The Raines Award, currently in its 28th year, is presented annually just prior to Monmouth Park's season opener. The track's 78th season of live racing gets underway on Saturday, May 13.

“It's a tremendous honor to receive this award because of what it means to thoroughbred racing in New Jersey,” said McBurney. “It's an impressive list of past recipients so it's a great honor to join them.”

McBurney, who spent the first half of his career as an assistant to the late John Forbes (the 2006 Raines Award winner), went out on his own full-time as a trainer in 2007. He saddled his first winner on May 13, 2007 when Cable Boy won at Monmouth Park.

“Pat's tireless efforts on behalf of New Jersey horsemen and racing in general in the state, and his success as a trainer, make him a worthy recipient of this year's Buddy Raines Award,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, the operators of Monmouth Park. “It's a fitting honor for someone who has done so much to promote thoroughbred racing in New Jersey.”

McBurney has won 333 races overall, with the versatile Golden Brown and Just Call Kenny– both Grade III winners–being his top runners.

McBurney, who resides in Fair Haven, New Jersey, will have nearly three dozen horses stabled at Monmouth Park this summer in anticipation of the 51-day meet.

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In the $60,000 added Illini Princess, 2019 race champ Bramble Queen made her return for trainer Mike Dini and was sent away as the 8-5 favorite. Leaving the gate quickly was talented three-year-old filly Katie M'Lady as jockey Julio Felix was able to clear the lead from the outside and carve out the early fractions. Chased by Cat Attack and Northern Alliance through quick fractions of :23.51 and :47.41, Katie M' Lady led the field into the final turn as favorite Bramble Queen and jockey Jareth Loveberry began to pick off horses. At the top of the stretch, Katie M'Lady held a three-length advantage while Bramble Queen had move into second. In the stretch, Katie M'Lady battled but Bramble Queen was too good, running by late to win by a length in 1:42.70. Katie M'Lady was a clear second while 21-1 longshot Embarrassing rallied to finish third.

Owned by Ballybrit Stable, LLC, Bramble Queen returned $5.40, $3.40 and $2.80. Katie M'Lady came back $5.00 and $4.20. Embarrassing returned $10.80 to show.

Following the race, jockey Jareth Loveberry was asked about his trip aboard Bramble Queen: “The race set up really well for her. I got to know her when I rode her a couple of times at Arlington Park. The filly, Katie M'Lady got away to a comfortable lead. I just tried to have as much horse left at the end and she did. The course seemed to be playing even, maybe even a little 'Good,' but I just tried to ride the horse, not the course. This was a good field, the 3-year-olds are getting better and better. This mare had a bunch of heart and just dug it out.”

Two races later, on the Saturday card, the 52nd running of the $100,000 Hawthorne Derby, presented by BetMakers, returned to the Hawthorne turf. With the scratch of morning-line favorite Last Samurai, the field of six saw Royal Prince, from the barn of Brad Cox, sent away as the 2-1 favorite. After the break in the 1 1/8 miles event, there was very little early pace as Temper Tantrum and Royal Prince guided the compact field through an opening quarter in :24.80 and a half in :50.32. With only three lengths separating the field from front to back on the run into the final turn, Modus Operandi and Grey Streak joined the due to challenge through three quarters in 1:14.41. Biding his time in the turn was Mohs and jockey Jareth Loveberry as the field turned for home. In the lane, Temper Tantrum grabbed a brief lead as Mohs split horses and raced into contention while Grey Streak battled on. At the wire, Mohs emerged three-quarters of a length ahead of Grey Streak for the victory while Temper Tantrum held third. Mohs covered the 1 1/8 miles on the firm turf course in 1:50.32.

Owned by ABL Stable, Dominic Bossone, Petter Donnelly and William Oberdorff and trained by Patrick McBurney, Mohs paid $6.20, $4.60 and $3.20. Grey Streak returned $5.40 and $3.40 while Temper Tantrum paid $3.60 to show.

With his second stakes win on the day, jockey Jareth Loveberry commented on Mohs victory: “I thought that there would be a lot more pace but nobody went. My horse settled nicely and we found a good trip and were fortunate to find a hold. I knew we needed to start picking things up because they were going so slow in front so I kind of just judged the horses in front of me and when they started picking things up, so did we. I was hoping we were going to find a hole and fortunately we did.”

On Sunday afternoon the rains began to fall at Hawthorne, washing The Pizza Man stakes off the grass to be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the sloppy Hawthorne main track. The original field of 11 scratched down to six as Hawthorne dirt specialist Readthecliffnotes was sent away as the 7-5 favorite for trainer Michele Boyce. Getting away well in the sloppy going for jockey Edgar Perez, Readthecliffnotes made the lead through an opening quarter in :24.91 as longshot Iwillpersevere chased in second. Down the backstretch, Richiesgotgame ranged up to challenge through a half in :49.88. After three quarters in 1:14.09, it appeared Richiesgotgame was going to give jockey Jareth Loveberry a weekend stakes sweep as he put a head in front. In the lane, Readthecliffnotes dug in gamely and fought back, drawing clear by three-quarters of a length at the wire. Richiesgotgame was a clear second while Iwillpersevere held third. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles on the dirt was 1:45.23.

Readthecliffnotes returned $4.80, $3.00 and $2.20 for owners Cherrywood Racing Stables, II, Terry Biondo and Laura Donohoe. Richiesgotgame returned $3.20 and $2.80 while Iwillpersevere paid $5.40 to show.

Hawthorne Race Course, Chicago's Hometown Track, races three meets in 2021. The spring thoroughbred meet concluded on April 25. The summer Suburban Downs at Hawthorne harness meet began Friday, May 7 and concluded on September 26. The fall thoroughbred meet opened October 8 and races through December 27. First post daily in October and November is 3:10 PM. In December, first post moves to 12:55 PM. For any information about Hawthorne Race Course visit the website www.HawthorneRaceCourse.com.

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The 6-year-old gelding notched his sixth state-bred stakes victory and the 10th overall win of his career by surging to a one-length victory over Like What I See in Sunday's $85,000 Joey P. Handicap at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

The victory was one of six winners on the 12-race card for jockey Paco Lopez.

Though he had never raced at the five-furlong distance in his previous 30 career starts, while also being absent from the turf since Nov. 9, 2019, Golden Brown overcame both variables to outclass eight other Jersey-breds, clocking home in :56.55 over a firm turf course.

“Year after year, he just shows up here,” said winning trainer Pat McBurney. “He's getting up there in age but :56.2 today was really impressive, I thought. He seems to be as good as he has ever been.”

A Grade 3 winner in 2018 (the Kent Stakes at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del.), the son of Offlee Wild boosted his career earnings to $744,620 with his latest victory. It was also his second state-bred stakes victory of the meet.

“I was worried about him being back on the turf and trying this short but he is a very good sprinter,” said Lopez. “He is one of those horses who can do anything. I wanted to make sure he was in a good position so maybe I rode him a little more aggressively early because of this race being short.

“Every time you ask him he gives you something. I love this horse. Long, short, dirt, turf … he can handle anything.”

Lopez has an insurmountable lead as he closes in on his eighth riding title at Monmouth Park entering the final weekend of racing starting Friday. His 100 winners are almost double the total of runner-up Isaac Castillo (53).

For Golden Brown, meanwhile, it marked the first time in his lengthy career that he has tried something shorter than 5½ furlongs. His racing debut in 2017 was at 4½ furlongs. He has won short, long, in the slop, on the dirt, and on the turf.

“I would have preferred 5½ furlongs over five but he has been sprinting so well this year we needed to take a shot,” said McBurney. “I literally said to the owners as the horses were going into the gate that I did not realize it had been so long that he has been on the turf. The one long turf race he would normally run in (the Dan Horn) was canceled this year so we didn't have that to run in and just with him having been a little sick and playing catch up with him I decided to keep him short and in Jersey-bred company. We can't pass that up.”

Owned by ABL Stable, Dominic Bossone, Peter Donnelly, and Natalie Schnoor, Golden Brown was mid-pack in the early stages as I Like What I See blazed early fractions of :22 flat for the opening quarter and :44.96 for the half. Lopez angled Golden Brown outside coming out of the final turn, going three-wide, and he was able to wear down I Like What I See late. It was another four lengths back to the McBurney-trained Lucky Jaime in third.

Golden Brown paid $4.80 to win.

The final weekend of racing for the 55-day Monmouth Park week starts with a nine-race card on Friday. First race post time Friday, Saturday, and closing day on Sunday is 12:15.

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They did again on Sunday, when Golden Brown showed good early speed to work his way into contention and then flashed his strong closing kick as he added to his impressive career credentials with a 2¾-length victory in the $75,000 John J. Reilly Handicap for state-breds.

Though trainer Pat McBurney remains unconvinced that six furlongs is the best distance for the son of Offlee Wild, it was hard to make that case after he covered the six furlongs in 1:09.

Jockey Paco Lopez hustled Golden Brown out to a stalking third-place position early behind speedster Optic Way and Prendimi and moved to pass Prendimi midway through the backstretch. Through a :44.72 first half, Golden Brown then set his sights on Optic Way, collaring the frontrunner in mid-turn and then pulling away as he came out of the turn into the stretch. Optic Way held on for second, 1½ lengths ahead of Prendimi.

“He was very good today,” said Lopez. “He broke well this time. But he always runs good, always has heart. (His) last race in Delaware he wasn't comfortable with the track. But we know he likes Monmouth Park. I had a feeling he would be good today.

“I was able to break third and keep the other two close and when I asked him he gave me everything he had. As he gets older I think he can handle the shorter distances. I just had to get him in position after he broke so well. He knows what to do.”

McBurney missed the race because he was saddling Sweet Sami D in the Caesar's Wish Stakes at Pimlico (she finished third), and what he missed was this: Golden Brown's fifth stakes win at Monmouth Park. In 16 career starts at Monmouth, Golden Brown has six wins, five seconds, and a third.

Overall, he sports a record of 9-6-4 from 29 starts in a career that has seen him win going long, short, in the slop, on the grass, and on fast tracks. He has a 3-1-1 record in five career sprints as well.

“I did not get to see the race. I was putting a saddle on Sweet Sami D at Pimlico and I looked in my phone and I was getting congratulations so that's how I knew he won,” said McBurney. “I tried to catch the replay and it never came up and then the race down here ran.

“I was surprised he was as close as everyone said he was. When I looked at the speed figures, it looked like we would be in fifth early and have a wide trip, so it's great that he broke so alertly. That's two bang-up sprints he has run this year and I'm still not sure six furlongs is what he likes best.”

Golden Brown, who boosted his career earnings to $673,620, paid $6 to win in the field of seven that was reduced by two scratches.

Owned by ABL, Bossone, Donnelly, and Schnorr, Golden Brown will go next in the Irish War Cry on July 24 on the turf at Monmouth Park, McBurney said. That race is also against state-breds – and one Golden Brown won a year ago.

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“I come out for opening day every year,” said a Monmouth regular. “Rain or shine, I'm here. “It's a decent crowd considering the weather. We usually love to go to the picnic area. You can bring family and friends and enjoy a day of racing. It's just a wonderful place.”

Like all other racing venues across the nation, Monmouth eagerly welcomed the new season following a forgettable 2020 largely shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the excitement to be back, a major topic of discussion Friday was the recently announced restriction on whip use which was met by mixed reactions from local horsemen.

“It's the elephant in the room,” said trainer Kelly Breen, who won the day's feature with Mr. Amore Stable It's A Gamble (English Channel). “It's not what I envisioned in horse racing.”

Breen, who has been coming to the Jersey oval since 1986, believes the new rule was adopted without including the people it affects the most, the horsemen.

“I truly believe it's changing the whole dynamic of a race. After watching the first couple of races here, I still really don't know what to expect. I'm not sure what the jockey can do. The times and pace for the first two races were slow. I believe the use of the crop changes the way a race is run.”

Coming into this season's meeting, Breen was quick to point out a significant positive–purses. However, he admitted the pace at which the rule was enacted caught many unaware.

“We really have to adapt quickly,” he said. “But I'm learning. I'm trying to adapt like everyone else. That's the best we can do.”

Adding his own insight from a rider's perspective, Jose Ferrer appeared saddened by the latest change in whip rules.

“It's a shame,” he said. “I feel we can't really communicate with the horse as well.”

He continued, “Many people are still confused about the whip. They think it's a big piece of metal, and it hurts the animal. It's made out of rubber and it's cushioned inside. It's not like it was back in the day. It's plastic. They don't realize we spend every day and night with these animals. We love them, why would we want to hurt them?”

Ferrer was one of several jockeys who didn't carry a whip at all in any of the races Friday.

“I have been riding with the whip for 37 years, I'm worried I am going to get fired up and give them that wake-up call, like I am used to doing all these years,” he said. “But that wake-up call will cost me a suspension and a fine–$500 and a five-day suspension. The fine is harsh. It's so new for us, so we just have to get used to it. I don't want to risk making a mistake.”

Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone, who serves as an assistant to Phil Antonacci, offered a different perspective to the new whip rule facing her contemporary colleagues.

“It is nice to see the racing at Monmouth go so smooth and safe,” she said. “Jockeys look so focused and strong riding with their beautiful hand rides.”

Local horseman Pat McBurney also offered a slightly different take on the new season and its changes.

“I'm always happy to be back at Monmouth Park, and the lessening of the COVID restrictions should make for a good season,” he said. “The major controversy that everyone is talking about is the new whip rule. Every State has a whip rule, it's just our racing commissioner just happened to come up with the strictest whip rule. Having spoken to many of the jockeys before we even took entries, most of them said they'll give it a try, and if they have a problem, I'm sure the Racing Commission and the horsemen will be willing to sit down and talk about it. The first few races looked good finishing, so we just have to see how it progresses.”

“The morning of entries, I was with Jose Ferrer and a bunch of other jockeys and we spoke to the Stewards,” he continued. “They laid out what would be acceptable. They said they wouldn't just slap a fine on them and would talk to them after a race to see why they used a whip if it comes to that. It looks like everyone is working together to see how this is going to work out.”

And while most were happy to return to the seaside oval following a tough year, one face was noticeably missing from this season's new season at Monmouth.

“John Forbes was such fixture at Monmouth,” McBurney admitted. “Especially for me, I'm used to just picking up the phone and talking to him and bouncing ideas off of him. If I had a problem with a racehorse or with an owner, without having him to talk about it has been a little bit difficult. He's very missed.”

However, despite all the recent changes causing a stir at the moment, the things that brings the fans back season after season remains unchanged.

“I love everything about Monmouth, the architecture, the feel of it,” summed up a Monmouth racegoer. “The feeling you get when you walk in the gates. That sense of excitement is palpable. It's just a great get together.”

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We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our friend, colleague and mentor John Forbes.

Born to a family of horsemen, John was the consummate horseman. He was old-school. He was devoted to the horse, the industry and its people. He was never satisfied with the status quo. He demanded of the industry that which he expected of himself—honesty, integrity, hard work and an unrelenting determination to protect the health, safety and welfare of the horse, the integrity of our sport and the welfare of those who worked on the backstretch. He was a generous, compassionate and decent man. He was beloved and respected by everyone who knew and worked with him.

In 1987, John asked his friend Alan Foreman to help form a new horsemen's organization that would be progressive and strengthen the voice of horsemen in the industry. Rick Violette joined the effort thereafter and the THA was born. But for John, there would not be a THA, and the record of the THA's impact on the industry can easily be measured since that time. There is not an issue involving the health, safety and welfare of the horse and the integrity of our sport that doesn't have John's fingerprints on it. In recognition of his lifetime of service to horsemen, the industry and the THA, we proudly honored him with our President's Award in 2018.

Just as important, John was a giant in New Jersey racing. He loved Monmouth Park and was devoted to its survival and success. He was New Jersey's greatest trainer, and when he retired from training, did what he could to ensure Monmouth's survival, including constructing and operating a world-renowned miniature golf course on the property that hosted 2 US Opens and earned him a spot in the Pro Mini Golf Hall of Fame. We think it fair to say that but for John Forbes, there would be no Thoroughbred racing industry in New Jersey.

Our deepest condolences to Vicki, John T, Anne and Carrie, his colleagues Mike Musto and Dennis Drazin, his trainer/partner Pat McBurney and his multitude of friends. We will miss him and pledge to honor his memory.

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Born in Maryland, Forbes spent his entire career in the racing industry, following both of his parents into the training game. He moved his operations to New Jersey in the late 1970s and has been a Garden State mainstay ever since.

“John was New Jersey racing,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth Park Racetrack. “He was a tireless advocate for the industry, for the horsemen and for Monmouth Park.

“With a boundless capacity for kindness, John embodied everything good about this business – honor, integrity, compassion and selflessness. More than that, John had an infectious energy for racing. I will forever cherish our many years working together and appreciate not just our friendship but our collective effort on behalf of the horsemen to better this industry and the lives of those who work in it.”

From more than 14,000 starters, Forbes won over 2,100 races as a trainer. Among his long list of accomplished runners were graded stakes winners Peanut Butter Onit, Pukka Princess, Jess C's Whirl, Boyce, Amarillo, Get Serious and Tale of the Cat, who went on to be a leading sire.

Forbes gave up training on a daily basis in 2012, but was certainly no stranger to the Monmouth Park grounds. That year he embarked on a new project, Bluegrass Mini Golf, which he oversaw the construction and operation and was instrumental in delivering the US Mini Golf Open in 2014 and again in 2017. His work earned him a spot in the US ProMiniGolf Hall of Fame.

Upon giving up his trainer's license in 2012, Forbes turned the operation over to his longtime assistant Pat McBurney.

“John and I spent decades together experiencing all the highs and lows that this business has to offer,” McBurney said. “It was always a team effort with John. Even after he stopped training on a day-to-day basis he was equally involved as an owner, advisor and most importantly a friend. It's hard to imagine Monmouth Park without John, but Monmouth Park will forever be better because of John.”

Forbes leaves behind his wife Vicki, son John T. Forbes (Director of Operations at Monmouth Park), two daughters, Anne and Carrie, and two grandchildren.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no services will be held.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Forbes's name to the Backstretch Community Assistance Program (BCAP), whose address is 175 Oceanport Ave., Oceanport, NJ 07757. BCAP assists New Jersey horse racing stable employees in the areas of counseling, health, education, recreation and benevolence.

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Of the 10 races scheduled for the 18th New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival on Sunday – with $743,125 up for grabs in purse money for state-bred runners – McBurney has nine horses entered in seven races, including defending champion Golden Brown in the $125,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap.

The all Jersey-bred card also features the $100,000 Eleven North Handicap and the $100,000 New Jersey Breeders' Handicap.

“I have three or four clients who have Jersey-breds, so this is always a big day for them and the barn,” said McBurney.

“I think against Jersey-breds going long on the dirt, with Sunny Ridge on the sidelines, he is at the top of the heap,” McBurney said. “His starts have been spaced out a little more than usual but I thought we'd take advantage of more Jersey racing with him this year.”

The start will be Golden Brown's third of the year after he made his seasonal debut in the John J. Reilly Stakes at six furlongs on July 5, finishing third. Had the Monmouth meet started as originally scheduled on May 2 he would have been ready then, McBurney said. COVID-19 forced Monmouth's opener to be pushed back to July 3.

“He's not a great `doing' horse and he is tough to get along with, so I kept him in New Jersey all year,” said McBurney. “He was up and training in February and was ready for the (original) start of the meet. We ran him in that Jersey-bred sprint but that's not really his distance. But he was ready to race.”

McBurney, who says he has never started nine horses on a card before, is optimistic he will have a good day.

“To me, looking at the races, I expect Golden Brown to win. I expect Crafty Don and Amazing Cat (both entered in an allowance optional claimer) to turn in the next-best performances,” he said. “Jingo (who goes in the second race) disappointed in his first race back last start but (jockey) Paco Lopez said he kind of got away from him the first quarter mile and ran himself into the ground. So we're looking for a good race from him.”

“Three wins (on the day) would be fantastic. I'm hoping for at least two.”

McBurney will also send out Powergirl in the first race, Lucky Jaime in the third, first-time starter Wild Czar in the sixth and Holy Guacamole in the 10th.

Overall, McBurney is having another solid Monmouth Park meet, with eight winners from 53 starters entering the weekend.

The post ‘Jersey Racing’ At The Forefront For Trainer Pat McBurney This Sunday At Monmouth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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So the Hall of Fame rider-turned-jockey-agent was not the least bit surprised when Peterson, whom she represents, won four of the 10 races last Sunday at Monmouth Park, giving her 12 winners from 64 mounts heading into Friday night's six-race twilight card.

“It's the way horses respond to her that you notice right away,” said Krone. “They seem to find another gear for her. They just run for her.”

Peterson, 28, now finds herself in the midst of what looks to be a hotly-contested race for the second spot in the track's rider standings behind runaway leader Paco Lopez (30 wins). She's right there with accomplished veterans Antonio Gallardo (15 wins), Joe Bravo (13) and Jose Ferrer (12). Hector Diaz Jr. is also part of that logjam with 12 wins.

“I'm very pleased with the way things are going,” said Peterson, who is listed to ride in four of the six races on Monmouth Park's Friday card. “It feels like I am starting to pick up momentum. The trainers here have really helped me get started. Pat McBurney let me gallop for him when racing was postponed here for two months because of COVID-19. It feels like it was a long wait to finally get started in July.

“It just has been a really weird start. Not having Julie on the backstretch, where she could have really helped out business get going, was a bit of a setback, too. So I was unsure of how the meet would go. But I'm very happy with the way things have gone since the racing started.”

Peterson, a licensed veterinarian, is a latecomer to riding, turning to the profession full-time a year and half ago. Krone says her intelligence and willingness to learn are two of her biggest strengths.

“We're superstitious at the racetrack so I'm afraid to say too much because you know you will jinx it,” said Krone. “But she has never made the same mistake twice. All I have to do is show her a video or explain a technique and she gets it immediately.

“Her other big strength is that she communicates with the horses. And there is never any hesitation to accept instruction or a correction. She is totally into her development as a jockey.”

Peterson said she is always tugging at Krone to show her more when it comes to technique or the nuances of riding.

“I told Julie as long as there is something I can improve in my riding each week I want to work on it so the trainers can see I am trying to improve and that I have the work ethic – even if I am not winning,” she said. “Last Sunday there were a few things that Julie worked on with me that just really clicked with me.

“People want to see numbers, so riding four winners on a card was significant to me. Getting longshots to run second and third is good but trainers and owners want to see wins.”

The California native and former college pole vaulter has never shied from hard work, at one point juggling college schoolwork and being a track athlete while also trying to make inroads on her goal of being a jockey as he worked toward veterinary school. That work ethic has carried over to her constant presence in the backstretch and working with Krone on dark days.

And finishing second to Lopez, she says, would be a major achievement this early in her career. Lopez is seeking his seventh riding title at Monmouth Park.

“I do definitely think it's possible (to get second),” she said. “We're only halfway through the meet. Now that things seem to be connecting that's definitely my goal – to chase second. And, really, to chase first. Who knows? Anything can happen.”

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Passion is a funny thing.

What is it, you wonder, about one place or another, one person or another, one career or another that is so compelling that the person caught in its grip will do anything to have it?

Ferrin Peterson can’t exactly tell you why she will at least temporarily put aside the eight years of study and sacrifice that earned her a veterinary degree from UC Davis, one of the top schools in the country, and a lucrative-and safe-career as a large-animal vet. Nor can she say why she’s willing to let her acupuncture skills and certification lie dormant, for now.

All she knows is this: “I’m following my passion.”

That alone would be an interesting story: girl sets aside career as a veterinarian to pursue her dream of being a jockey. But Peterson took the interest in her choice to a new level when she hired Julie Krone to be her agent, and announced that they would get their start together at Krone’s old stomping grounds, Monmouth Park, when the meet opens July 3.

Peterson is 5’4″, 108 pounds, with a polite manner. At 28, she brings a maturity and confidence to her career not found in most seven-pound apprentices. In all likelihood, she is the best-educated jockey in history, and her accomplishments go beyond that. She is also a certified acupuncturist and was a Division I pole vaulter at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo who reached the state finals in high school and at junior college.

Krone met Peterson at Del Mar last summer, and she made the snap decision to become involved in her story, and to represent her in her own first try at being a jockey’s agent.

“She had a reputation for being the girl who loves racehorses so much that she’s going to ride races while she goes to vet school,” said Krone. “She wants to be a jockey with passion of nothing I’ve ever seen in my life. Literally. Like, unmeasurable craziness. I’ve seen people try to talk her out of it, and they’re like, `Oh, you’re a nice girl. You’ve got a great education.’ And the way she sees it, she’s going to be a jockey until she’s old, and then she can be a veterinarian.”

“This is literally what I wanted to do my entire life,” said Peterson, who graduated a year ago, and felt the call of riding races pulling her back to the track full-time after getting on horses for trainers in the morning during her final years at school. “When I was a young kid, I was always talking about becoming a jockey. I grew up on the back of a horse.”

Monmouth was Krone’s idea. She said that the strength of the jockey colony and the small fields that have plagued Southern California make it a tough place to get your start. Krone parlayed her own success at Monmouth, where she won the riding title from 1987-1989, into a career on the New York and later Southern California circuits. And it’s not the only page they’ll take out of the Krone playbook.

John Forbes and his then-assistant Pat McBurney played a key part in getting Krone’s career off the ground when Forbes, the perennial leading trainer at Monmouth at the time, used her as his regular rider. McBurney has now taken over the reins at the stable, and when it came time to entrust Peterson’s career to someone, Krone sent her east to work with McBurney. She spent this spring exercising eight or nine horses a day for the trainer at Overbrook Farm, where McBurney stabled his horses until Monmouth Park opened for training. McBurney said that when Krone called, he listened.

“I received a call from Julie Krone and she asked me about an apprentice rider coming out to Monmouth Park this summer,” McBurney recalled. “If Julie was excited about a rider, of course we were going to listen to that. So she came out to Overbrook and has just been galloping and breezing horses. We only have a half-mile track here, so you can’t kick on too fast, but she’s doing very good; gets along with the horses as she learns about them, getting them to relax and everything. It’s hard to say what kind of jockey she is at this point, but has a great way with horses. She’s a very hard worker with a great attitude. Everyone likes her in the barn, and everyone is interested to see her get riding and see how she can do.”

Krone was inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 2000, and retired for the second and final time in 2004 after winning 3,704 races in a career that spanned almost 20 years. She has taken a particular interest in Peterson since meeting her at Del Mar last year, moving her into the home she shares with her husband, the writer Jay Hovdey, and their daughter in order to more efficiently impart her knowledge. They have reviewed films and form, done strength training, strengthened other muscles by surfing and playing pickleball, and have formed a strong friendship as well as working relationship.

Before they met, Peterson had been riding at Golden Gate while she completed her clinical year in veterinary school, but she always had her sights set on the Southern California circuit. “I thought, `I’m going to go to where I know of the best jockeys and trainers and try to learn from them. And if I don’t make it, then at least I tried my hardest and had an awesome experience.'”

She had had a handful of winners when, that summer at Del Mar, she set out to meet Krone, who was doing a book signing on Pacific Classic Day. Peterson saw the line that had formed, and realized that it wouldn’t be a good opportunity to talk, but happened to run into on her way out of the track that night. She introduced herself, and Krone invited her to her house to talk the next day. The following week, Krone suggested that she stay in San Diego and train with her, and return to racing in the spring.

For the past 15 years, Krone’s nearly full-time occupation has been as a mother. While she has done some racing commentating work here and there, her main focus has been her daughter Lorelei, a gifted singer and actress who is a community theater regular in the San Diego area who hopes to pursue that interest in college. Lorelei tearfully confessed her lack of interest in horses when she was young, and Krone has supported her passion for theater, helping out by painting sets, sewing costumes and even acting a bit here and there.

But in Peterson, she might have found not only her return to the sport, but a new career after her daughter heads off to school. While Peterson is 28, Krone has definitely taken her under her wing as if she’s her second child.

To read the rest of this story at the TDN Look, or to watch the video or hear it as a podcast, click here.

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