The Jockey - Arlington Park Live

Being a Thoroughbred Jockey on the race track, there is so much to know and learn.  I have been riding for 6 years now, and there is still a lot to learn about my own career.

When you start out as a bug rider, it can be an overwhelming experience.  There is a lot of pressure on and off the track.  Being a smart and safe rider is a HUGE part of being a jockey, sometimes other riders try to intimidate you to see what you know, and to teach you right from wrong. Six years later, I find myself trying to help new bug riders coming in and out of Chicago the ropes of becoming a better rider and business man.  There is still so much to learn myself.

Earlie Fires recently retired from being a jockey.  He is one of the greatest jockeys of all times and is in the jockey hall of fame.  I have looked up to Earlie since the day I started riding.  He is such an amazing jockey and has done so many great things in the thoroughbred industry.  Not only has he taught me thing about riding and being a better rider, but also to stand up for what I believe in as a jockey.  To stand by each other as a whole and work together.

I also enjoy watching riders at other race tracks and watching thier riding techniques.  I have been around some really great jockeys like Mike Smith, Robby Albarado, and Calvin Borel who are very successful. Richard Migliore is one of my favorite jockeys to watch and learn from.  His riding ability is amazing. I see how hard these jockeys work, and how well they have done for themselves.

To see how well just a few of these jockeys have done on the race track, and knowing I only have 6 years of riding under my belt, I keeps my spirits high.  I strive to be the best I can be and learn as much as I can on and off the race track.

Sorry I havent posted lately…

It’s offically summer time now, and the stakes races are picking up everywhere.  In a way this is my favorite time of year, not only do I enjoy watching these big races, but also having a chance to get some great mounts and try to get to the wire first.  June 20th I was aboard River Bear for trainer Rusty Hellman.  In the paddock before the race we spoke about the previous trip I had on him, it was a great winning trip.  I told Rusty, if my trip is anything like the last time out, heck, we might have a chance.  Rusty said, “like mites on a chicken”.  We laughed about it,  he gave me a leg up, and wished us luck.  Sure enough, we had a great trip like the previous race, and I won by a nose.  It was the White Oak Handicap Stakes, and it felt great knowing not only did I win a stake, but River Bear and I made the owner’s day, and Rusty’s.  I’ve never seen an owner more proud then River Bear’s.  It was a great day. 

Traveling is a big part of my jockey career this time of year.  Sunday I was named on a horse in Canada at Woodbine for a stake race, but in this industry you never know whats going to happen.  Our trip ended up being cancelled, and I had taken off my mounts for Sunday’s card at Arlington.  These things happen, and you have to keep your head up and realize things happen for a reason.  A few weeks before that I rode for trainer Frank Springer at Mountaineer.  This coming monday I will be taking my tack to Indiana to ride Easy Tee for Mike Reavis, and I picked up some mounts for trainer Chris Dorris.  In a way, this is like riding and getting away for a work trip.  It’s always nice to go and see different race tracks and meet other jockeys who share the same career passions as I do.  It’s just another aspect of the racing indusrty, and its a great one.

This week a video blog with a little Q&A.

Being a Jockey is something a lot of people don’t understand, and probably never will.  Not just being a jockey, but the race track environment as a whole.  As an outsider, who has never been around the race track, jockeys, or trainers, there are a lot of questions that are to be asked.

This past week, my fiancee and I met a young girl who retired a TB (Thoroughbred)/ ex-race horse.  She did not know I was a jockey, and made a statement about how she got her TB.  It really made me realize how some outside people view us Jockeys.  She told us that her horse was injured on the track because the jockey did not like her horse and purposely jerked him into another horse causing a career ending injury to the horses involved.  I then explained to her in a very informative way, that that most likely was not the case at all.  Jockeys risk their lives in the mornings for workouts and during the races everyday, as a jockey, I would never do something to injure a horse or myself.  She then said, “yeah your right”. I wouldn’t go 40 miles an hour and then make my horse cause an accident by jerking it and cause injuries as well.  She then said, ” I wonder why someone would tell me a story like that.” 

Race horses love thier jobs, and some can’t wait to get out on the track every morning and work.  There are some instances where horses don’t like their job, so they are found good homes to do something new.  It’s like us, we do things we love, or try things to see if its what we are meant to do, if it doesnt work out, we do something else.  Humans get worn out like horses do to, and they are given a break as well.

I have stated in previous blogs how dangerous it is being in the horse racing industry/sport.  Injuries and spills do happen but never on purpose. When these things do occur there are people out there, like her, to give a TB a new home, and a new job.  Trainers try their hardest to find forever homes for these horses.  Even as a jockey, my fiancee and I have given a few TB homes, and one is now a barrel horse that has taken my fiancee to the top, winning saddles and belt buckles.

Other questions I have been asked is why I would do something so dangerous.  All I can say is, ” You have to love the sport as much as I do, and have the drive to do your best and win!” 

Weight is something people ask about on a regular basis.  In the racing program you will see numbers in bold, such as 122.  This number indicates the weight that I have to be with my boots, and saddle.  If I am under that weight, there are lead pockets to put little sticks of lead in my saddle so I make that weight.  This makes the races fair for each horse and rider.  If you are over this amount, they announce how much the jockey is over.  In some cases, trainers have taken a jockey off their horse and put a new one one because he couldn’t make the given weight. 

The average weight of a jockey is about 114 lbs.  Some jockeys can make this weight everyday with out any problems at all.  Other jockeys have to really watch their weight, so they watch what they eat, or eat very little at all.  There is also what we call a “hot box” in the jockeys room.  It is a sauna that helps jockeys pull off a couple of pounds from water weight. 

“Do you ride the same horse every time?”  Yes and No, the same horse is never entered twice in one day, but if you ride your horse well and speak to the trainer about riding the horse the next time it is raced you can create a team, and have the chance to ride this horse every time it is entered.

These are just some of the questions people ask about being a jockey, and what its all about.  There are so many questions  and views people have from the outside looking in on this career.  No question is a dumb one, so if you are reading this and have any questions, please ask or you will never know.  It sometimes is heart breaking when I realize what people think about my job as a jockey because they have been misled, or not informed, and they don’t even realize it.  As a jockey, I am willing to help inform anyone who wants to know more about the sport, or even how to give a race horse a home when his job is done on the track.

Being a Jockey comes with a TON of risk.  The dangers of riding are so outstanding, that you never know when it will be yourself.   A horse could stumble and fall, clip heels, flip in the gates or in the post parade, or lose their rider and be without any control on the track causing an accident.  Accidents may result in no injuries at all to being paralyzed, or even death.  It is the reality in racing.

I have been riding for 6 years now, and I have been hurt almost two years of the six.  The first accident I had was at Hawthorne in ‘04.  A horse came over in front of me causing me to clip heels.  We went down and two horses went over the top of me, thus resulted in me having a broken wrist.  Two months later, my horse ducked in while I was in front, and jumped the rail.  I went through the rail and ended up with torn ligaments in my thump and had to have pins put in for a while. 

After being off for almost a year due to these spills, I had to re-build my business and re-prove myself.  Things seemed to be looking up for me until the beginning of the Arlington meet in the Spring of ‘06.  I was in front of the field thinking I was going to win, and my horse jumped the inside rail of the turf course.  I took out a couple of sections of the removable rail with my body.  My helmet flew off, and I lay there unconsciously.  I was lucky to have no life threatening injuries, but had pretty bad bone and muscle bruising to my leg.  I then decided to go to New Mexico at Zia Park.  After a month of being there, I was dropped and hurt my shoulder, and it put me out until the beginning of Hawthorne’s meet in 2007.

I have had a few spills since then, which have laid me up for a while due to a collapsed lung and bruised ribs, or bruising in my calf from being flipped in the gates and my leg being stuck between the horse and the back gate.  Thankfully I have had full recoveries from these spills, and have been able to do as well as I have.  These things can happen to anyone on the track.  Morning workouts have there share of accidents as well as the races.  These spills are inevitable whether you can believe it or not.

The weekend before last, one of the best jockeys known around the world, Rene Douglas, went down in a horrific accident at Arlington; things are looking up for him at this time.  But it goes to show it can happen to even the best of the best. 

I continue to pray for everyone out there that are involved in this sport, to watch over all of us, and keep us safe.  For the wellness of those who are hurt, or who have been hurt and are recovering, those who are walking out to the paddock for the next race, and those who are out for morning works.

Friday’s 8th race I was aboard Churubusco for Trainer Mike Reavis aka Raccoon.  Before the races my agent and I were out to breakfast looking over Friday’s mounts, to see what kind of shots I had.  I really didn’t think I had that good of a shot, and either did he.  His form just didn’t favor the Polytrack.

Churubusco has alot of natural speed, so before the race I thought we would be laying about mid pack, just off the pace…Well, The gates sprung for the one turn mile, and we stumbled and broke last.  I didn’t want to rush him up there at that point, so I let him settle behind horses.  Going into the turn at the half mile pole, I started looking for some running room.  I hate going wide, so I kept us on the rail waiting to make a move.  About the 3/8 pole, I thought I was never going to find a place to go.  There was a horse to the outside of me, and big field ahead.  I thought to my self, “there is no way I’m going anywhere”. 

Turning for home, I saw a horse starting to drift off the rail, so  I asked him to run, and he shot through the hole.  This is when I knew he had the speed to get up for the win.  We ran a BIG race.  The first 3/4 of the race was definitely not in our favor of winning.  Being the Jockey its my job to think smart and guide my horse to the wire, and that we did!

Opening Day is just hours away at Arlington Park. My agent and I have been working hard to get great mounts. Opening day is looking positive with 7 rides. These past couple of weeks have been down to the grindstone.

The track opens for training at 5:30am at Arlington, so I was out working horses there, then off to Hawthorne to finish my workers. The work payed off, and I received Leading Rider at Hawthorne. The hard work is not going to stop, leading rider at Arlington is my goal, along with riding for great trainers and their horses.

My mounts today all have good shots, I’d like to say I could win them all, but I can’t. We are going from the dirt track to the Polytrack on a couple of mounts. Some of my mounts have experiences on the Poly already. I am riding Hurta for Tomillo in the 50,000 stake today.

Our odds are 9-2, against some nice horses. There is a lot of class in this race, but I’m confident. Five Star John is on the Turf for Frank Calabrese, we have 3-1 odds with Blithe Lad. This horse is ready for a win, and I think I can get him there. I am ready for the Turf races at Arlington, todays card has me there on Tour d’Aura, Five Star John, Barcaro, and Joe the Gentleman.

My horses look okay for today’s opener, I plan to ride hard and hope to have some winners on opening day.

I’m Timothy Thornton and I am a 21-year-old Thoroughbred jockey at Arlington Park. Ultimately, I’m a country boy who loves to rodeo, hunt, fish and just be outdoors. Whether I’m out taking a walk in the woods, or skippin’ a rock on the water, but my biggest love has been RACEHORSES! 

Moss Bluff, Louisiana is where I was born and raised until the age of 8.  My dad was a Quarterhorse trainer, along with being a Ferrier (horseshoer) at all the small tracks around the area. Growing up glued to my father’s side, he was my inspiration to keep my head together and guide me to my dream of being a jockey.

Although horse racing was a huge part of my family’s life, rodeo was the main hobby that my family kept close, and that was what we did as family time.  I did plenty of Rodeo’n myself, if you can imagine that!  I was the smallest and the best bull rider in my age group.  I also Team Roped. 

When I was 8 my family decided to leave the horse racing life to the side and focus on raising my two older brothers (John now 25, Matt 22), me, and my little sister (Maria, 20). My family moved to the middle of nowhere, literally, the little town of Utopia, Texas where we don’t even have a traffic light.  This became my favorite place on Earth.

After we moved and my dad stopped training, I kind of lost track of my dream of being a jockey and I was focused on rodeo, riding horses, and playing basketball for my school. 

Southwest Texas, aka Hill Country, is known for really bad and sometimes deadly floods.  The year I turned 15, we were forced to move from Utopia due to a horrible flood that left my dad jobless.  Everything was so torn up that nobody had money to pay my dad to shoe their horses. 

That’s when being a jockey came back into my mind.  I was at the right age to start galloping and getting myself ready to become the jockey I’ve always dreamed to be.  So Chicago is where we landed!

I was up every morning by 4:30 a.m. ready to go to the track and get on some horses!  I would be up and ready before my father, anxiously waiting.  I loved every minute of what it took to be the hard working jockey I am today, and I still love it.  I don’t miss a beat of working towards becoming a better, stronger jockey, unless I am injured or very sick. 

I’m out there working hard, bettering myself every step of the way.  It takes a lot to be a jockey, and a successful one at that.  I am very fortunate to be able to say these past two years I have been fairly healthy and have had the opportunity to be successful and even a leading jockey at Hawthorne in the Fall of 2007, and Spring of 2008. 

If it wasn’t for the hard work and dedication, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to say that, and I am proud to say I can, and I did.

The riders here in Chicago and at Arlington are tough.  We all fight for the best mount in each race, and work our hardest to be at the top.  The last couple of years I have accomplished a lot to be in the top group of riders at Arlington!

Opening weekend is only a few days away, tomorrow morning I will be moving my morning workouts to Arlington Park, to start my goal of being at the top. 

We all want to be on the best of the best horses, for the best of the best trainers, and I am willing and ready to do what it takes to get there.  My main goal as always is to stay healthy and all in one piece, but most of all I want to be the best I can this year, and work my way to the top.  I would love to say that I was a leading rider at Arlington at the young age of 21…soon to be 22, on April 27th. 

Wish me luck, and for myself, family, friends, and fans, I WILL give it ALL I have!

The Jock, Timothy Thornton, an up-and-coming Jockey on the Chicago Circuit who won $948,812 in purse money last summer at Arlington Park and is currently Hawthorne’s leading rider with 32 wins so far this Spring meet. Timothy will provide an inside look into the life of a thoroughbred jockey and the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.