Retired jockey Davis featured in HRTV’s ‘Inside
Information’
HRTV’s award-winning documentary show, “Inside
Information,” will take a powerful, in-depth look at the career of former jockey
Robbie Davis, and his role as father of three jockeys, when “Inside Information:
Davis,” premieres on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. (EDT).
The half-hour show will offer viewers a reflective look at
Davis’ career, focusing extensively on the extreme heartache and anguish he
coped with following his involvement in an on-track tragedy at Belmont Park in
October 1988 — the death of popular jockey Mike Venezia, a longtime fixture on
the New York racing circuit.
Davis was directly involved in the tragic spill, when
during a turf race that day in 1988, Venezia was unseated and Davis’ mount was
unable to avoid the fallen rider. Venezia died from injuries sustained in the
chain-reaction accident. A veteran and mentor to young jockeys, Venezia’s death
affected many, and emotionally devastated Davis.
“My world just stopped…I went into shock,” Davis told HRTV. “I didn’t want anyone around me.”
The show also details Davis’ determination, after a
self-imposed exile from the track to confront the haunting memory, to craft an
excellent career prior to retiring in 2002, as well as the subsequent
realization that three of his six children — son, Dylan, and daughters, Jackie
and Katie — wanted to follow their father’s footsteps in the saddle, while
subjecting themselves to the same peril and risks he faced daily. The documentary highlights Davis’ transformation from a
parent initially resisting the notion of Jackie’s desire to ride to actively
instructing Katie prior to her first race.
In addition to revealing comments from the Davis family,
the show also includes interviews with Hall of Fame jockeys Angel Cordero Jr.
and Chris McCarron, as well HRTV analyst and former New York riding standout Richard Migliore.
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