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2021 In Pictures: The Paulick Report’s Top Instagram Posts Of The Year

It's been a strange year of racing, underscored by the Paulick Report's top 10 most-read stories of 2021.

In this week's look-back at the year in horse racing, we show you our most-liked Instagram posts of 2021.

The year's top images range from Flavien Prat's mid-race tack malfunction at Santa Anita to founder Ray Paulick saying goodbye to Arlington Park. Superstar filly Swiss Skydiver features twice, the Headless Horseman gallops in for an appearance, and Firenze Fire's savagery in the Grade 1 Forego also made the list.

Which one is your favorite?

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What Did You Read? Paulick Report’s Top Stories Of 2021

As we prepare to close the book on 2021, it's time for our traditional look back on the most popular stories of the year by traffic. We've done this for six years now (see previous editions of 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020).

This was the year of the litmus test for Thoroughbred racing: from the ongoing federal doping case against Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis to the actions of the sport's top jockeys, as well as the ongoing drama surrounding Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit.

Reports: Navarro Sobs In Court As Judge Sentences Him To Five Years In Prison For PEDs Case: This aggregation of the results of Jorge Navarro's sentencing hearing – in which the former trainer became emotional and eventually began openly weeping in court as Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil characterized his actions – was far and away our most-read story of 2021. Other stories about the Navarro were also well-read this year, including the feds' argument that performance-enhancing drugs “have corrupted much of the horse racing industry,” the news that Navarro's attorney believes he is facing “almost certain deportation” after his prison sentence is completed, and a recap of the prosecution's sentencing letter for Navarro which calls his use of PEDs “animal abuse in the service of greed.”

The federal trials are expected to continue through 2022, with another prominent former trainer, Jason Servis, among those who have entered a not guilty plea and are awaiting trial.
Report: Irad Ortiz Jr. Fined $1,000 For Punching Paco Lopez: Actions of the sport's jockeys were a particularly hot topic this year, with reigning Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz, Jr. on the top of that list. Other news about the elder Ortiz brother that made it into our most-read stories includes: a video and opinion piece about Ortiz' dangerous riding that caused another jockey to fall (and later resulted in a 30-day suspension for Ortiz), his escape from serious injury in a June fall at Belmont Park, and a three-day suspension for his ride in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes.
Medina Spirit Collapses, Dies After Santa Anita Workout: The tragic death of the Kentucky Derby first-place finisher was a shock to the racing community, and another hit at the end of a year in which the colt failed a post-race drug test after the Run for the Roses, trainer Bob Baffert's record of five positive tests in the preceding year was examined, Baffert issued a public apology for his handling of the scandal, Churchill Downs banned Baffert for two years, bettors filed lawsuits against Baffert in attempt to recoup losses on the Kentucky Derby, and Baffert filed a lawsuit against the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for extra testing of Medina Spirit's samples.

It isn't over yet. The KHRC has yet to schedule a hearing that may disqualify Medina Spirit from his Derby win, and the New York Racing Association has been legally required to hold a hearing to determine whether Baffert will be allowed to race at their tracks. It remains unclear when, whether, or how Baffert could fight CDI's action against him, or what the future holds for his stable's top 2-year-olds as owners contemplate the Derby.
Beloved Son Of Secretariat Passes At 30: One of the four final offspring of the legendary Secretariat passed away at the beginning of 2021. The Darley-bred Secret of the Sea, from Secretariat's final crop, fell victim to Cushing's disease at the age of 30.
Linda Rice's License Revoked, Trainer Fined $50,000: The New York State Gaming Commission revoked trainer Linda Rice's license for a period of three years and issued her a $50,000 fine for “actions inconsistent with and detrimental to the best interest of racing generally and corrupt and improper acts and practices in relation to racing.” The NYSGC first launched an investigation into Rice's operation in early 2018, on the claim that she traded money for information from the racing office, and an eight-day hearing at the end of 2020 concluded with a hearing officer's report that Rice's misconduct – which involved receiving and requesting confidential entry information in overnight races – was intentional, serious and extensive. Rice was subsequently granted a temporary restraining order on the license revocation until her appeals process is played out in court, and has continued to train in New York.
Mejia Taken Off Monmouth Park Mounts, Has Hearing Scheduled After Suspicious Photo Surfaces: A photo of jockey Tomas Mejia taken by the track photographer was posted on Monmouth Park's Facebook page, but it was subsequently removed after officials were alerted to what appeared to be an object in Mejia's left hand. The jockey was later handed a 10-year ban by the Monmouth Park stewards for possession of an electrical device.
Racehorse Escapes To Expressway At Ellis Park: The aptly-named Bold and Bossy drew widespread media attention for her jaunt down the interstate after getting loose at Ellis Park. That night, the 2-year-old filly survived a barn fire with some minor burns. The Paulick Report followed up on Bold and Bossy's condition and learned more about her trainer a few weeks later.
Joel Rosario Fined For Misjudging Finish At Oaklawn: A curious incident in Hot Springs resulted in Rosario receiving a $200 fine. Aboard Oaklawn Mile second-place finisher Rushie, Rosario rode his mount out for another sixteenth of a mile past the wire, apparently forgetting that a one-mile race at Oaklawn finishes at the first wire.
Owner Placed On No-Entry List At Fair Grounds After Horse Turns Up In Bail Pen: This Paulick Report investigation resulted in Churchill Downs Inc. placing owner Kim Jackson on the no-entry list at Fair Grounds after her horse appeared in a Texas bail lot while still in the entries at the New Orleans track. Little Red Kid was advertised on social media Jan. 30 by a kill pen, but at that time was still supposed to be headed to the ninth race on Feb. 3. Trainer Jacoby Landry was fined $500 for “entering a horse no longer under his care.”
Meet Kong, The Pony Who Stole The Show On Breeders' Cup Weekend: If you found yourself distracted during the horseback interviews of this year's Breeders' Cup winners, you weren't the only one. This year, people were interested in Donna Brothers' mount, black and white pinto – both readers and Paulick Report staff members. Kong is a 10-year-old American Spotted Draft/Percheron cross trainer Kristin Mulhall picked up at an auction. He was a pick-up horse at rodeos for many years, and the Breeders' Cup was his first weekend working the races. What a star!

We at the Paulick Report could not do the work we do without our readers and our advertisers. Thank you this holiday season (and always) for your support.

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‘The More You Do, The More You Learn’: Gary Stevens On Going From Rider To Agent

Hall of Famer Gary Stevens has worn a lot of different hats during his time in the industry, from jockey to trainer to racing analyst. He even had a brief encounter with acting for the movie “Seabiscuit,” but he is currently working on mastering being an agent for former Southern California-based jockeys Geovanni Franco and Tiago Pereira at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Stevens is best known for his career as a jockey spanning from 1979 to 2018, in which time he earned $258,217,768 and won 5,187 races in North America, including each leg of the Triple Crown three times, 11 Breeders' Cup races, and many other notable national and international races. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997, and won an Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey the following year.

Stevens' father, Ron, was also involved in the horse racing industry as a trainer. His father introduced him to racing at a young age and even gave Stevens his first mount as a professional Thoroughbred jockey aboard Lil Star, who was the young jockey's first win that same day.

Stevens discussed his role as an agent and his passion for the industry.

Question: What do your responsibilities as an agent look like day to day?

Gary Stevens: “I wake up at 4:00 a.m. and I'm out at the track by 5:00. There are certain trainers that I hit early on and then I sort of just work my way through the barn area. Really the most difficult thing is arranging workouts. Geovanni had some nice winners this past weekend. To be successful at Oaklawn, the jock has to work horses. Trainers like it when they're out in the morning. I just make sure workouts are organized timing-wise, no conflicts. It's not easy to keep everybody happy. It seems like everybody wants the same times.

I also book mounts for the future so that's how the day starts. I'm also doing television for America's Day At The Races on FOX every day as well. There's no conflicts as far as entries go, other than on Saturdays when they take entries for Fridays so I have to go between where I do my television and the racing office. They're busy, busy days, but I'm enjoying them.”

Q: Do you think that your experience as a jockey – as well as your wide variety of other experiences in the industry – helps you market your riders?

G: “Yeah, but I'll tell you what, an agent's job is not easy, but if you have a good product it makes your job much easier. I've always respected my agents, but I have more respect for every agent out there now that I'm doing it full time. It's not an easy job and even though I've been around it all my life, there's nuances that I'm still learning on the fly. There's guys that have been doing this as long as I rode and their experience level, you can see it. I feel like the apprentice right now believe it or not, but being able to walk into pretty much any barn that I want to is a big help. I feel like I've got respect and I respect every barn that I walk into. I feel like I have a definite advantage with the reputation that I have.”

Q: You've already touched on some challenges to being an agent, but what is your favorite part about it?

G: “I love being out on the backstretch in the morning. I always have. When I was riding even at the highest level I enjoyed being in the barn. I've been going to the barn since I was a young kid working for my father and it's part of my life. Without the mornings you don't have the afternoons. I love watching the grooms work, the hot walkers, the trainers, the assistants, and just everything about it. One of my favorite things about being at Oaklawn is being at Wayne Lukas's barn every morning and not necessarily talking about the present, but the past and Wayne making me what he calls a 'gourmet coffee.' We'll sit and start telling old stories and I really enjoy that.”

Q: You've worn a lot of different hats within the horse racing industry. What is it about this industry that keeps you coming back?

G: “It's my life. I really enjoyed training, but the way it is now with these big outfits and everything, it's a definite challenge. I don't know how some of these guys make it with small outfits, especially in California and New York with the labor laws and taxes and insurance. It's a very difficult job to have. Being an agent goes hand in hand with what I did all those years riding, going by the barns, and being a part of it. I'm addicted to it and it's all I know. I've got the television stuff that I've done and that also kind of goes hand in hand because I have to do a lot of studying and homework for my shows. That prepares me for my job as a jockey's agent as well. It's this giant web kind of like the internet and one thing just leads to another and the more you do, the more you learn, and the more opportunities you get.”

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Chantal Sutherland On Jockey Fitness, The Importance Of Mental Health

The fitness of a jockey is a complex balancing act of being fit enough to ride racehorses, and being light enough in weight to ride in races in the first place. This means that their fitness routines outside of riding horses are very unique compared to those of other professional athletes, and often an aspect of their job which is unseen by racing fans.

Chantal Sutherland is a well-known multiple graded stakes-winning jockey currently based out of Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. A native of Canada, Sutherland's professional jockey career began in 2000 at Woodbine Racetrack. She went on to become the first female jockey to win the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup in 2012 and she now has lifetime earnings of $55,838,263 and has won 1,160 races.

The two-time Sovereign Award winner went into detail about what overall fitness as a jockey means to her and how she personally maintains the balancing act.

Question: What does your weekly exercise routine look like?

Chantal Sutherland: “Outside of riding I do two types of yoga. I do normal zen-type yoga and also intense yoga. It's like hot yoga, but it's an intense workout where you're being pushed and you're not holding poses for a long time, but you're doing intense-type poses. I also do boxing, but because I'm down to two days off a week, I don't get to do as much as I was. It is not only good for your core and your athleticism, but it's also good for your mind and your confidence. I eat extremely healthy, mostly a pescatarian type of diet, and lots of vitamins and supplements. I think it's important for everyone, not just athletes.”

Q: Do you find that exercise plays a role in your mental health and fitness as well as your physical health and fitness?

C: “Yeah I think that your mental health is just as important as your physical health. It's that mindset of calmness and our sport can be pretty tough, so you can get beat up and you just have to stick through the tough times and just be kind of mentally in tune to be able to prepare yourself for a race. I do my homework at night, sometimes up to two days before a race. I go over the race myself and watch the replays and talk to my trainer to kind of get a sense of what they want in a race. Sometimes they see the pace differently than I do and we talk about it and come to a good place. Communication I've found is so important and just being present for what they have to say. Also, I work a lot of horses. I work every day except for Monday, and I think it's a huge advantage for me. I like to know my horse. I like to know what's going on and be able to tell my trainers how they're feeling and they can tell me how they're feeling. Information is just so much power.”

Q: As mental health has become more talked about and there's been less of a stigma behind it, have you found that correlates with better performance when it comes to riding races?

C: “Yes, for sure. I feel like people are more sensitive to the fact that mental health is so important and you need to take a time or day where you don't do anything. We're on the go a lot and it's hard to take time for yourself, but it's really important. I live alone and I like to be alone in the room and I'm so lucky and blessed to have the girls' room where I can be alone. I just like to study there. I meditate there and I pray there. My relationship has taken a new level with God and myself. The more grateful you are, you feel better about yourself and the world. Being happy and treating others with respect does come back to you. I try to treat everyone on the backside with respect and love and I feel it come back to me in abundance.”

Q: Are there any types of exercise you have to avoid typically to make sure you don't bulk up too much and have trouble maintaining riding weight?

C: “You want to balance everything with cardio and weight training. You don't just want to do a ton of weight training because then you're going to get too big, but you don't want to do too much core because then you're going to get skinny and you're too weak so it's a bit of both and racing horses is the combination.”

Q: What would you say the biggest fitness challenge is for a jockey and how do you tackle that?

C: “I think it's that deep air in a race when you're down and riding and you're pulling and pushing on a 1,200 pound animal and they're getting tired and you have to lift them and help them. I think for me boxing gets that deep cardio and that feeling on a stairclimber when you're getting to that really fast anaerobic part. To be a jockey, you have to have really good air to the point where you almost feel like you're throwing up. That's what it feels like to be in a race.”

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