As a veteran of 25-plus years in the saddle, Tampa Bay Downs jockey David
Amiss fully appreciates the rapturous highs and devastating lows of his
profession.
But nothing the Jockeys’ Guild representative has achieved on the racetrack
thrilled and humbled him as deeply as being nominated for the 2014 George Woolf
Memorial Jockey Award at Santa Anita.
“Just to be nominated is like being a winner to me,” said the 48-year-old New
Hampshire native, one of five finalists for the honor presented annually since
1950 and voted on by jockeys across the nation. “It’s something I never
expected, and it is one of the greatest things that has happened to me in my
career.”
The other finalists are Aaron Gryder, who won the 2009 Dubai World Cup on
Well Armed; Corey Lanerie, a Louisiana native who has more than 3,500 career
victories; Scott Stevens, the older brother of Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens
and himself a winner of almost 4,300 races; and northern California mainstay
Dennis Carr, who has ridden more than 2,700 winners.
Voting closes February 11 and the winner will be announced soon thereafter.
The Woolf Award honors riders whose careers and personal character reflect
positively on the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred racing. It is named
for George “The Iceman” Woolf, a member of the Hall of Fame perhaps best known
for his victory aboard Seabiscuit in the legendary 1938 match race against
Triple Crown winner War Admiral.
Woolf, who had Type 1 diabetes, died the day following a 1946 fall during a
race, an accident that resulted in a brain concussion and may have been caused
by a dizzy spell related to his medical condition.
The list of past Woolf Award winners reads like a “Who’s Who” of racing
greats: Bill Shoemaker, Johnny Longden, Eddie Arcaro, Laffit Pincay Jr., Angel
Cordero Jr., Ron Turcotte, Chris McCarron, Steve Cauthen, Pat Day, Jerry Bailey,
Kent Desormeaux, Gary Stevens, Mike Smith, John Velazquez, Calvin Borel, and
Ramon Dominguez.
“It is incredible to even be mentioned with all those great riders,” said
Amiss, who has ridden more than 1,000 winners while compiling career mount
earnings in excess of $10 million. “Just seeing myself standing beside the other
guys who are nominated — they are great representatives of our sport who have
had phenomenal careers. To be grouped with them, to me, is an amazing feat.”
The nominees for the Woolf Award are chosen following consultation among
Jockeys’ Guild National Manager Terry Meyocks and the Guild’s regional managers.
Amiss, a Jockeys’ Guild representative at both Tampa Bay Downs and Suffolk Downs
in Massachusetts, was selected largely for his steadfast advocacy on behalf of
his fellow riders at both locales.
“It (being nominated) is about the way you handle yourself and helping other
people, whether it is your fellow riders, trainers or grooms,” said Jockeys’
Guild East Coast Regional Manager Heriberto Rivera Jr., who represents riders at
22 tracks including Tampa Bay Downs. “I have seen David stand up and fight for
other jockeys when they needed something done, and he has always been up front
working on safety issues.”
“David has always made sure our safety is first and foremost,” echoed fellow
jockey Vernon Bush, who has competed against him for years here and at Suffolk.
“He is an outstanding gentleman and a role model for the younger riders in the
jockeys’ room. He doesn’t come down on them if they make a mistake; he takes
them aside, shows them what happened and suggests ways they can correct it.”
As a Jockeys’ Guild representative at Suffolk, Amiss worked for legislation
that requires owners to pay an equal purse amount to both riders in the event of
a late jockey change. At Tampa Bay Downs, he teamed with Rivera to get
additional padding in the starting gate to prevent horses from shifting around
excessively, lessening the chance of injuries.
Amiss says he has enjoyed excellent rapport with the management of both
tracks.
“As jockeys, we are constantly trying to improve the safety aspect of our
sport, and we have been able to work closely with the tracks to achieve that
goal,” Amiss said. “I’ve never really come across a major issue here, and Tampa
is a great atmosphere.”
Amiss is also involved in Guild efforts to create uniform rules within the
industry that would give jockeys greater input in determining if a horse is fit
to race after warming it up before post time.
Amiss is widely respected for his recovery from a 2000 training accident that
severely damaged his left shoulder, sidelining him for almost five years.
“It took a lot of working out and riding a mechanical horse to come back,” he
said. “But I love it too much not to try to return, and I think every rider
would probably say the same thing. I consider myself very fortunate because I
have a lot of friends who got hurt and never made it back.”
Amiss has three children: 16-year-old twins Zachary and Makenna and daughter
Emerson, 11. Both of his daughters show horses. Amiss lives with his long-time
girlfriend, Thoroughbred trainer Alison Hassig. The children live in Maryland
with their mother, Standardbred owner Dawn Amiss.
“When you are around the animals every day, you come to love them,” Amiss
said. “I’m lucky to get paid to do what I love. I’ve tried to stay on the
straight and narrow and anybody that needed help, I’ve tried to help.”
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