:   Who decided there should be a 10% “bonus”  for breeders’ 2010 awards that was distributed last month and was there a board vote?  Would it not have been something that the entire membership should have had in-put on?  It seemed a bit self-serving for past presidents and other board members who walked off with substantial amounts that could have been structured in a 20% awards program.

PM:  The decision to pay the additional bonus on the 2010 awards was made by the board.  There was “extra” money in the trust fund, above the reserve, and it was felt that everyone in the association would want to increase the bonus given if the money was there.  (Look at your question #4).  It is interesting this question is framed “self-serving”.  I guess my response to that is “we’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t.”  I can truly only speak for myself about how I voted on that decision, but I think the feeling was unanimous in the room that day and that is, “great if the money is there from 2010 then the awards won in 2010 should be increased.”  It wouldn’t be fair of me to parse out who won the most races, that wasn’t the point.

6.  HYH:  How is the “fraud” case advancing regarding the former employee who allegedly stole about $100K?

PM:  The fraud case is in the hands of the state attorney’s office.  The FTBOA office worked hard to provide all the detail that was asked for.

7.  HYH:  Why does it take so long to publish financials for the organization?

PM:  I’m not certain how long it took in years past to have the financials published so I won’t speak to that.  I know it took longer than I intended it to this year for two reasons.  First, I was personally responsible for slowing the process down this year.  That wasn’t my intent but I held an extra meeting with the auditors this year so that I could better understand the audit process and how it is conducted each year.  Secondly, the short staffing at the FTBOA office resulted in it not being done in a timely manner after that meeting.  Hopefully a delay in posting was not an inconvenience to the membership this year. 

December 2011 - Where Am I? - Hold Your Horse Magazine

For your chance to win email to : Holdyourhorses.steele@gmail.com.

Many farms are having to cut corners just to keep the mortgage current.

Many folks are living on the property only because they have not been asked to leave by the bank, even though they are months behind on the mortgage. Banks would rather have the property occupied than vacant, they do not want to be in the business of mowing and maintaining fences. For many it is too late, but for the survivors the next few months will decide a lot and for some there is optimism, but is it realistic?

In the thoroughbred business, there are indicators that let us know what kind of financial weather is coming and mares and foals are part of those indicators. The steady melt down on mare and foal numbers means that stallion sheds will be pressed to get a “fair share” of breedings this year. The weather in Florida will always be the attraction for training horses along with the minerals that are so bountiful in the water, but could the numbers be sounding the “Death Knell” for the breeding side of the barn?

Some are forecasting that Florida bred foal numbers will drop even more in 2012. For discussion, let’s go with the same amount of foals in 2012 as there was in 2011 (1,565). Now look at the number of stallions in Florida that will produce those foals. If there are 80 stallions advertised in the Florida Horse Stallion Register (and some stallions will not be in the book), it would mean that somebody will be hurting in the finance column.

Whether a person wants to argue the numbers above, which are based on speculation, you cannot argue with the ones that follow. The biggest question, of course, is “Are there enough mares?”

Each year of late, the Florida Horse Stallion Register shrinks, but this year it could be bigger than last year I am told. Credit must be given to those farms that are charging on with more than robust stallion rosters and one has to admire their tenacity. Journeyman Stud has 14 stallions on its roster while Stonewall Farm has 17 stallions and these two top the list in numbers. Some farms have trimmed their rosters while most have maintained the same numbers as last year.

If we take the top six stallions, there will be six to seven hundred mares/foals accounted for, leaving the remaining 74 stallions to fight for the 900 remaining mares/live foals. No matter which way you cut it, there will be a shortage of Florida bred racing prospects in the next year or two. There will also be stallions leaving for lack of support, stallion owners expect profit from their stallions and other states are knocking at their doors with bigger chests of wealth than Florida has to offer. If the stallion exodus begins due to lack of mares, it will be hard to stop.

Journeyman has been a springboard for stallions mostly because of Brent Fernung’s keen eye for stallion talent. While Fernung has had his detractors, has been outspoken and controversial to the FTBOA membership, and has been chastised in this column on other subjects, he deserves credit for what he has done. I am not going to list the stallions that have passed through his hands on their way to greater accomplishments because they are well known, but his present roster is quite an achievement as well. While he has seen stallions move up and on, he has maintained a strong roster and the prices are fair and competitive.

Stonewall Farm has the largest roster at seventeen and appears fearless at entertaining thoughts of gaining more. To the credit of Vinery (Pomeroy), Stonewall (Leroidesanimaux), Ocala Stud (High Cotton – booked full), Journeyman Stud (Wildcat Heir), and Hartley DeRenzo (With Distinction), they have kept their “Big Guns” in Florida despite the downward drift of what the industry is doing in the Sunshine State. If nothing else, there is a glimmer of optimism in the breeding shed buzz along with the addition of two new stallion sheds (Cloverleaf returns and Northwest Stud emerges).

The long and tedious conflict within the FTBOA between the membership and board members will no doubt have its toll on some stallion sheds if word on the street is an indicator. The membership’s demand for transparency and efficiency and a revamp of the voting process remains to be answered.

Newly elected FTBOA president Phil Matthews has been busy seeking input in an effort to find middle ground between the FTBOA membership and the grip that some board members hold on the way the organization is run. Not an easy task, but one he is equal to. The “lynch-pin” is the revamping of the election process and the abandonment of the “proxy” ballot that the majority of the members feel is simply a way to stack the elections. Time to pull in the same direction? Start here!

Photographs DANETTE PHILPOT

Caroline Burgeson, owner of Paddock Room Galleries onSilver Springs Blvd. in Ocala, is not unlike a character from the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.

Caroline Burgeson

The B & B, as the soap is affectionately referred to by its millions of devotees, is set in the fashion industry inLos Angeles. Burgeson’s Paddock Room Galleries hasOcala,Floridaand the world as the setting for its high fashion art and gift boutique. Caroline easily plays the leading lady in her own sphere of influence. Dressed tastefully and elegantly and adorned with beautiful baubles, Burgeson looks the part of a CEO. The image doesn’t stop with the look. Speaking with authority and intensity about her business, Caroline could easily be right at home in a boardroom as well as her well appointed boutique, surrounded by the unique décor and tastefully selected offerings.

Indeed Mrs. Burgeson is devoted to her business. While being interviewed in her Paddock Room Galleries, Mrs. Burgeson said, “I fell carrying a bronze in the back room. As I was falling, I thought should I save me or the bronze? I chose the bronze, naturally.”

That’s taking one for the team. She injured her side in the fall and was limping slightly as she moved about her domain while saying, “George Steinbrenner asked me why I hadn’t

retired. I asked him why he hadn’t retired. He said, ‘Don’t be silly, I love what I am doing.’ Then, I said to him, ‘That is the answer. If I didn’t love the shop, I wouldn’t do it. If there is nothing to do, we will change a window. People love our windows.” What does she do when she is not working? “Think of the shop, I love it so.” She did confess to one other interest in her life. “I stay home, and I listen to opera or read books on opera. My mother was an opera singer.

I used to hang out at the New York Metropolitan Opera house as a child, after school and on weekends.” When she and her late husband Edward moved toOcala, all of that changed. “My mother would say, ‘You can’t live in Ocala because they don’t have opera,’ but they have tours, and (the tours) would come to Florida, and my husband would take me to Orlando or Miami or Tampa to see it.” She and Edward were always in the business of business. They met inNew York when working together at the

same place of business. “I was an advertising research person. They hired Ed. He was vice president of advertising for the American Newspaper Publishers Assn. He gave seminars to newspaper salesmen. Guess what his theme was—‘All business is local.’ He tried to get people here to adopt that theme in 1968. Now that is what people are pushing.”

More interestingly, “He was not married, and I was single.” To make things even more compatible, “He was a Christian Scientist, and I was a Christian Scientist. While we were working at the company, there was a church meeting on Wednesday afternoons. I was late getting there one day, and the only seat left was by Ed. He signaled me to come and sit down.” Imagine that. They didn’t even need an on-line dating service to find each other. In January 1968, the New York lifestyle changed. “Barron’s, Kiplinger, the Wall Street Journal all said the future was going to be inFlorida, but not South Florida, Central Florida,” Mrs. Burgeson explained. Most people who moved to Central Florida were unaware of the horse community in Ocala and Marion County. The Burgesons were different. “Every Sunday we would take a ride. Ed would say, ‘Just look at all of these fabulously beautiful horse farms.’ But there were no stores here to serve that community. There were just a few tack shops.” “You need to be at the right place at the right time,” she said. “Some of Ocala’s most successful retailers advised us not to open the shop because we would fail….Was it Napoleon Hill that said, ‘You see a need, and you fill it’?” Still, the Burgesons did not just jump in with both feet. “Ed said, ‘Let’s just try 500 square feet and get our feet wet.’” East, down Silver Springs Blvd. from her current location, there is a Chevron station with a strip mall on the north side of the boulevard. There are just three stores in the mall, and one of them was the original location of the Paddock Room. They were there for ten years from 1968 to 1978.

“It was my little 500 sq. ft. hole-in-the-wall. “Verna Lea Goff and Jackie Gaudio drove up in a pink Rolls Royce. They bought everything I had that had horses involved.

The Paddock Room, Ocala

My husband said, ‘The handwriting is on the wall. The next time we went toNew Yorkwe didn’t buy anything but upscale horse items—handbags, scarves, afghans and jewelry.” “They cleaned us out, so we moved to the current location. At that time there was a title and abstract business on the east side of us, and a dress shop on

the west. We eventually added both of those spaces to our store. You don’t get from 500 square feet to 4,500 square feet if you are doing something wrong. “The horse people made us,” she said. Verna Lea Goff and her husband Gene owned and raced two-time champion Nodouble. They also owned Verna Lea Farm in Ocala. Jackie Gaudio and her husband Bob owned an Arabian farm and were instrumental in the founding of Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. “Now that we have the shop on the east and the west, we can only go up. We are building a second floor over our part of the building,” she said.

“This location is a jewel,” she said, “because of the traffic. My husband use to say, ‘How do you get to Daytona? You have to go right past our store. He had a clicker and sometimes he counted the cars that would build up at the stop light.” From the beginning of OBS sales, the Burgesons have always had a table in the breeze-way during the sales. “My husband and I worked the sales together. Roy Kennedy said as long as there is an OBS, you will have a booth here.” Mrs. Burgeson also recalled a story about Roy Kennedy that caused her some momentary discomfort. “Roy Kennedy told me, ‘It’s a good thing you wear panty hose.’ I got worried about what was coming next. Then he said, ‘because you stand on your head for your customers.’” “I do a big European trade that people don’t know about,” she revealed. “Of course, I get all my European trade from OBS.” If the horse people made the Burgesons and the Paddock Room, the “fox-hunter crowd” provided the next trend and market. “When the Golden Hills hunter-jumper shows started, that’s how I got to know the fox people,” Mrs. Burgeson explained. The Golden Hills hunter-jumper events were the forerunner of today’s HITS competition held each winter inOcala. The hunter-jumper crowd is fond of the “fox motif,” and no one has a better inventory of foxy items than the Paddock Room. The appeal of the fox motif went beyond the show horse community. “People whose name was Fox would come in and buy things,” Mrs. Burgeson said with amusement.

Lalique crystal

Over the years, the Burgesons and the Paddock Room have attracted movie stars, sheikhs, CEO’s as well as the “horse people” and the “fox people.” In the 42 years since the 500 square foot hole-in-the-wall, Mrs. Burgeson has met some wonderful and fascinating people. And she has been privy to some fascinating stories. “Oh, I have wonderful stories to tell,” she said. “People love to gossip, but my lips are sealed. (My customers) know I don’t talk about what people buy and for whom.”

TO:  Bonnie Heath and Phil Matthews, DVM

FROM:  Pam Mattox

Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association-Internal Record Inspection Memo

Let it first be stated that in no way should the word audit be used in connection with the record inspections performed.  The audit of the Florida Thoroughbred and Owners Association (FTBOA) and Florida Equine Publications (FEP) was performed by an independent accounting firm and an audit report exists for the audit.  An independent audit also exists for the FTBOA Promotional Trust Fund.  This audit was also performed by the independent accounting firm.

1)      General ledgers for the 6/30/09 and 6/30/10 fiscal years were requested and received for FEP and FTBOA.  The general ledgers provided were generated from accounting software, not excel.  The ending balances were traced to the audited financial statements.  No differences were noted between the general ledger accounts and the totals used to produce the audited financial statements.  The purpose of this review was to determine that the general ledgers provided were the same general ledgers used to produce the audited financial statements.

ISSUE:  None

2)      The next inspection involved simply reviewing the postings to each account.  A vendor ID list was provided so that it was possible to determine the payee on disbursements.  The purpose of this inspection was to determine if unusual patterns existed in the records.  An unusual occurrence was noted.  Disbursements in the computer expense accounts abruptly ceased.  Through questioning of certain individuals, an embezzlement issue was admitted as the cause.

ISSUE:  A proper internal review of credit charges was not performed.  The  process was not revised when the issue was discovered.

RECOMMENDATION:  A policy and procedures manual should be developed and implemented.

3)      The promotional trust account general ledgers for 2009 and 2010 were requested.  This report was not available because the trust account is not maintained in a general ledger system.  An excel schedule was provided in place of a general ledger.  This excel schedule is the only reconciliation that exist for the receipts and disbursements of the promotional trust fund.  The excel report contained columns and rows by track and by month of the receipts and disbursements and a reconciliation of these amounts by month to a bank statement total. All disbursements to tracks were traced to cancelled checks.  Several check copies were missing from the bank statement.  Copies were provided when requested.  The 10% administrative fee was recalculated, no difference was noted.  Amounts deposited were traced to track reports.  Time has not permitted as extensive testing as should be performed.  The breeder’s awards are paid out of a check writing system, this system has a “back door”.  In other words, users of the system are allowed to modify records.

ISSUE:  The lack of the use of a proper accounting system to maintain the breeders account allows for the manipulation of records.  The awards are processed on a manual basis.

RECOMMENDATION:  A proper accounting system should be utilized.  The use of the internally developed system should cease. The manual entry of awards  should be replaced by automated download files. The system that is in place is   unacceptable and also surprising.  An organization with the longevity of the FTBOA that has an Executive Director and CFO positions has no excuse but to     operate at a much more advanced level.  The positions were not performing adequately.

4) As a result of the embezzlement issue raised in item #2, the credit card statements were requested.  The credit card statements were provided for three years.  The charges submitted were inspected and it was noted that the same items were purchased repeatedly.  An excel schedule was assembled of all of the purchases.  Unusual purchasing patterns were noted.

ISSUE:  See #5.

5) The records of the internal investigation of the embezzlement issue were requested.  No records were available, as the internal investigation consisted of only verbal inquiries.

ISSUE:  A thorough investigation of the embezzlement issue was never      performed internally. The possibility of recovery of the embezzlement should exist through employee dishonesty coverage.  Because of the actions of the          Executive Director, the Board should also be concerned with the possibility of       recovery through the Association’s Director and Officer Coverage.

RECOMMENDATION:  A proper investigation of the incident should be performed.  The excel schedule assembled points to an embezzlement in excess of  $100,000, not $10,000 as presented by the Executive Director to the board.  The            Association owes it to its members to pursue a full investigation as the amount could be much larger because of the employee’s longevity with the Association.

6)  The write-off of equipment was also noted in the general ledger.  No review was done of this transaction as no records were available.

ISSUE:  Computer equipment retired and removed from the books was allowed to leave the premises of the FBOA without destroying the hard drive. A security breach of member information appears to have occurred.  Members were never notified of this possibility.

RECOMMENDATION:  Establish proper policies for the disposition of    association assets.  Hard drives should be destroyed because of the potential to        contain personal information.

In conclusion, the FTBOA and FEP are in need of polices and procedures to prevent future embezzlement and security breaches.  It is discouraging that the embezzlement occurred and the removal of computer equipment occurred and no changes were made at the Association.  It appears business continued as usual.

Numerous cost saving measures should also be implemented.  For instance, one specific item noted was the bank charges that occurred of approximately $12,000 for the year on a sweep account that should have been closed because of the drop in interest rates.  The account was changed, but it took approximately a year for the change to be made.    Additionally, questions remain on FEP. Do the members receive value for the monies that are spent?  FEP is structured as a for profit entity, but lacks profits.  Awards are nice, but do not pay the bills.  Proper budgets should be prepared for FEP and the FTBOA, these budgets should emphasize efficiencies and the FEP budget should reflect profits.

Please feel free to contact me and discuss statements made in this memo.  I would ask that the Board distribute this information to its members by August 26, 2011.  After this date, I will free to discuss with any party the information that I inspected and my opinions as to what I inspected.

There are horses who have left an indelible imprint on the sport of Thoroughbred racing, whose brilliant performances are for the ages and will forever transcend time.
Many of those equine athletes are admired by legions of fans, who have only witnessed their abilities on film or read about their exploits, years after their last race. Their enduring qualities touched the lives of not only those who intimately knew them, but future generations who recognize their greatness and contributions to the sport.
Among their most ardent admirers are active and retired jockeys, many of whom would have liked the opportunity to have been in the irons on those horses whose talent and courage are seemingly timeless. Those jockeys whose brilliance as horsemen have been honored and immortalized with their election to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and for the others whose careers have earned them the respect from their peers for their selfless dedication to their sport, have shared their thoughts about the horse or horses they would have most liked to have ridden.

Russell Baze - Horsephotos.com

He rewrote the record book on Dec. 1, 2006, when he won his 9,531st race, eclipsing the previous mark held by fellow Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. And as he nears 11,000 victories, it seems as if 52- year-old Russell Baze isn’t anywhere near slowing down. Baze, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, is North America’s all time winningest jockey and received a special Eclipse Award in 1995. He has won more than 400 races in a year on 13 different occasions. Baze led the nation in victories in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2008.

He’s ridden a number of prominent horses during his career, and among the Grade 1 winners he rode  include the 2005 Eclipse Award-winning Sprinter Lost in the Fog (Baze was the regular rider of the Florida-bred son of Lost Soldier, and rode him to victory in the 2005 King’s Bishop); he won the Grade 1 Oak Tree Invitational on two occasions with Both Ends Burning in 1984 and Hawkster in 1989 and the Grade 1 Santa Monica Handicap while in the irons on Devil’s Orchid.
The winner of the Isaac Murphy Award an unprecedented 13 times, Baze named three horses that he would have liked to have ridden during his career, S.D. Riddle’s Man o’ War, whose 100-length victory in the 1 5/8-miles Lawrence Realization and 20-length win in the Belmont Stakes during his sophomore campaign in 1920 resonate powerfully among historians and fans; the 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat and the 1980 Horse of the Year, Spectacular Bid.

Secretariat winning The Belmont Stakes in record style! - Horsephotos.com

“Spectacular Bid was awfully impressive,“ said Baze. “Man o’ War won 20 out of 21 races. That would have been great to have ridden him. He was an invincible horse. Secretariat was an awesome individual.”
Angel Cordero, Jr. began his career riding at El Commandante in Puerto Rico in 1960. He won his first race in New York in 1962. He was the leading rider in North America in 1968, winning 345 races. Cordero won the Eclipse Award in 1982 and 1983 as the nation’s outstanding jockey. Cordero enjoyed considerable success at Saratoga where he won 11 straight riding titles and 13 overall. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1988. He retired in 1992 having won 7,057 races.
The number of prominent horses that Cordero, Jr. rode to victory during his storied career reads like a who’s who in Thoroughbred racing. He rode three Kentucky Derby winners: Cannonade (1974), Bold Forbes (1976) and Spend A Buck (1985); two Preakness winners, Codex (1980) and Gate Dancer (1984); the Belmont Stakes with Bold Forbes (1976); two Marlboro Cup winners, Seattle Slew (1978) and Slew O’ Gold (1984) three Jockey Club Gold Cup winners, Autobiography (1972) and Slew O’ Gold (1983-1984) and four Breeders’ Cup winners, Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner, Life’s Magic (1985); Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies victor Open Mind (1988) and Breeders’ Cup Sprint winners, Gulch (1988) and Dancing Spree (1989).
Cordero, Jr. selected Man o’ War and Bohemia Stable’s five time Horse of the Year Kelso as the two horses that he wished he had the opportunity to ride. Kelso was a dark bay gelding, who carried 136 pounds as a four-year-old with Eddie Arcaro up in winning the Brooklyn Handicap, and would win five consecutive editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, winning the 1962 running by a commanding 10-lengths with Milo Valenzuela in the irons
“I would have liked to have ridden Man o’ War and Kelso,” said Cordero, Jr. “I read about him (Man o’ War), and everything that I had ever heard about him suggested he was a great horse. Kelso was the best horse ever. I had the opportunity to see him race.”
Another jockey, who also named Man o’ War as the horse he would have most liked to have piloted, was Chris McCarron.  He is one of four jockeys to win the Eclipse Award as the outstanding Apprentice Jockey (1974), who would go on to win the Eclipse Award as the outstanding journeyman Jockey (1980). McCarron won a then record of 546 races in one year in 1974. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1989. McCarron retired with 7,141 victories.
He would retire from riding in 2002 as the all-time leader in money earned, with his mounts earning more then $264 million. Among the horses McCarron rode during his career include the 1987 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner and 1988 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse-of-the-Year, Alysheba; 1989 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year, Sunday Silence; 1985 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner, Precisionist; 1986 Belmont Stakes winner, Danzig Connection; 2000 and 2001 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and 2000 Horse-of-the-Year, Tiznow; 1992 Preakness Stakes winner, Pine Bluff; 1992 Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner, Paseana (ARG);  1992 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, Gilded Time; 1994 Kentucky Derby winner, Go for Gin; 1995 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, Northern Spur; 1997 Belmont Stakes winner, Touch Gold and 1984 Arlington Million winner and Horse-of-the-Year John Henry.
“It would be Man o’ War for me,” said McCarron. “If you look at his past performances, he set or equaled a considerable number of track records, and won his races by many lengths. All the jockey did was sit on him. I saw a couple of films of him. He was just incredible.”
Pat Day is a four-time Eclipse Award winning Jockey. He was recognized as North America’s outstanding jockey in 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1991. He was the leading rider by number of wins on six different occasions, and retired in 2005 having recorded 8,804 victories. He is the all-time leading rider by money earned, with his mounts earning $297,912,019.
Only two riders won more Classic races than Day, Eddie Arcaro and Bill Shoemaker. His nine victories in the Triple Crown tie him with Bill Hartack and Earl Sande. The all-time leading rider at Churchill Downs and Keeneland, Day won the Kentucky Derby on Lil E. Tee in 1992. He won the Preakness five times with Tank’s Prospect in 1985, Summer Squall in 1990, Tabasco Cat in 1994, Timber Country in 1995 and Louis Quatorze in 1996; he recorded three victories in the Belmont Stakes with Easy Goer in 1989, Tabasco Cat in 1994 and Commendable in 2000.
Day won 12 Breeders’ Cup races, winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic on four occasions including the inaugural Classic with Wild Again in 1984, Unbridled in 1990, Awesome Again in 1998 and Cat Thief in 1999; the Breeders’ Cup Distaff with Lady’s Secret in 1986, Dance Smartly in 1991 and Unbridled Elaine in 2001. He won the Breeders’ Cup Turf while in the irons on Theatrical in 1987. Day also enjoyed success in both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, winning the Juvenile with Timber Country in 1994 and on the 1997 Horse-of- the-Year Favorite Trick and he captured the Juvenile Fillies with Epitome in 1987 and Flanders in 1994. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991.
Meadow Stable’s homebred Secretariat was one of Day’s two choices. The big chestnut colt, whose likeness appeared on the cover of Newsweek, Time and Sports Illustrated and whose race record and Triple Crown performance have made the son of Bold Ruler an immortal in sport. Secretariat is spoken about with such reverence that nearly four decades later he is considered a deity.
“Secretariat was just a super horse, he had a big engine and was extra special,” said Day. “I’m good friends with Ron Turcotte and got it straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak, on what he could do and couldn’t do, and there wasn’t much he couldn’t do. It was a pleasure watching him run, and win the Triple Crown in 1973, each race decidedly more impressive then the previous.”
Day’s other selection was a horse endearingly known as Mr. Longtail. Calumet Farm’s homebred and winner of the 1941Triple Crown Whirlaway was incredibly consistent, hitting the board in 56 of his 60 starts, with 32 of those finishes finding him in the winner’s circle. The chestnut colt by Blenheim II won the Kentucky Derby by eight lengths with Eddie Arcaro in the irons.

Whirlaway - Eddie Arcano up. - Horsephotos.com

“I got to read about Whirlaway, but I never got to see him run,” said Day. “He was a special individual. There are a lot of good horses from yesteryear that get bandied about, regardless of the era and time, and who they were running against speaks for the ability of the horses.”
Laffit Pincay, Jr. as much as any rider epitomized dedication and discipline. When he retired in 2003, he was North America’s all time leading jockey by number of races won, with 9,530 victories.  The only six-time Eclipse Award winner, Pincay, Jr. won the award for outstanding Jockey in 1971, 1973-1974, 1979 and 1985, and was recognized with a special Eclipse Award in 1999 for his accomplishments in the sport. He became the all time leading rider on Dec. 10, 1999 eclipsing Bill Shoemaker’s record, by recording the 8,834th victory of his career. Pincay, Jr. was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1975, when he was 28 years old.
His long list of winning mounts included victories in the Arlington Million with Eclipse Award winning Turf Males Perrault (GB) in 1982 and Tight Spot in 1991. He won the Hollywood Gold Cup nine times, with Pleasure Seeker (1970); Ancient Title (1975); Crystal Water (1977); Affirmed (1979); Greinton (GB) (1985); Super Diamond (1986); Aptitude (2001) and Sky Jack (2002); the Santa Anita Derby seven times, Alley Fighter (1968); Solar Salute (1972); Sham (1973); An Act (1976); Affirmed (1978); Muttering (1982) and Skywalker (1985); the Santa Anita Handicap with Cougar II (1973); Crystal Water (1977); Affirmed (1979); John Henry (1981); Perrault (GB) (1982) and Greinton (GB) (1986); the 1984 Kentucky Derby, Swale (1984); the Belmont Stakes on three occasions with Conquistador Cielo in 1982; Caveat (1983) and Swale (1984); the Breeders’ Cup Classic with Skywalker (1986); the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Tasso (1985), Capote (1986) and Is It True (1988); the Breeders’ Cup Distaff with dual Eclipse Award winner Bayakoa  (ARG) (1989-1990) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Eclipse Award winning Two-Year-Old Filly Phone Chatter (1993).
The winner of the 1985 Big Sport of Turfdom Award selected Meadow Stable’s 1973 Triple Crown winner and the 1972-1973 Horse of the Year Secretariat and Hawksworth Farm’s 1980 Horse of the Year Spectacular Bid as the two horses he wished he could have ridden.
“Secretariat was a class horse, very powerful and consistent,” said Pincay, Jr. “He did everything. I would have liked to have felt his power. I knew how Affirmed felt. Secretariat is considered the best horse ever. I would have liked to have ridden him.”
Spectacular Bid, like Secretariat only ran out of the money once, and was a model of consistency. The gray son of Bold Bidder, won 26 of 30 races, placed second twice and third once during his career.
“Spectacular Bid was another horse who was very impressive, who finished good and was tough all the time,” said Pincay, Jr. “He would finish strong at the end. He seemed like he would be a good horse to ride.”
He became one of most recognizable and popular athletes on two continents, and in 1977 he won 487 races en route to eclipsing the $6 million mark in earnings. Steve Cauthen’s impressive ascension to the top of the world of Thoroughbred racing is the stuff that legends are made of. Cauthen, won three Eclipse Awards in 1977, for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, Outstanding Jockey and the Eclipse Award of Merit. He was the 1977 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, and on a Wheaties Box. Cauthen was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1994.
In 1978, he became only the 10th jockey to ride a Triple Crown winner in guiding Harbor View Farm’s Affirmed, the 11th horse to capture the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, as the chestnut son of Exclusive Native went on to earn Horse of the Year honors in 1978 (the Florida-bred colt was also the Horse of the Year in 1979). He was the leading rider in the United Kingdom on three occasions (1984, 1985 and 1987), and enjoyed great success throughout Europe. In addition to winning the 2,000 Guineas in Great Britain on Tap on Wood in 1979, he won the Derby Stakes with Slip Anchor in 1985 and Reference Point in 1987; the St. Leger Stakes with Oh So Sharp in 1985, Reference Point in 1987 and Michelozzo in 1989 and the 1985 Eclipse Stakes with Pebbles.  But his success as a rider wasn’t just restricted to England as he scored important victories in Ireland with the 1989 European Horse-of-the-Year Old Vic in the Irish Derby, and In the Groove in the 1990 Irish 1,000 Guineas; in France in the Grand Prix de Paris in 1987 with Risk Me and 1990 with Saumarez, the 1989 Prix du Jockey Club with Old Vic; and in Italy in the 1991 Derby Italiano while in the irons on Hailsham. He also won important stakes races with Tryptich, Indian Skimmer and Opera House.
Cauthen also selected Mrs. Allaire duPont’s Bohemia Stable’s Kelso as the horse he would have most liked to have ridden. The dark bay gelded son of Your Host in addition to being a five time Horse of the Year (1960-1964), proved to be a durable campaigner, racing until age nine and going to post 63 times. Kelso won 39 races, finished second 12 times and third twice.
“Eddie Arcaro told me he (Kelso) was the best horse that he ever rode by far,” said Cauthen. “He was very special. Milo Valenzuela rode him a bunch too. He was really exceptional. He was a good horse.”
Only three jockeys were fortunate enough to ride Meadow Hill’s chestnut colt, which would go on to capture Horse of the Year Honors in 1972 and 1973; the Eclipse Award for Turf Horse in 1973 and Eclipse Awards as the Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male in 1972 and Outstanding Three-Year-Old Male in 1973. Eddie Maple was one of those jockeys. He got to ride Secretariat to a 6 ½-length victory in the 1 5/8-miles Grade 2 Canadian International on the turf at Woodbine, in the son of Bold Ruler’s last start.
“Secretariat was incredible,” said Maple. “There was no question about that. He ended up being the people’s choice. I think he was an excellent racehorse.”
Maple enjoyed great success on the New York Racing Association after shifting his tack to New York in 1971. He won the 1995 George Woolf Award and the 1998 Mike Venezia Award. The Ohio-native captured a number of major stakes victories during his career including the Belmont Stakes with Temperence Hill (1980) and Crème Fraiche (1985); the 1995 Arlington Million with Awad; the Florida Derby with Eastern Fleet (1971); the Gamely with Sabin (1984); the Jockey Club Gold Cup with Temperence Hill (1980); the Metropolitan Handicap with Arbees Boy (1974), Cox’s Ridge (1978) and Conquistador Cielo (1982); the Super Derby with Temperence Hill (1980), Crème Fraiche (1985) and Wise Times (1986); the Travers Stakes with Temperence Hill (1980) and Willow Hour (1981) and the Young America with Swale (1983); Script Ohio (1984) and Irish Actor (1988). He also won the 1991 Italian One Thousand Guineas on Arranva. Maple was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2009.
It was Tartan Farm’s Dr. Fager, the bay colt by Rough and Tumble, who was the 1968 Horse of the Year, the 1968 Champion Older Male Horse, 1968 Champion Grass Horse and 1968 Champion Sprinter that Maple would have chosen to have ridden. Dr. Fager won the 1968 Washington Park Handicap by 10 lengths carrying 134 pounds (establishing the world record for the mile by covering the distance in 1:32 1/5 seconds) and the 1968 Vosburgh Handicap by six-lengths carrying 139 pounds.
“Dr. Fager intrigued me,” said Maple. “I didn’t see much of his racing career. What comes to mind was that he was a good miler, even though he ran farther than that. I saw him win at Atlantic City as a two-year-old. He would be my choice.”

Jacinto Vasquez - - Horsephotos.com

He’s the jockey that holds the distinction of beating Secretariat twice, with Angle Light in the Wood Memorial and Prove Out in the Whitney. Jacinto Vasquez won 5,231 races in a career that spanned 37 years. The native of Panama is a member of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame having been inducted in 1998. Vasquez was also inducted into the Calder Race Course Hall of Fame in 1999.
Vasquez’s impressive resume includes wins in the Kentucky Derby with Foolish Pleasure in 1975 and Genuine Risk in 1980; the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with Smile in 1986; he won the Triple Tiara in 1975 with Ruffian capturing the Acorn, Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks; in addition to Ruffian, he won the Coaching Club American Oaks with Revidere in 1976 and Christmas Past in 1982; the Kentucky Oaks with Princess Rooney in 1983; the Travers with Loud in 1970 and General Assembly in 1979 and the Marlboro Cup with Proud Birdie in 1977, Lemhi Gold in 1982 and Highland Blade in 1983.
Tayhill Stable’ Seattle Slew, the 1977 Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner, was the first horse selected by Vasquez as a horse he wished he would have had the opportunity to ride. The dark bay colt, who won his first nine starts including a rousing 9 ¾-length victory in the Champagne Stakes during his juvenile campaign and would score victories in the Flamingo Stakes and Wood Memorial prior to sweeping the Triple Crown during his sophomore campaign.
“Seattle Slew was a free running horse; they never tried to rate him,” said Vasquez. “He was in front all the time and had a lot of speed.”
The 1988 Eclipse Award-winning Two-Year-Old Male, Easy Goer was the other horse chosen by Vasquez as a horse he would have liked to have ridden. The Ogden Phipps homebred never finished off the board in 20 career starts. The chestnut son of Alydar was a Grade 1 winner at ages two, three and four. Easy Goer won six Grade 1’s during his sophomore campaign including the Wood Memorial, the Belmont Stakes by eight-lengths, Whitney Handicap, Travers Stakes, Woodward Handicap and the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
“I would have liked to have ridden Easy Goer,” said Vasquez. “I would have liked to have opened up on him in the last quarter mile of a race to see what he could do.”

Gary Stevens - - Horsephotos.com

Gary Stevens holds the distinction of having won nine Santa Anita Derbies, his wins coming with Winning Colors in 1988, Mister Frisky 1990, Personal Hope in 1993, Brocco 1994, Larry the Legend in 1995, Indian Charlie in 1998, General Challenge in 1999, Point Given in 2001 and Buddy Gill in 2003. Stevens rode for 26 years from 1979-2005, winning 4,888 races. He won eight Classic races, capturing the 1988 Kentucky Derby aboard Winning Colors, the 121st Run for the Roses while in the irons on Thunder Gulch and the 123rd edition of the first leg of the Triple Crown while up on Silver Charm. He won the 1997 Preakness Stakes while piloting Silver Charm and the 126th running of the Preakness in 2001 with Point Given. His Belmont Stakes victories came in 1995 with Thunder Gulch, 1998 with Victory Gallop and with Point Given in 2001.
Stevens would also win eight Breeders’ Cup races capturing the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Turf with In the Wings (GB) in 1990; the 1993 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Brocco; the 1994 Breeders’ Cup Distaff with One Dreamer; the 1996 Breeders’ Cup Mile with Da Hoss; the 1998 Distaff with Escena and the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Silverbulletday; the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Anees and the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Mile with War Chant. He won the Arlington Million twice with Golden Pheasant in 1990 and Marlin in 1997. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1997. Stevens won the Eclipse Award in 1998 as North America’s outstanding jockey.
One horse in particular was a source of great inspiration for Stevens, he said.
“It would have to be Secretariat,” said Stevens. “I admired his ability to carry his speed and he had a very impressive appearance. I didn’t see him in person. I was only 10 years old when he won the Triple Crown. He had a huge impact on me. He was the kind of horse that I would dream about having the opportunity to ride.
Matt McCarron is the ninth all-time leading steeplechase jockey in terms of victories, having won 192 races, sharing the riding title in 2003 with David Bentley with 16 wins and winning the title outright with 24 wins in 2004. McCarron was the leading rider by money won in 2004 and again in 2005. He was the regular rider of Hirapour (IRE), the winner of the 2004 Eclipse Award as North America’s Outstanding Steeplechase Horse and considers himself fortunate to have had an opportunity to ride three-time Eclipse Award-winning Steeplechase Horse McDynamo and the talented Sur la Tete during his career.

Matt McCarron - - Horsephotos.com

The two horses McCarron said he wishes he could have ridden were the four-time Eclipse Award-winning Steeplechase Horse Flatterer and the five-time Eclipse Award-winning Steeplechase Horse Lonesome Glory.
William Pape’s Flatterer seemed to turn in formidable performances no matter the weight impost. The dark bay son of Mo Bay was conditioned by Hall of Fame Trainer Jonathan Sheppard and scored stakes victories carrying 167, 170 and 173 pounds. But it was his performance in the 1986 National Hunt Cup at the Radnor Hunt Races in Malvern, Pa. where Flatterer carried 176 pounds, and went on to win by seven lengths that cemented his place as one of the greatest Steeplechase Horses ever in North America, and the victory played a large role helping him earn his fourth consecutive Eclipse Award.
Mrs. Walter Jeffords’ Lonesome Glory, a chestnut gelding by Transworld, who was conditioned by Bruce Miller, raced until the age of 11, winning races in both United States and the United Kingdom. A winner of 24 races, Lonesome Glory would be named the Eclipse Award Steeplechase Horse of the Year in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999.
“Flatterer was ridden by one of the greatest riders of all time in Jerry Fishback, said McCarron. “Blythe Miller-Davies won more races then me, so I don’t think I could have improved on Lonesome Glory’s performance.”