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‘I Still Have Fun Out There’: 60-Year-Old Court On Verge Of 700 Oaklawn Wins

The ageless Jon Court continues to make math simple.

The next equation goes like this: 3 + 697 = 700. That's because Court entered Sunday needing three victories to become just the sixth jockey in Oaklawn history to reach 700.

“I'm aware of it,” Court, 60, said late Thursday afternoon. “Actually, I was thinking about the 4,200 wins when I was riding down the lane. I was like, 'No one is taking this one away from me.' When I went to 4,200, I felt as good as I ever did.”

Court was referring to Catholic Guilt's front-running 9 ½-length victory in the first race March 14, which nudged the jockey's overall career total to 4,200. That ranks 63^rd in North American history, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. Court won another race on the card to reach another milestone, surpassing $20 million in career purse earnings at Oaklawn with the riding double that came a little more than 40 years after his first in Hot Springs.

Now, Court is poised to join Hall of Famers Pat Day and Calvin Borel, the late Larry Snyder, John Lively and Tim Doocy as the only riders in Oaklawn history to reach 700 career victories. Day holds the Oaklawn record for career victories (1,264).

“I just like Oaklawn,” Court said. “I like the town, the quality of racing. Just the allure keeps bringing me back. Many times, I've struggled, but I enjoy being here. I love winning here, I love being here.”

Court's first Oaklawn victory came Feb. 16, 1981, aboard Velvet Chieftain for future Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and prominent Texas owner Anne Dunigan (Bacacita Farm). Court, who rode his first career winner in 1980, was Oaklawn's leading apprentice jockey in 1981 with 10 victories. Save a stint in Southern California during the mid to late 2000s, Court has rarely missed an Oaklawn meet in the last four decades.

Illustrating the breadth of Court's career, Oaklawn's 1981 riding colony included Lively (he retired in 1991), Snyder (he retired in 1994) and Doocy (he retired in 2009). Day's first year as an Oaklawn regular was 1982. He won 12 consecutive Oaklawn riding titles (1983-1994) before retiring in 2005. Borel, 54, is still active and based at Oaklawn.

Court was Oaklawn's leading rider in 2000 and won consecutive runnings of Oaklawn's $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) in 2010 and 2011 with Line of David and Archarcharch, respectively. Court likely would have already eclipsed 700 victories at Oaklawn if he hadn't missed most of the 2020 meeting because of rib and lung injuries suffered in an accident going to the gate before a race. Injury free in 2021, Court had rebounded with nine victories through Saturday, including two aboard Kentucky Oaks candidate Will's Secret for breeder/owner Willis Horton of Marshall, Ark., and trainer Dallas Stewart. Will's Secret won the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 30 and the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) March 6.

“If everyone stays healthy and we're still having fun, the Oaks is the target for the short term,” Court said. “From there, I see her finishing up in Breeders' Cups. It's exciting.”

Horton has been among Court's biggest supporters the last decade. They teamed to capture Oaklawn's $600,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) in 2013 with eventual 3-year-old Eclipse Award-winning male Will Take Charge (the sire of Will's Secret), 2015 Martha Washington with Eclipse Award winner Take Charge Brandi and the first division of the 2019 Rebel with Long Range Toddy. Court, then 58, was reportedly the oldest jockey to ever ride in the Kentucky Derby when he finished 16^th aboard Long Range Toddy in 2019.

“It's very enjoyable to see what he's doing for the Hortons,” said Stewart, adding he was Court's valet in the mid-1980s at Louisiana Downs. “He's always been a great rider and a great competitor. He loves the game and he loves his job. But he just steps his game up for the Hortons and that's a plus for me.”

Will's Secret is among 28 nominees to the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 3 at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-mile Fantasy is a major prep for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) – the nation's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies – April 30 at Churchill Downs. Will's Secret worked a half-mile in :49.20 Saturday at Fair Grounds, where she has been based this year.

Court, in his pursuit of 700, was named on five horses Sunday. Court's career numbers through Saturday at Oaklawn included 6,367 (mounts), 697 (victories), $20,030,356 (purse earnings) and 35 (stakes victories).

Court said he plans to keep making math simple.

“No thoughts of retirement at this time,” Court said. “I'm going to continue to ride. I'm enjoying it. We always have the joy until that day comes. Like Pat Day, he and I had that discussion. He said one day he went and rode a race, a little stake, and said he didn't enjoy it. It was no fun. He was like, 'Maybe it's time to hang it up.' I was like, 'Man, I don't want to hit that wall.' You can see I still have fun out there. I have fun in the morning, I have fun in the room. Just going to continue to enjoy it until the day I know it's time to step away. I don't want an injury to take me out, some tragedy, that makes the decision for me. I want to be able to say, 'OK, you've reached the point and it's time to step away.' ”

Terry Thompson, who entered Sunday with 653 career Oaklawn victories, and Luis Quinonez (608) are also riding at the 2021 meeting that ends May 1.

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Prat Wins Six Consecutive Races At Santa Anita

Although he finished second in Friday's first race, Santa Anita's leading rider Flavien Prat was very much undeterred, as he proceeded to boot home the winners of the next six consecutive races, culminating with a masterful ride going a mile and one quarter on turf in the seventh race of the day at the Arcadia, Calif., track aboard the Richard Baltas-trained Disappearing Act—his final mount of the day.

“It's been a great day, I'm very fortunate, I was on good horses today and things turned out my way,” said Prat, 28, who now leads Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet jockey standings by a 56-42 margin over Juan Hernandez.

Does winning number six in a row at a mile and a quarter down the hillside turf course make this accomplishment any more special?

“When you win six, it doesn't really matter, but it feels good,” said Prat. “The turf course is really good. With the rain we've had, I thought they did a crazy job getting it in shape and it's been a pleasure to ride on it. I thought I had some good chances today, but how many times have I thought I had a good chance and come back with nothing?

“Things have to go your way and some things are out of my hands, but there are days that no matter what you do, it's going to be the right thing, so you have to take advantage of it because it's not always like this.”

Fifth at the rail and full of run a quarter mile from home, Prat swung four deep at the top of the stretch and Disappearing Act held off a stiff challenge from Witch Moon and Hernandez to prevail by a hard-fought head.

Off as the even money favorite in a field of eight maiden fillies and mares three and up, Disappearing Act, who is owned and bred in Kentucky by BHMFR, LLC, paid $4.20 to win and covered the mile and one quarter over a turf listed as “good” in 2:05.25.

Prat's earlier winners on Friday were: R2 #6 Dr. Hoffman ($3.20); R3 #2 Ippodamia's Girl ($16.00); R4 #7 Missy P. ($2.80); R5 #7 Burnin Turf ($3.80); R6 #3 Rather Nosy ($4.00) and R7 #8 Disappearing Act ($4.20).

A two-time leading rider at Santa Anita's Winter/Spring stand, Prat, who was born on Aug. 4, 1992, in Melun, France, becomes the first Santa Anita jockey to win six consecutive races since Laffit Pincay, Jr. did it on March 14, 1987 — en route to winning a record seven races on the day.

Prat becomes the 10th jockey to win six races in one day at Santa Anita, joining Bill Shoemaker (Feb. 23, 1962); Pincay (twice, on Feb. 17, 1973, & March 4, 1981); Steve Valdez (Oct. 15, 1973); Sandy Hawley (twice, on Feb. 20, 1976, & March 26, 1976); Darrel McHargue (twice, on March 5, 1978 & Oct. 25, 1979); Patrick Valenzuela (Oct. 21, 1988); Martin Pedroza (Oct. 31, 1992); Corey Nakatani (April 23, 2000) and Rafael Bejarano (April 8, 2006).

With Prat named to ride eight horses, racing resumes with a nine-race card on Saturday. First post time is at 12:30 p.m. PT.

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A New Force In Southern California, Juan Hernandez Rides 2,000th Winner

A 28-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, Juan Hernandez notched his 2,000th career win aboard the Peter Milller-trained Bedrock in Sunday's seventh race, a $25,000 claimer for older horses at six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

In behind a wall of four horses with a sixteenth of a mile to run, Hernandez shifted outside and was able to prevail by three quarters of a length over 3-2 favorite Castle. Off at 7-1, Bedrock paid $17.00 to win.

A perennial leader at Golden Gate Fields prior to shifting his tack full time to Santa Anita last June, Hernandez currently has 37 wins at the current Winter/Spring Meet, which places him second in the rider standings to Flavien Prat, who has 44.

“I want to also say 'thank you' to the owners and trainers, my agent up north and my agent here, Craig (O'Bryan) and a big thanks to my people (at) Golden Gate Fields,” said Hernandez. “I think a lot of people (helped me). First of all, my family here, my family in Mexico, all these winners are for them…”

Hernandez, who will turn 29 on March 7, has been represented by veteran agent Craig O'Bryan since his arrival in Southern California.

“Not only is he a top rider, he's a top guy,” said O'Bryan. “He fits any kind of horse, he's a great judge of pace, finishes very well and he's great with the people. I knew he had done very well up north, but he's come down here and become a force. He's a great family guy and his best days are in front of him, no question.”

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Oaklawn: Rocco Bowen, 100% Healthy Again, Pictures Big Things In His Future

As a successful jockey, Rocco Bowen has had his picture taken hundreds of times following a race. That's a perk for winning.

Now, pictures have become even more of a motivation for the determined Bowen, 31, specifically two that he said hang in an important travel hub in his native Barbados, a small Caribbean island northeast of Venezuela.

One of those pictures, Bowen said, is of Patrick Husbands, the gold standard for Barbadian riders and an eight-time Sovereign Award winner as the outstanding jockey in Canada. The other is of celebrated Barbadian singer/actress Rihanna.

Bowen said he hopes one day to see a third picturing hanging in Grantley Adams International Airport. His picture.

“No, I'm serious,” Bowen said. “That's the only two people – they're ambassadors. That's my goal, man, to have my picture in the airport because everyone comes through the airport.”

Bowen's quest to add to his photo portfolio has him at Oaklawn, where he is riding for the first time this year after a debilitating arm injury cost him approximately 1 ½ years in the saddle, threatened his livelihood and led to a career U-turn in 2020 after once dominating the racing landscape in the Pacific Northwest.

Bowen has already recorded two milestones in his comeback. His 1,000th career North American victory came Nov. 11 at Indiana Grand, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. Bowen also won his first race at historic Churchill Downs earlier in the year.

“I feel great physically,” Bowen said. “I'm 100 percent.”

Born and raised in Barbados, Bowen's hook to racing was through his father, who owned a couple of cheap horses. Bowen said he began riding match races in the “pasture” when he was 8 or 9, attended jockey school and made his professional debut at 15.

“It didn't come natural,” Bowen said of his early days as a rider. “My dad always told me that jockeys are born to do it, but I wouldn't say I was a natural. I had a lot to learn. I really didn't look good and stuff. My dad always had a lot of faith in me. He always thought I was going to go far.”

Bowen said he won 21 races as a jockey in Barbados. Although Barbados has year-round racing, Bowen said opportunities there are limited because of a truncated racing calendar. Bowen said that led his family to pool their finances and, following Husband's lead, send him to Canada at 16 to continue his career.

Bowen landed in Vancouver, British Columbia, and rode his first race at Hastings Park on April 28, 2007.

After cutting his teeth in Canada, Bowen eventually became a star in the Pacific Northwest. He became the first Bajan jockey to win a riding title in the United States at the 2015-'16 Portland Meadows meeting and was champion jockey three consecutive years (2016, 2017 and 2018) at Emerald Downs in suburban Seattle.

Bowen never had a chance to capture a fourth consecutive Emerald Downs riding title after being injured during training hours in September 2018. Bowen said he damaged his shoulder and suffered a concussion after being thrown to the ground when a rein a broke on a horse he was breezing.

“I was out for 25 minutes,” Bowen said. “Normal morning. I just remember getting on the horse in the barn. I don't remember anything after that.”

Bowen's injury occurred during the closing weeks of the Emerald Downs meeting. The jockey had a meet-best 97 victories and was trying to reach triple digits for the third consecutive year after finishing with 110 in 2016 and 126 in 2017.

“I was not going to let that injury stop me, getting the three wins,” Bowen said. “It was something I never would have lived down. It was something I really wanted to do.”

Bowen said he took a week off and resumed riding after being cleared by a doctor. He finished with 109 victories. But Bowen wouldn't ride again until June 4, 2020, at Belterra Park, owing to the shoulder injury that triggered numbness in his right hand.

Bowen said he was in so much pain at the end of the 2018 Emerald Downs meeting that he remembers once having to use his left arm to raise his right after awakening from a restless night of sleep.

“I ended up riding and I just put the horse in the middle of the racetrack,” Bowen said. “I didn't put myself in a bad spot because I'm riding with one hand. Just was determined because it took me so much to get to the top of Emerald that I was not going to let that hand stop me. I kind of had that feeling that I wasn't going to be able to ride that winter, so that would have played with me all the time. Even being leading rider, I wasn't going to stop at 97 wins. I just kept on pushing.”

Bowen said he initially believed he would miss “three or four months” because of the injury, but months stretched into more than a year because of lingering problems. Bowen said he didn't undergo surgery and time finally erased the pain.

“The thought of never riding again, that almost took away my heart,” Bowen said.

Bowen said he had planned to make his comeback last summer at Arlington Park, even signing a one-year lease on an apartment three minutes from the track. Yet another roadblock: No racing (COVID-19).

But Bowen was so hungry to return to the saddle that in late May he began driving 3 ½ hours each day from suburban Chicago to Anderson, Ind., to work horses for trainer Genaro Garcia in preparation for Indiana Grand's opening, delayed until June 15, (COVID-19).

With no place to stay in Indiana, Bowen said he would drive back to Arlington Heights after training hours, only to start the process over the following day at 1 a.m. (Central). Bowen said the track closed at 11 a.m. (Eastern).

“The first day, I was late for work, an hour,” Bowen said. “I didn't know they had a time change. That's what I had to do. Once I got my first paycheck, then I got a hotel.”

Bowen's first victory in his comeback came aboard the Garcia-trained Hyndford June 5 at Belterra Park. Bowen's first mount at Churchill Downs, White Wolf, became the jockey's first winner there five days later. Bowen, as a regular, rode 39 winners in his Indiana Grand debut to finish eighth in the standings. His mounts earned $934,902.

“The first race I rode, I got (disqualified), the very first race of the meet, opening day, but not for lack of trying,” Bowen, jokingly, said. “I was like, 'Man, people are going to think this is a wild and crazy guy.' But by the fifth race of the day, I won on my favorite horse since my comeback, Unmoored, for Mr. Genaro Garcia. I won three races on that horse last summer.”

White Wolf's trainer, Paul Holthus of Hot Springs, has been another one of Bowen's biggest supporters in his comeback. They teamed for six victories at Indiana Grand and have continued their relationship this year at Oaklawn.

“He's a good kid,” Holthus said. “Really like him. Good attitude. He's a good enough rider, for sure.”

Bowen, whose agent/mentor is retired jockey Joe Steiner, said his plan is to remain based in the Midwest. Asked why he didn't make his comeback at Emerald Downs, Bowen said it would have been a sign of weakness.

“To me, that would have been easy,” Bowen said. “It probably would have taken me another three years to leave again.”

Get the picture?

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