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Lost And Found Presented By LubriSYNHA: Channing Hill May Not Be Done Riding Yet

Life for a jockey can change in an instant. For Channing Hill, unrelated events took him in a new direction and in hindsight could be viewed as setbacks or opportunities.

A 2005 Eclipse Award finalist as outstanding apprentice, Hill sees the proverbial glass as half full. A year after being sidelined by severe neck and back injuries, he is relishing time with family as he eases closer to a return to the saddle.

“I am lucky,” he said. “I have seen these same types of injuries and how much different it can turn out. I feel very fortunate.”

Hill was injured at Oaklawn Park when his mount went down on April 17, 2020. Three days later, he underwent surgery in Hot Springs, Ark., and shortly thereafter returned to his Louisville home. He has no timetable, but is optimistic for a return.

“I am just taking it as it comes,” Hill said. “I don't want to push myself now and maybe get worse later on. I am going to let my body and my doctors tell me when I am ready.”

Except for issues with his left hand, Hill said he is in great shape for looking after the three children he has with wife Shelbi, daughter of trainer Wayne Catalano. The youngest two — at ages 18 months and nearly three — have the usual age-related requirements, while their 7-year-old son gave him a surprise assignment he could not foresee. In addition to his role as a dad, Hill took on the job of educator when schools closed due to the pandemic. Like so many youngsters who were required to stay home and learn virtually, Waylon did not adapt well.

“I became his teacher,” Hill said.

Fortunately, that task concluded when schools reopened this spring after nearly a year. The Hill clan will summer in the Chicago area this summer while Shelbi works for Arlington Park in what is expected to be the track's final season.

“I will stay home with the kids and try to get better and healthier and see where the year takes me,” he said. “I feel really good. I have been doing some exercising on my own. I really can't use my left hand but the rest of me feels really good.”

Like father, like son

In some ways, Hill's lifestyle mimics his own upbringing in which he was closely connected to his father, Allan Hill, a Nebraska exercise rider and jockey.

When he was about 12, he began traveling the racing circuit with his father, who won 667 races from 8,520 mounts. The experience included working at odds jobs in the jockeys' quarters that inspired his interest in following his father's career. He had no personal knowledge of horses until he took lessons on ponies at the farm of a family friend. A natural talent, he quickly graduated to Thoroughbreds.

As soon as he turned 16, Hill obtained his jockey's license and rode his first three races at the track in Columbus, Neb., in 2003. By 2004, after competing at Columbus, Lincoln Park, and Prairie Meadows, he shifted his base to Aqueduct. He was a logical choice for the Eclipse Award when he closed 2005 with 135 wins and $5 million in purses. With slightly better statistics, the honor went to Emma-Jayne Wilson, who sat near Hill, his father and friends at the awards ceremony at the legendary Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

“The one thing that struck me as the biggest that night was Emma-Jayne,” he said. “She and her agent were the nicest, most gracious winners I have ever seen. They were so classy. That made me cheer for her even more.”

As Hill proceeds to his return to racing riding, his record stands at 1,204 victories and $51,355,057 in earnings from 10,987 mounts. His triumphs include the Grade 1 Forego Handicap in 2008 for Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel and owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms on First Defence. Other achievements include several graded scores aboard Catalano-trained Farrell and finishing third in the 2017 Preakness Stakes aboard Senior Investment.

As Hill looks forward to adding to his stats, he is capitalizing on his extended holiday.

“I am happy that I am able to be home and take this as an opportunity to be with my family,” he said. “This is the only way a jockey can get a long vacation. I am maximizing my time with my kids for however much time I have off.”

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Lost And Found Presented By LubriSYNHA: Twilight Eclipse Remains Part Of West Point Family

There's an old saying that the best way to become a millionaire in the Thoroughbred industry is to start with $2 million. A corollary could be that a horse can sell for $1 million and earn a few thousand or, in rare cases, sell for a few thousand and earn a million. Twilight Eclipse exemplifies the latter in the extreme.

As a newly-turned yearling at the 2010 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages, Twilight Eclipse was sold to trainer John Langemeier on a $1,000 bid. As superior horses often do, Twilight Eclipse won his career debut on June 2, 2012 at Indiana Grand. He returned to Indiana Grand 17 days later and won again. And as often happens, his performances came to the attention of those seeking a potential star. Langemeier capitalized on the opportunity and sold him to West Point Thoroughbreds.

In his fourth start in the black and gold silks, Twilight Eclipse became a graded stakes winner by capturing the W.L. McKnight Handicap at Calder Race Course in late 2012. He concluded his remarkable run for West Point and trainer Tom Albertrani as an 8-year-old in 2017 with a $2,103,953 bankroll and lifetime record of 40-8-5-11. Highlights include his Grade 1 triumph in the Man o'War Stakes at Belmont Park in 2015 and four appearances in the Breeders' Cup Turf topped by his third-place effort in 2014 at Santa Anita. With the exception of seven races, Twilight Eclipse competed only in the graded ranks throughout his career.

With his glory days behind him, Twilight Eclipse is enjoying full retirement with his 16-year-old next-paddock neighbor Seminary Ridge at Erin and Daniel Birkenhauer's farm near Bowling Green, Ky. As the daughter of West Point President Terry Finley and his wife Debbie (West Point Chief Administrative Officer), Erin is quite familiar with Twilight Eclipse.

“I vividly remember a hot, muggy day in the summer of 2012 when my husband and I saw him for the first time at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington,” she said. “We saw him on the shank and my dad called when we were on the way home and asked what we thought. I said, 'He's a plain brown wrapper, but there's something about him.' The fact that my husband and I were the first members of the West Point family to lay eyes on him was very special, and we often reminisce about that day.”

Birkenhauer has zeroed in on the quality that is easy to recognize but impossible to explain in superior horses. She also noticed that his movement made him a prime candidate for other endeavors.

“I watched Twilight Eclipse train and always loved his big, floaty trot,” she said. “With him having such a long and successful career, I had myself convinced he was just going to race forever. But a few weeks after his final race in May of 2017, the partners graciously agreed to allow us to provide their champ with a great home.”

Twilight Eclipse wins the Man o' War Stakes in 2015

Birkenhauer began reschooling him on their property and then transferred him to a boarding facility to fine-tune him for jumping and the precision movements of dressage collectively known as eventing. In late July that year, he strutted his stuff at a show. By September he was at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington where he won the “most money earned” and “war horse in hand” divisions at the New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Show. He also made a stop in Pennsylvania, where Erin guided him in the Real Rider Cup that highlights celebrity riders and well-known mounts to promote second careers for racehorses.

When the Birkenhauers decided to start a family, Erin stopped riding regularly and briefly considered allowing someone else to continue with Twilight Eclipse's progress.

“It weighed heavily on me how he'd react to not having a job,” said Birkenhauer, West Point's racing manager and communications director. “We brought him back home and turned him out alongside Seminary Ridge and he settled right in. I haven't ridden him in a couple of years, but the last time I did, he was convinced we were in the post parade for the Breeders' Cup!”

After six years of the energized atmosphere of the track, Twilight Eclipse has fully adjusted to a life of leisure and requires little attention.

“He doesn't like being groomed at all and we've nicknamed him Hangry because of his antics at feed time,” she said. “He also is not one of those horses who is lovey-dovey and in your lap, but he is very sweet and gentle with kids, which makes me very happy.”

Twilight Eclipse relaxes at home. Photo courtesy Erin Birkenhauer

That affection for youngsters is special to the Birkenhauers, who a have a nearly 2-year-old son and a second child due in April.

“Sometimes I feel a ping of guilt that he's not out there galloping and jumping around big cross-country tracks, but those feelings quickly subside when I look out my kitchen window and see the 'two ole geldings' fat and happy as clams,” she said.

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Lost And Found Presented By LubriSynHA: Durkin ‘Blown Away’ By Fan Admiration In Retirement

Racehorses have long been focal points for Tom Durkin. Since retiring from his 43 years as a track announcer, Durkin keeps those passions in the forefront but in different locations.

Most of the time Durkin resides in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., but escapes for part of the winter to the somewhat milder climate of Pinehurst, N.C., a village in a parallel universe to his year-round residence. The similarities include exceptional golf courses, historic racehorse facilities and scenic surroundings. The Pinehurst venue, which specializes in Standardbreds, was part of the attraction for Durkin.

“I used to spend my winters in Tuscany from around 2000 to 2010,” Durkin said. “Then I started going to Naples, Fla., but it got too crowded. My sister is in Pinehurst and I have friends there.”

His buddies include a few of his Standardbreds and their people, who he visits during training hours. An avid harness racing fan, Durkin enjoyed great success as co-breeder and co-owner of Coraggioso, a 21-time winner who banked nearly $700,000 and has become a productive sire.

Durkin's holdings extend to Thoroughbreds. As an equity partner in West Point Thoroughbreds since retiring in 2015, Durkin had a “minuscule” interest in Always Dreaming that paid dividends by giving Durkin access to the Kentucky Derby winner's circle. His role in West Point's business development and partner relations is just one of the many activities that keep him closely connected to the Thoroughbred world. Another is his role as a tour guide at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame during the racing season.

“I love it,” he said. “I am a horse racing nut and a bit of a history nut. When I first retired, I thought I would go back to Florence, Italy and be a tour guide. When I lived there, I would see these guides going around and I would stand behind the group and soak up what they were saying. So, I know as much about Florence and Renaissance art as any tour guide. I am a performer at heart. That is basically my nature — to get in front of people and talk to them. It might be about a painting, the history of Seabiscuit or the cultural history of racing in America via the outlet I have at the museum.”

Another outlet for Durkin's affinity for entertaining is acting. His voice-overs include a canine in “All Dogs Go to Heaven” and race callers in other movies. While a theater major at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin, he appeared in school productions. He has not done a play since 2015, when he was both Mr. Macy and the drunken Santa Claus in “Miracle on 34^th Street” at the Spa Little Theater on the grounds of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

“I have been looking for parts,” he said. “I prefer comedy. If anybody has a part for me in the area, I'll do it. The part has to be for a guy who is 70 and has a certain look.”

That certain look is easily recognizable during the Saratoga racing season.

“I will be walking down the street and someone I have never met says hello or has something nice to say,” he said.

His fans are particularly engaging at the museum.

“When I retired, I did not expect what I got in terms of affection,” he said “It blew me away. I had no idea that was coming. Racing fans are passionate about the sport. And the depth of that passion and how many people love it is something that I did not quite realize. I've had people recite some of my race calls verbatim. A lot of them I have no recollection of whatsoever. It might be because they cashed a trifecta or exacta or longshot—I get a lot of those.”

Durkin is mindful of his unexpected celebrity status.

“I am a much better-behaved person in Saratoga than I am elsewhere,” he said. “If someone cuts me off in traffic in Manhattan, I'll give them the finger right there. In Saratoga, I just smile back. I don't want someone saying that I gave them the finger—this is a small town and word travels fast which makes me a socially better person.”

Durkin's popularity and professionalism might best be summarized by his many prestigious honors most notably the 2014 Eclipse Award of Merit for lifetime achievement.

“I was happy for what I was able to do and for as long as I did it at that level,” he said. “No one has been more fortunate than I have in many respects. In my next life, I want to come back as me.”

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Lost And Found Presented By LubriSynHA: In New Role Of Agent, Douglas Keeps A Positive Outlook

Optimism and dedication served Rene Douglas well during his career as a jockey, in which he rode more than 3,500 winners. Now he is capitalizing on that same mindset since turning his attention to being a jockey agent last year.

“It is kind of like what I used to do when I was riding races,” he said. “I was always hustling and trying to get named on the horses I wanted to ride. It is very similar except that now, I don't ride them.”

The recipient of Douglas's effort is Angel Arroyo, who ranked seventh in the win and earnings categories at the Gulfstream Park West meeting despite missing the final days because of a minor injury. He returned to action on Dec. 13, a week after the start of Gulfstream Park's premiere winter season that attracts some of the nation's top jockeys.

“He lost the momentum he had going into the big meet and lost some of the business he had,” Douglas said. “We had to start over, little by little. Things will pick up again because he is a good rider.”

Douglas is up early each morning to begin his work at home and spends much of his time contacting trainers for future mounts, a task that requires in-depth knowledge of upcoming races that suit specific horses. He gathers such information on a daily basis by watching racing on television and studying results.

“I like to watch every race,” he said. “I can pick up things that make me think I can get Angel to ride those horses.”

Rene Douglas enjoys the ceremony following Coltimus Prime's victory in the 2017 Clasico Presidente de la Republica

On entry days, he joins fellow agents and racing office staff on Zoom for post-position draws and finalizing mount assignments.

When not engaged in those tasks, Douglas is content to be in the comfy confines of home with his wife Natalia, their sons Christian and Giancarlo, who are in their early 20s, and Douglas's older son Michael.

Douglas's current vocation follows a previous endeavor of forming racing partnerships with dear colleagues. Under their Good Friends Stable banner, the group enjoyed particular success with Grade 1 winner Private Zone and Prince of Wales Stakes winner Golden Moka. Douglas specialized in importing and exporting runners between his native Panama and North America such as Panamanian G1 winner Coltimus Prime and the aforementioned Private Zone. While he said he is always on the lookout for potential horses, he prefers to stay focused on improving Arroyo's resume.

The need to reinvent himself came after an abrupt end to his two decades as a jockey in 2009 when his mount fell on him during a race at Arlington Park. The accident left Douglas without the use of his legs.

“Things happen in life that you never expect, but life continues; what are you going to do?” he said. “I just have to do the best I can as a person and a husband and move forward.”

He credits his “amazing” wife and his loyal friends for their support in helping him overcome severe depression while adjusting to a new way of living. Their dedication and commitment mean more to Douglas than his accomplishments in the saddle, including topping leader boards at Arlington Park and other tracks and winning such high-profile races as the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Dreaming of Anna.

When asked about his favorite memories from his prime, Douglas takes a long pause before casually mentioning that he won the 1996 Belmont Stakes on Editor's Note for D. Wayne Lukas.

“When I first moved to Chicago, there was something about that place that made me a happy person—the people and the racing,” he said. “Arlington was a special racetrack for me.”

Those experiences were so special that Douglas and Natalia continue to spend summers there while living in South Florida the rest of the year.

Despite major and minor setbacks, Douglas looks on the bright side while facing the challenges.

“I have always been very positive in life,” he said. “That is why I think I won a lot of races. I encourage others to do the same thing.”

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