OFF TRACK
OCTOBER 4, 2008
After a brief hiatus while working at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, it is time to get back on track with “Off Track.”
I had more than one e-mail from my last article wanting to know, “Just what in the world does a jockey agent do?” I sat down at my computer, sipped my coffee and prepared to send responses to these readers to tell them all about jockey agents, and then
I realized that I had absolutely no clue myself. So that’s how jockey agents became the
topic of this “Off Track” article.
To find the answers to my questions, I talked with one of the best in our industry, Ron Anderson. Currently the agent for Garrett Gomez, who just notched his 3,000th career victory, the Southern California native was previously the agent for such greats
as Jerry Bailey, Gary Stevens and Chris Antley.
When you think jockey agent, think football coach mixed in with part
handicapper, part salesman, a pinch of travel agent and a whole lot of
negotiator. Now you have the inner workings of a jockey agent.
The primary function of a jockey agent is to stand as the go-between for the jockey, the trainer and the owner. Make sure your jockey gets all the good mounts and is in the right races, all while satisfying owners and trainers who want your riders aboard
their horses. And in a business in which memories and grudges can last a lifetime, it is not an easy thing to do.
“Possibly the toughest part is keeping everyone happy,” Anderson
said. “Everyone has multiple personalities. You have to learn these personalities and learn when to approach them.”
Bailey, he says, was completely involved in the game. He wanted to know where he should be racing and what he would be giving up by going to a particular race. Gomez, his current charge, is not the type to ask a whole lot of questions, while Stevens “just
wanted to win.”
Anderson starts his day around 7:00 in the morning talking to various connections at the racetrack and attending the morning draw in which the race entries are taken. He is there to ensure that his jockey gets the right mount.
The afternoon is spent watching taped racing footage trying to find a horse that stands a good chance to win his next race. Once that is accomplished, he will go to work trying to convince the trainer that his jockey should be on that particular mount, while
attempting to keep in the good graces of the connections of the current rider as well as other trainers who want his mount for their horses. A jockey agent will usually represent just two jockeys, however due to regulations in New York, an agent is only allowed
to represent one rider at a time.
It is also a job where your pay depends on how well your jockey does. So making sure your jockey gets the right mounts and is in the right races is even more important to a jockey agent’s livelihood.
Typically riders will get 10 percent of the winner’s share. Of that winning
rider’s amount, the jockey agent typically gets around 25 percent. This can mean the difference between a New York Strip or Ramen Noodles for supper.
Anderson learned the ropes of the game from another great jockey agent, Chick McClellan, father of Anderson’s former schoolmate and fellow agent, Scott McClellan.
“Chick got me started,” Anderson said. “He bridged the gaps of my knowledge. But his real gift to me was Fernando Toro.”
Anderson was the agent for the “Master of the Turf” for approximately 10 years, and Anderson credits the famous jockey in part for the success he enjoys today and his ability to get other excellent riders.
So with all the hard work involved, are the long days, the stress of being everyone’s friend while not being able to tell them the whole truth, the constant hours of watching racing footage to find the right horses while giving jockeys riding tips and wearing
multiple hats worth it?
“I absolutely love my job,” Anderson said. “We live in a world where something like 77 percent of people hate going to work, but to me everyday is like Christmas day.”
So what would he be doing if he weren’t a jockey agent?
“I’d probably be an attorney.”
Try not to hold that against him.
I hope that I have taught you a little about what a jockey agent does
exactly. Now, as a reader’s choice article, if you don’t write, then neither can
I. Send in the names of people you know who have an interesting job within the
Thoroughbred business, or ideas of a profession within the business about which
are curious and want to learn more about.