jockeys

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Jockeys' Guild, in partnership with the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, co-hosted a mental health roundtable on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the U.S. Capitol. The event brought together jockeys and professional athletes from women's soccer and football to share their personal experiences and highlight both the common and unique mental health challenges they face. "We are committed to keeping the dialogue going on mental health challenges for professional jockeys," said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. "The more we talk about it, the more jockeys...

Delaware Park Casino, the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, the Delaware Jockeys' Health and Welfare Benefit Fund and the Delaware Park Jockeys Association teamed up to donate $20,000 to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), the organizations announced in a joint statement Saturday. Delaware Park has developed a unique funding mechanism for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund donation as, over the course of the live racing season, each jockey donates a dollar from each mount fee. Delaware Park Casino, the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the Delaware Jockeys' Health and Welfare...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Among this week's rulings, trainer Calixto Juarez has been banned a combined 36-months and fined a total $25,000 for an incident at Delaware Park June 4. The case was resolved without a hearing. The suspension began Aug. 8. In the case resolution, Juarez was observed...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Among this week's rulings, trainer Daniel Harvey was suspended five days and fined $500 for a caffeine overage determined to have come from contaminated feed supplements. The Harvey-trained Leopardi, who finished second at Tampa Bay on April 16, subsequently tested positive for caffeine, a Class...

A Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) made up of licensed medical professionals from a variety of specialties has been established by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and is now accepting applications, the organization announced via press release. To be made up of licensed medical professionals from across the United States, the MAC will aim to provide diverse perspectives and clinical experience on matters relating to jockey health, safety, and well-being. The group will also provide feedback to the executive team and standing committees by offering recommendations on best practices...

After he crossed the wire first aboard Journalism (Curlin) in the GI Preakness Stakes, jockey Umberto Rispoli planned to take a few days off and bask in what was the biggest win of his career. Instead, he has found himself in the middle of an ugly controversy involving his ride and the bumping incident with Flavien Prat, who was aboard 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time). The two banged into each other in upper stretch and impeded the Steve Asmussen-trained Clever Again (American Pharaoh). While some people have...

Led by leading scorer Drayden Van Dyke, a team of Santa Anita jockeys defeated the Holy Angels Middle School basketball team Thursday night to break a lengthy losing streak in the 55th annual charity game. With coach Luis Jauregui at the helm and former jockey Darrell Haire serving as assistant, the jockeys came out on top with a score of 28-22. The team consisted of Van Dyke, Kent Desormeaux, Edwin Maldonado, Armando Ayuso, Abel Lezcano, Ricky Gonzalez, Diego Herrara, Geovanni Franco, Kevin Orozco and Sofia Barandela. Prior to the game,...

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and the Jockeys' Guild agreed to a new scale of mount fees for jockeys who ride at NYRA tracks which will take effect Feb. 1, according to a Wednesday release from the Guild. Under the new fee agreement, jockeys will receive a minimum of a $125 losing mount fee for races at all NYRA racetracks as well as a $500 minimum fee in races with purses of $1 million or more. This scale also includes a 4th place incentive. "We have come to...

From an Eclipse Award to two Sovereign Awards, from a Queen's Plate win among her dozens of stakes victories to the title of highest-earning female rider in the sport's history and more than 1,900 career visits to the winner's circle, Emma-Jayne Wilson has fought her share of battles on the racetrack. One of the most challenging battles of her life, however, is surely the one she is now fighting behind closed doors as she recovers from neck and pelvic fractures sustained in an Oct. 25 accident at Woodbine. The words...

A new children's book set against the backdrop of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, has been released. Ollie the Oaklawn Owl: Whoooo's That Jockey? is the second book in an educational series written by Mary Rampellini of Daily Racing Form. The work is illustrated by retired jockey and award-winning artist Renee Torbit. In his latest adventure, main character Ollie learns about the courage it takes to ride racehorses, the equipment jockeys wear, and why racing silks are different colors. "Mary's books provide our youth a great tool to better...

Edited Press Release Christian Maragh was in diapers the first time he joined his brother Rajiv at the racetrack. The siblings were together again Sunday at Gulfstream Park under much different circumstances. Separated by 18 years, Rajiv and Christian Maragh lined up against each other for the first time as jockeys in Race 7, a claiming event for older horses sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the all-weather Tapeta course. Rajiv Maragh, 39, ran fifth on 5-year-old gelding Gabagool (Ransom the Moon), trained by their father, Collin Maragh. Christian Maragh, 21,...

Noted Kentucky horseman Craig Bandoroff will receive the Uphill Push Award and speak at the 10th annual fundraiser for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) to be held at Gulfstream Park Jan. 11th, according to a press release from the Jockeys and Jeans organization. Each year the award is given to the person who provides the most meaningful help to the 60 jockeys who suffered career-ending injuries. In December of 1974, Bandoroff was the leading apprentice jockey at Monmouth Park and Garden State Park. In a race his mount bolted...