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Lost And Found Presented By LubriSynHA: Pickleball Replaces Ponies For Former Jockey Lively

Nearly three decades after riding in his final race, John Lively is still competitive, still athletic and still enjoying camaraderie. Instead of the racetrack, he and his wife Pat have found those same elements in playing pickleball, a hybrid of tennis, table tennis, and badminton.

“We play two, three, sometimes four hours a day,” he said. “We feel that it is good for our health to stay active and fit. It is fun and we enjoy meeting other people. It is very big in Florida and Arizona where we used to spend the winters and it is getting bigger all the time.”

The Livelys, married since 1961, now reside in Hot Springs, Ark., where their daughter, Patrice, works for the Arkansas Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. Their son David has made a career as an assistant to nationally ranked trainers.

Lively's resume has 3,468 victories, including the 1976 Preakness Stakes aboard Elocutionist, who he guided to a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. His trophy collection includes the 1990 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award that “honors riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.”

“At the time and still today it means an awful lot simply because I was elected by my fellow riders who I was competing against day in and day out,” he said. “It is meaningful that they chose me as a good role model even away from the racetrack.”

A regular at Oaklawn Park in winter, Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha in summer and other tracks such as Louisiana Downs, Keeneland and Churchill Downs in between, Lively pocketed many riding titles while keeping steady statistics throughout his career. Recognizing that his opportunities were starting to dwindle, he strategically retired with no regrets.

“If I had still been winning two or three races a day, I would not have been ready but I was ready for something different,” he said.

That something different was far removed from Thoroughbred racing.

“We are both from northeast Oklahoma and we went back there and went into the cattle raising business,” he said. “Then an opportunity came along for a poultry raising operation. We did that for about three years along with the cattle. Then we got out of that and retired completely.”

They sold their house and traveled the country in their motor home for 10 years of summer sightseeing and winter sojourns in Arizona or Florida. While in Arizona in 2014, Lively developed health issues that affected his balance. The condition eventually was brought under control with medication and physical therapy but concern about relapses inspired them to cease traveling and move to Rogers, Ark. In 2019 they settled in Hot Springs, where Lively will occasionally go to the Oaklawn Park races to see old friends. He also gets that opportunity in various celebrations such as the inductions of former jockeys Tim Doocy and Ken Shino into the Nebraska Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame earlier this year. (Lively was inducted in 1979.)

A few win pictures decorate their home, most notably his scores on Bold Ego in the 1981 Arkansas Derby, Lets Dont Fight in the 1981 Arlington-Washington Futurity and Billy Jane in the 1980 Apple Blossom Handicap. Other winner's circle photos are kept out of sight but within easy reach to bring back memories of the workaday Thoroughbreds and people that blended to make traveling racetrackers a community. He especially notes the fraternity amongst the jockeys.

“Each and every one of us knows what we all went through to pursue this and be successful,” he said. “You know how tough it is for yourself, so it forms a bond knowing we all struggled to get there. And we spent so much time together. We were around each other in the mornings getting on horses and then in the jocks' room all afternoon every day. Some of us were around each other more than we were our own families.”

Family played a key behind-the-scenes role in Lively's success and life in general thanks to pickleball partner.

“Pat has kept me grounded and been a wonderful support even before I became a jockey,” he said. “It took me a long time to break in as a jockey. I rode in match races at (informal) 'bush' tracks but it was years before I got started at a pari-mutuel track. And she was wonderful about raising our kids more or less by herself while I was away riding and she would join me when the kids were out of school. Pat was very supportive the whole time — whatever I wanted to do, whatever ever I wanted to try, she was there.”

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Lost And Found Presented By LubriSynHA: Wise Dan And Lo Presti Still Best Friends, Homebodies After The Track

Hall of Famer Wise Dan and his trainer Charlie LoPresti always have been homebodies. Now they can enjoy more of that hominess together in Lexington, Ky., at Forest Lane Farm, which is owned and operated by LoPresti and his wife Amy.

During his stellar career, Wise Dan wintered at Forest Lane which has become his permanent residence. The 13-year-old Wiseman's Ferry gelding closed his career in 2014 with a $7.6-million bankroll and 23-2-0 record in 31 starts. His 11 Grade 1 victories include the Breeders' Cup Mile in 2012 and 2013, the same seasons he earned Eclipse Awards as Horse of the Year, champion older horse and champion grass horse for a total of six trophies. He was named to the Hall of Fame this year.

Admirers have not forgotten Wise Dan and routinely send cards, holiday greetings and treats. Although he has made guest appearances at Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Park, Wise Dan has not left the property since starring in a fundraiser at Old Friends Equine in nearby Georgetown last year. LoPresti is reluctant to take Wise Dan out of his familiar surroundings but welcomes visitors by appointment, including the gelding's former jockeys and their families.

“He has people who want to see him and if we can accommodate them, we will,” LoPresti said. “John Velazquez has been out numerous times and Jose Lezcano came to see him when he was in town for the Breeders' Cup. I even legged him up so he could sit on him in the stall.”

When not mingling with guests, Wise Dan does a whole lot of nothing in his natural yet pampered lifestyle. He spends most of his time in a spacious paddock with his G2-winning half brother Successful Dan, a 14-year-old Successful Appeal gelding who banked just shy of $1 million while winning eight of 15 starts. The sons of the winning Wolf Power mare Lisa Danielle were bred and raced by Morton Fink, who passed away in 2019 at age 89.

The siblings are brought into the barn each morning for breakfast and grooming. Then they “just hang out” in their stalls until being turned back out in mid-afternoon after an early dinner. This is their routine unless extreme weather such as an ice storm keeps them stabled.

“They like to be outside,” LoPresti said. “Cold weather doesn't bother them. They grow a good winter coats. The more time horses are outside, the better off they are.”

LoPresti said he offered them blankets but they were intent on pulling them off each other.

Describing himself as semi-retired, LoPresti will be spending more time with “the Dans” this winter while he concentrates on breaking yearlings instead of commuting to Keeneland where he trained racehorses year-round for the past two decades.

“I enjoy the young horses and taking care of the farm,” he said. “And there is much less pressure.”

A photo of Wise Dan winning the Firecracker H. won the 2013 Eclipse Award for Photography. Photo was taken by Jamie Radosevich-Hernandez

Looking back

Wise Dan was a fan favorite for countless reasons including his somewhat humble beginnings, longevity at the highest level, the loyalty between LoPresti and Fink and their horse of a lifetime, and Wise Dan's remarkable comeback.

Fink owned and bred Thoroughbreds for more than half his life with considerable success before Wise Dan and his elder brother came to him through sentimentality and incredible good fortune. As Fink downsized his Thoroughbred holdings, he was unwilling to part with just one of his horses because she was named for his granddaughter. So he kept the somewhat ordinary mare and bred her to Kentucky stallions with moderate breeding fees.

The results have been astounding. In addition to Wise Dan and Successful Dan, Lisa Danielle has produced six runners that earned nearly $200,000 each at the track including stakes winner Our Royal Dancer and G2-placed Enchanting Lisa.

As a racer, Wise Dan was particularly popular at Keeneland, where he is the only horse to win seven stakes races. His status as a local hero was maximized because he was a year-round Lexington residence. Except for trips for stakes engagements, Wise Dan was housed at Keeneland or Forest Lane. When he took his show on the road, he made the locals proud with triumphs at Santa Anita in two Breeders' Cups and at Woodbine in two renewals of the Woodbine Mile.

Of all his accomplishments and fond memories, the one LoPresti thinks of first when looking back on Wise Dan's career was his score in Saratoga's Bernard Baruch Handicap in the summer of 2014. Just three months earlier, Wise Dan underwent emergency colic surgery. His recovery is testament to his greatness.

“I had a lump in my throat because horses usually don't come back to that level the way he did,” LoPresti said. “I was very fortunate. I was just a little trainer with 15 or 20 horses. I never thought that doing things the way I did — not traveling, not having multiple divisions, turning horses out for winter — that I would ever have a horse like Wise Dan. It was just amazing.”

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Lost And Found Presented By LubriSynHA: Cooksey, By Any Name, Is A Racetracker

A name change was a game change for Patricia J. Cooksey. Women were still a bit of a novelty when she launched her jockey career in 1979 so at the suggestion of an associate, she was listed by her initials in the track program to imply she was a man. The rebranding was brilliant and trainers increasingly requested P.J. for their entrants.

Cooksey delights in telling stories about trainers' reactions to meeting her in the saddling paddock. One exclaimed, “Oh my god, you're a girl!” to which she replied something to the effect of, “Yes, I have been all my life.”

Another felt awkward giving her a leg up.

When she closed her career in 2004, she had accumulated 2,137 triumphs primarily on the Kentucky-Ohio-West Virginia circuit and briefly ranked as the top female rider before being overtaken by Julie Krone who holds the title with 3,704 wins.

Those who know her best still call her P.J. or Patti. Professionally she is listed as Patricia “PJ” Cooksey in her role as the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's Assistant Director of the Kentucky Breeders' Inventive Fund. She went to work for the organization three months after becoming restless in retirement. In her current role, she visits farms to ensure that resident broodmares are indeed living in Kentucky so their resulting foals can be registered for bonus state-bred money. She also is called upon to serve as a racing steward and Standardbred judge several times a year including a recent gig for Standardbred racing at county fairs.

“I have the best job in state government,” she said. “But I have never stopped missing race riding.”

Her most memorable moments include winning the 1983 Hollywood Prevue Stakes in Southern California on Kentucky-based So Vague in part because of the congratulatory hugs from idols Bill Shoemaker, Chris McCarron and other members of the extraordinary jockey colony. The following year So Vague became her only Kentucky Derby (G1) mount. In 1985 she became the first woman to ride in the Preakness Stakes (G1) when she piloted Tajawa. She notes that she has bragging rights that she “rode a Kentucky Derby winner” because she guided eventual Derby hero Monarchos in his career debut.

Cooksey at Turfway Park after her 1,203rd win

“The only reason I retired was because of the rod in my leg from my broken femur that was causing a lot of pain when I rode,” Cooksey said. “If I had known I could have gotten the rod removed, I might still be riding. I miss the camaraderie of my fellow riders. We were over-the-top competitive on the racetrack but family back at the jockeys' quarters. We used to have softball teams in the summer and bowling teams during the winter. Everyone would get together after the races for cookouts and drink beer and have a lot of fun back in the early days.”

The native of Youngstown, Ohio occasionally returns to the saddle. She has participated in the team penning fundraiser at the Kentucky Horse Park in which three riders separate designated steers from a small herd and she takes an annual extended trail ride in the Ozark Mountains with girlfriends that include ex-jockeys. She stays connected to other past colleagues in her work with Horses and Hope, an initiative that seeks to increase breast cancer awareness among Kentucky's horse industry.

In reinventing herself when her career concluded, Cooksey served as a racing commentator for Louisville television stations and ESPN on major race days with assignments that included reporting on horseback.

“It takes a lot of work and many hours to prepare for a show and although I thoroughly enjoyed working as a commentator, it just wasn't something I had a real passion for,” she said.

Of all her endeavors and accomplishments, Cooksey is most appreciative of her daughter with former husband John Neal, a longtime track-employed outrider. Despite her heritage, Chelsea Neal found her stride far from the equine world. With a degree in international relations, Chelsea has taught English in Spain, has been instrumental in establishing child-care facilities in Africa and currently works for God's Pantry.

Cooksey pitches in during a therapeutic riding session

“Chelsea was a very good rider and we did a lot of horse shows with her when she was younger, but I guess growing up as a racetrack kid she had enough of horses,” Cooksey said. “I am so proud of her servant's heart to always be striving to help others.”

Although her child found fulfillment elsewhere, Cooksey notes there are vast opportunities for employment in the Thoroughbred industry.

“My advice would be to start working at a farm and learn on the ground, 'in the trenches,'” she said. “There are many satisfying jobs available but it does take hard work, commitment and passion. It's definitely not for lazy people.”

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Lost And Found Presented By LubriSynHA: First Pharoah Didn’t Rule The Track, But He’s On To Something New

The eponymously-named First Pharoah has a distinction shared by no other Thoroughbred. As the first offspring of Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, the colt made headlines soon after he was born on Jan. 3, 2017. Three years later, First Pharoah has displayed more of a likeness to his dam rather than favoring his sire, who quickly proved himself as a source of quality runners.

First Pharoah showed little promise in training, so late last year owner/breeder Oussama Aboughazale (of International Equities Holdings and Sumaya U.S. Stable) sent him to Brooke Schafer and Tay Wienold to redirect his talent. The Lexington-based business partners are experienced in schooling off-track Thoroughbreds in general and members of the First Pharoah clan in particular. The women were first introduced to the family when a friend recommended them for First Pharoah's dam Kakadu. A well-beaten ninth as a 2-year-old in her only start, Kakadu retired to the broodmare ranks but she experienced reproductive problems and never produced another foal. With Schafer handling the ground work and flat work and Wienold doing the jumping, Kakadu made a seamless transition to show horse. Now seven, Kakadu's specialty is eventing, combining refined movements of dressage with jumping in open fields and arenas.

Aboughazale was so impressed with the refashioned Kakadu that he channeled First Pharoah and Kakadu's half-brother Lock Keeper (by Quality Road) to them. Schafer and Wienold transformed Lock Keeper's laid-back personality and athleticism into a willing pleasure mount and sold him to an amateur rider who enjoys dressage with him. As a racehorse, he was unplaced in two starts as a 3-year-old in 2019.

First Pharoah's evolution has been slower than his relatives because of his physique. He is built like his dam with a stout body reminiscent of larger breeds so he was given plenty of downtime to develop into his frame.

“We ride him lightly just to keep him reminded about his job and to slowly mold him into the sport horse we know he is capable of becoming,” Schafer said. “Tay rode him first and he rode beautifully. She said he is one of the most comfortable horses she has ever sat on. She looked at me grinning during the first ride and said 'I could sit this trot all day.' ”

First Pharoah, pictured in late August

During this growing phase, First Pharoah mostly has been doing a whole lot of nothing while socializing with pasture mates and human friends.

“He is like a playful teenager who enjoys challenging his buddies to a game of tag when he's feeling frisky,” Schafer said. “He loves his horse companions dearly and gets very attached to every horse we put with him. He lives outside 24/7 in a field with a large run-in shed but loves to come in on hot days and take a nap in his stall. He gets checked daily and gets lots of treats from the neighbors.”

Schafer and Wienold balance their sport horse business and recreational riding with full-time jobs. Schafer is a speech pathologist in a Central Kentucky public school system and supplements her income by selling her customized painted drinking glasses and other equine-centric artwork. Wienold is an accountant who moonlights with a monogramming service. In their OTTB endeavors, they have established a reputation for transforming their projects into reliable mounts for other activities and placing them with suitable owners. Both strive for the perfect match and offer advice for those obtaining an OTTB with fundamental retraining.

“Take your time and start with the basics,” Schafer said. “Most Thoroughbreds are started in professional programs and know how to tie, lunge, get bathed, stand to be mounted, etc. But just because they do, don't assume they know how to do that in a new environment. Take the time to get to know the horse before you give them too many new pieces of information.

Behind the ears of First Pharoah

“Horses love routine and the more you can work with them on a daily basis, the better. I like to learn about my horses by working with them on the ground before we ride them. I like to know their personalities and what they are comfortable with. By knowing this, I feel like it gives Tay and I a better expectation of what we may encounter under saddle.”

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