The Chris
January 1st, 2005by Jude T. Feld
“He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.” – George Bernard Shaw
Friday, Blood-Horse reported retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron had announced that he would be leaving his position as vice president for industry relations at Magna Entertainment this spring, and begin preparations to open a jockey school in Lexington, Kentucky.
McCarron, who previously served as Santa Anita’s vice president and general manager from March 2003 until “kicked upstairs” (or was it down?) by Frank “Executive Roulette” Stronach last October, says the idea for a jockey school came to him while recovering from injuries suffered in a spill several years ago.
Although the jockey school is still in the planning stages, McCarron thinks Lexington would be the ideal location because of its stature as the Thoroughbred capital of the world.
McCarron said he is concentrating on “the right business plan and getting the right people involved.”
Funding details and support for the school still need to be addressed, so it looks like Keeneland president Nick Nicholson had better clear his calendar (or alert his personal assistant not to take any calls).
McCarron, who took most of his early jockey lessons from the late Thoroughbred trainer Odie Clelland, a noted developer of riders, won 7,141 races and two Eclipse Awards, one as the nation’s top apprentice in 1974 and top jockey in 1980 making him supremely qualified to run a jockey school.
Here are just a few of the courses that McCarron could include in the curriculum:
Beginning Paddock Etiquette – Guest instructor, Hall of Fame jockey Sandy Hawley, explains how you can say, “Yes sir, Mr. Frankel,” in the walking ring without totally cracking up.
Trainers Instructions, They’re Not For Everyone – Coach Eddie Delahoussaye’s chalk talk on how to get a closer to the front after the trainer tells you to make one run.
Class and the Racehorse – Professor McCarron on suggesting a horse run for a claiming tag after a victory in a highly-rated conditioned allowance race and the thrill of watching him win a $100,000-added, Grade 3, in his next start, while playing billiards in the jock’s room.
Strangling Speed Horses 101 – A primer for the neophyte jockey, based on a course previously taught by “Speed Boys” Julie Fink and Joshua Shelley. How to take a lone front-runner back off the pace eliminating any chance of victory.
Riding Six Horses In Every Race – The great Angel Cordero, the only jockey in history to go wire-to-wire while in front by three all the way and have his number taken down, explains how to keep the competition from coming through inside, looping the field or sneaking between horses.
Advanced Covering Up – The art of racing in a box for the entire mile and an eighth on the Santa Anita turf course and then, after finishing fourth, galloping out in :10 flat from the wire to the seven-eighths pole at 18-1. (7:00-10:00 p.m. on Tuesday nights with the Three Tenors of Turf, McCarron, Fernando Toro and Jose Santos.)
Introduction to Alibis – Required. Professor McCarron on how to get a filly beat in a Grade 1 stakes by using the theories taught in Advanced Covering Up and then make the steaming trainer laugh when returning to unsaddle, by bending over and asking to be kicked.
Address the Press – A three-part lecture series from three Hall of Fame jockeys. Pat Day discusses Politeness Is Next To Godliness, Jerry Bailey shares his thoughts on Surliness and the Seven-Figure Salary and Kent Desormeaux explains Articulate Post-Race Interviews For Cajuns.
Stay tuned. Like the Donald, McCarron will be searching for the next great apprentice. At least the Chris doesn’t have a comb-over.
