Tag: People

HISA announced Wednesday that Jockeys' Guild veteran Jeff Johnston will serve as HISA's Rider Safety & Welfare Manager, effective Friday, Mar. 17. Johnston will work with jockeys and other riders to ensure compliance with the Racetrack Safety Program, support continuing education programs, provide uniform first responder training, work with providers to improve safety equipment, and increase communication with local medical facilities.

In his new role, he will also closely support the new jockey mental wellness initiative HISA announced this week in partnership with the Jockeys' Guild and will work alongside Dr. Peter Hester, HISA's National Medical Director, to enhance rider access to mental health support and resources. Johnston will report to HISA's Director of Racetrack Safety Ann McGovern.

“We are pleased to have Jeff join us to lead our efforts to work collaboratively with jockeys and riders to ensure their health, safety and overall wellbeing through our Racetrack Safety Program,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “Jeff's many years of experience with the Jockeys' Guild and his perspective as a jockey himself will be invaluable to HISA as we continue to increase communications and collaboration with racing participants across the country.”

Johnston began racing as a jockey in 1985, competing in more than 11,000 Thoroughbred races and amassing 1,375 victories before transitioning to a career with the Jockeys' Guild in 2006, where he most recently served as Regional Manager.

“As a longtime advocate for rider safety, I am eager to get to work advancing HISA's goal of improving safety for riders nationwide,” said Johnston. “I look forward to using my experience to help ensure that riders are safe on and off the track, that they are familiar with HISA's rules and how these changes affect them, and that they are outfitted with the best safety equipment possible.”

Accredited as a steward by the Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP), Johnston also previously served as Chairman of the Jockey Club's Rider and Driver Safety Committee. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville's Equine Industry Program.

About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority

Established when the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law in 2020, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) is responsible for drafting and enforcing uniform safety and integrity rules in Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HISA was created to implement, for the first time, a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. HISA is comprised of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect July 1, 2022, and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which will go into effect on March 27, 2023.

The Racetrack Safety Program includes operational safety rules and national racetrack accreditation standards that seek to enhance equine welfare and minimize equine and jockey injury. The Program expands veterinary oversight, imposes surface maintenance and testing requirements, enhances jockey safety, regulates riding crop use, and implements voided claim rules, among other important measures.

The ADMC Program will create a centralized testing and results management process and apply uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the United States. These rules and enforcement mechanisms will be administered by a new independent agency, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), established by Drug Free Sport International (DFS). HIWU will oversee testing, educate stakeholders on the new program, accredit laboratories, investigate potential ADMC violations and prosecute any such violations.

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Sofia Vives' one complaint about getting aboard 33 Thoroughbreds on a near-perfect Florida morning? She didn't have the chance to get on more.

With every horse she guided onto the track at the picturesque Casse Training Center in Ocala, the apprentice rider beamed, each one offering the 21-year-old a welcome opportunity to hone her craft.

“When I was done, I headed home and went to sleep,” said Vives. “But it was a good feeling. Any day like that is a good one. I guess the only downside was I wish I could have got on a few more.”

Vives, who will be at Woodbine for opening day of the meet on April 22, has been champing at the bit to see her 2023 season get underway.

Last year, she rode in 16 races, all at Woodbine, before shutting things down to retain her apprentice weight allowance. Apprentice riders receive a 10-pound weight allowance for their first five winners. After a fifth win, they are granted a 5-pound allowance, which they can retain until the following 40 winners, or for a year from the date of their fifth winner, whichever comes last.

Since her last mount, Vives has kept herself busy in the Sunshine State, working dozens of horses in preparation for what she hopes is a memorable year in the irons.

“I've had that April 22 date in my mind ever since it was announced. It's really motivated me to get through the winter. I wanted to stay busy so the time would go by fast.”

In her short time in the saddle, Vives, whose father, Lazaro Vives, and uncle, Juan Carlos Vives, were both riders, has turned heads with the poise and potential she's shown.

Born in Walterboro, South Carolina, she was raised in horse-rich Ocala, Florida. When her father hung up his tack, he went to work for dual Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse for 20 years. Sofia often tagged along with her dad and eventually landed a maintenance gig at the trainer's farm.

While she was appreciative for the work, Vives would often find herself distracted.

“I would always sneak a look at the horses going out to the track and watch them flying around out there. I knew that's where I wanted to be one day.”

Casse, one of the sport's most decorated trainers, offered both support and opportunity for the aspiring rider throughout her racing journey.

The 5-foot, 109-pound Vives has embraced every lesson and words of advice from Casse and others, grateful for their guidance and encouragement. On Oct. 29, 2022, at Woodbine, she contested her first race, and finished second with Kevin Attard trainee Basalt Street.

In her next start, the following day, it appeared Vives would net her milestone first win in a 1 1/16-mile Tapeta race. Sent off at 33-1, her mount, Baytown Elvis, held a head advantage at the stretch call, digging in gamely as 6-5 choice Laraque came calling in the final strides to the wire. After a photo finish, it was Laraque who came out on top by a head.

Disappointed at the result flashed on the infield tote board, Vives wouldn't have to wait long to make that first trip to the winner's circle.

The third time was indeed the charm when Bodacious Miss romped to victory in the seventh race on Nov. 3, a 5 ½-furlong claimer that attracted a field of eight.

There was no need to sweat out a photo finish this time.

“I've always wanted to ride races my whole life,” Vives said. “When I won my first race, that is something I had never felt before, something almost every jockey would likely say. The first people I thought of were my dad and my mom. My dad has been my best friend through everything. He's a big idol to me. My mom was actually there for my first two starts, so when I won in my third start, she had gone home the night before. I was so bummed I didn't get the win when she was there when we got nailed on the wire. I really wanted to get that win while she was there, but she was so excited when I got that first win. My agent [Jordan Miller] was there… I was just so thankful for that moment. It was a dream come true. That had always been my dream. To win in my third start and to win by 7 ¼ lengths, you really can't forget it.”

And Vives, who would dress up as a jockey for Halloween as a kid, certainly hasn't.

“I could tell you the whole race, backwards and forwards, 100 times. Every day, I watch my race replays. It's chance for me to look at what I did right and what I can improve on.”

There would be three more firsts by the end of the 2002 Woodbine campaign, including a win for Casse with Swinging Mandy on Nov. 5. Her final win came on Nov. 11 with Coltons Dream.

The final tally: 4-3-1 from 16 starts in 2022.

“She's dedicated, hard-working, has natural ability, and is a natural lightweight,” said Miller. “I believe she'll go far in this sport. She has a long ways to go and a lot to learn, but she's all-in on being the best she can be.”

“The highlight was definitely the feeling of winning,” Vives said. “I also met a lot of new people at Woodbine. It's a really good colony and a lot of people are very helpful, which means a lot. I really did learn a lot. I only had 16 starts, but each one taught me something new. How much I was able to learn in those 16 starts is amazing, but there is so much more to learn and to pick up on. That will be the same for this year. Every time I ride, I want to learn something new, things that can help me become a better rider.”

Getting on 33 horses certainly helps with that goal.

“It does. A lot of the horses I get on, they will probably go to Woodbine at some point. So, it's cool to figure them out, what their strengths are, what they need help with, and how I can help them. Hopefully, I can ride some of the ones that I've been getting on down here.”

A self-described student of the game, Vives has had ample time over the winter Ocala to look back on her first year of riding and to also look forward to the 133-day Woodbine meet.

“I learned that I have a lot more patience than I thought I did. I always felt that I'm a relaxed rider. I never panic and never worry. I believe that approach really did help me with the horses I got on at Woodbine. I was able to have them quiet on post parade and they went into the gate quietly and stood well. There is a lot that I learned.”

And, as she quickly noted, there is still much more to verse herself in.

When her mornings at the Casse Training Center are finished, Vives isn't done with the horses or horse racing. It is common practice for Vives to head home and watch tapes of her races, study them intently, and then take mental notes.

As for life outside of racing, she laughs, somewhat sheepishly, at what it is.

“Nothing. Racing, it runs through my mind all day. I call my parents and we talk about a bunch of things, but it always comes back to the horses. This is all I know. I go to the gym, but the whole time I'm there, I'm thinking about getting stronger for the horses. I enjoy going to the pool, but I'm thinking about the horses too. When I wake up and when I go to bed, I'm thinking about the horses.”

Soon enough, those thoughts will take on more meaning.

Much like her recent morning in Ocala, Vives is about to be very busy.

“I'm going to be riding at Woodbine Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and Parx on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I can't wait to get it going.”

And when it does, the chase for personal goals will kick into high gear.

“If I can win the Sovereign Award, that would great. I want to win three in a day as well. I've won two in a day, but if I can get three, that would be amazing. I would be the happiest girl in the world.”

For now, far removed from the crowds in the grandstand at Woodbine, Vives will continue to prepare for her first race of the year.

No need to ask if she's counting down the days.

“I think about it all the time, even when I'm not around the horses. I picture a lot of things in my mind, and I just keep pushing myself to be ready when that moment comes, to ride in a race again. It's the happiest thought I can have.”

The post ‘I Knew That’s Where I Wanted To Be’: Apprentice Sofia Vives ‘All-In’ For 2023 Season At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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With two graded stakes wins for Flavien Prat at Santa Anita, including his first Grade 1 of the year, things are going in the right direction for the French-born jockey who has won the leading rider title at “The Great Race Place” nine times.

Those graded stakes wins led the panel of racing experts to vote Prat Jockey of the Week for March 6 through March 12. The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

On Saturday, Prat was aboard New Orleans-based invader A Mo Reay for trainer Brad Cox for the first time in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile. Breaking from position five in the field of eight accomplished fillies and mares, Prat had A Mo Reay racing in third behind Ganadora who took the early lead. Around the second turn, race favorite Fun to Dream collared Ganadora while Prat swung A Mo Reay four-wide into the stretch, chasing Fun to Dream. A Mo Reay closed the gap with every stride to nail Fun to Dream at the wire in 1:36.25.

“When you end up winning it is always better,” said Prat, who collected his third win of the day. “She really dug in when it was time to run, and she was travelling well all around.”

In Sunday's Grade 3 Santa Ana, trainer Simon Callaghan gave a leg up to Prat aboard Ballet Dancing going long for the first time. Breaking alertly from the far outside in the field of seven, Ballet Dancing tracked the pacesetter, Annaghlasa, to the quarter pole then took the lead to cruise to a 3 1/2-length win in 2:01.25 for the mile and one-quarter turf test for fillies and mares ages four and up.

“I watched some videos of her and talked to Simon,” said Prat. “She broke well, got ourselves into the race and I was travelling really well all the way around. She responded really well when I asked her.”

Prat was a finalist for the 2022 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was the regular rider for Horse of the Year Flightline who accounted for three of Prat's 13 Grade 1 victories. Overall, Prat won 42 graded stakes in 2022.

Prat's competition for Jockey of the Week included Manny Franco who won a stakes race at Aqueduct in addition to five races on a single card, Antonio Gallardo who won the Grade 3 Florida Oaks, Irad Ortiz, Jr. with two graded stakes wins and led all riders in wins with 11 and Luis Saez who won the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby.

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In following her older sister to New York from Venezuela, the last thing on the mind of 10-year-old Karen Barros was horse racing.

That was more than three decades ago. Barros, now Chavez, would become a fifth-grader and one of two E.S.L. students in her class at Clara H. Carlson Elementary School in Elmont, just wanting to acclimate. Some years later, after Nick Caras of the New York Division of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCANY) visited her church looking for volunteers, a teenage Chavez began working on the Belmont Park backstretch – and found her calling.

“When I arrived as a girl, I was going to spend the summer here and see if I could get into school,” said Mrs. Chavez, now the Chaplain's general manager and married to its Chaplain, Humberto Chavez. “But God her other plans for me. After I began volunteering on the backstretch, it was like puzzle pieces coming together. Looking back today, I realize this is where I was meant to be.”

Those who attended the Chaplaincy's annual awards luncheon last August in Saratoga, when Mrs. Chavez spoke movingly about her journey, may be familiar with parts of that story. Caras, the Chaplaincy's program director, said he never tires of hearing her refer to it, citing “Karen's authentic and deeply moving devotion” to the serving the men and women who look after the horses on New York's Thoroughbred tracks.

“We're a team here and Karen is a vital part of it,” said Caras. “What we do on the backstretch and the services we provide are only as good as our people. Karen's hard work and creativity make us better in all kinds of ways.”

At the track, Mrs. Chavez felt at home from the get-go, thanks in large part to her sister Lety and brother-in-law Ruben Anez, who as newlyweds had preceded her to New York and found jobs on the backstretch at Belmont Park. To cover Mrs. Chavez's airfare when she first came to the U.S., Letty took up a collection among co-workers in her barn and raised the funds.

Her family's work on the backstretch was Chavez' introduction to thoroughbred racing. That bond deepened when she began volunteering as a teenager as part of her church's youth group. When Caras came calling again, this time in 2003 to ask Pastor Chavez if he would consider becoming Chaplain for the backstretch, those puzzle pieces really came together.

“We had a young family at the time and really had our hands full but felt really strongly in our hearts that God wanted us here,” said Mrs. Chavez. “There were a lot of people we needed to serve.”

Pastor Chavez accepted the position, and Mrs. Chavez, with three sons at home, began volunteering all over again, taking a staff position in 2006.

“As we began serving with the Chaplaincy,” she said with a laugh, “I realized God had brought me back to the place that brought me to the U.S. in the first place.”

Today, from its building inside Gate 6 at Belmont Park, the Chaplaincy runs several programs for the backstretch community. Among the most enduring is its weekly food pantry, which during the pandemic served an average of 500 families a week. Those numbers have dropped significantly to about 120 families a week, but the need, and the program, remain.

Driving some of the Chaplaincy's programs is a straight-forward philosophy – “seeing a need on the backstretch and responding,” as Mrs. Chavez put it. An example is the summer enrichment program for backstretch children in Saratoga, which started back in 2006 after she and Caras recognized that some backstretch families, at considerable expense, were sending their children to stay with relatives in their home countries during the summer meet.

Today, children can stay with their families and attend the enrichment Pine Grove Campground in Saratoga, where they're safely cared for and supervised. Upwards of 30 backstretch families also stay in the recently-renovated cabins at Pine Grove for the meet.

Mrs. Chavez takes particular pride in developing the Chaplaincy's women's enrichment and mentoring program, which has helped hundreds of women tackle issues from learning English to providing better nutrition for their families and starting businesses. This month for International Women's Day, the Chaplaincy hosted a seminar for backstretch women on starting a business. That program has since morphed into separate teen mentoring groups for girls and boys; and the Chaplaincy often steers members of the backstretch community to related Belmont Park-based programs of the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.) and the Belmont Childcare Association (BCCA).

Just ahead is the eagerly-anticipated opening of the Chaplaincy's 3,500-square-foot building, which will double the Chaplaincy's current space and become its hub. A team of New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) carpenters, electricians and plumbers is working on the building, which is expected to open in 2023. It will house a chapel, a multi-purpose room, a classroom to be named after Hall of Famer and longtime NYRTCA supporter Cot Campbell, and staff offices.

After the building opens, the Chaplaincy will continue to utilize the trailers for the weekly food pantry and clothing drive, which are currently held outdoors. A core component of the NYRTCA, the non-denominational services now held at Belmont Park's recreation hall, will move into a dedicated chapel within the new building.

The founding partners of the new building are the late Marylou Whitney, John Hendrickson, former NYRA President and CEO Chris Kay and his wife Kristine, Michael Dubb, Kenny and Lisa Troutt, West Point Thoroughbreds, Seth A. and Beth S. Klarman, Dogwood Stable, and the Estate of Dolores Ochota.

Thoroughbred owner and NYRA board member Michael Dubb supplied the bulk of all materials for the new Chaplaincy Center. Mr. Dubb is also the founder and chairman of the BCCA at Belmont Park; and he and his wife, Lee, founded Faith's House, the BCCA childcare center for the backstretch community at Saratoga Race Course, which opened in the summer of 2021.

“Every day, we see the progress of the new building and it's very exciting,” said Mrs. Chavez. “The new building will allow us to provide the kind of services needed by the backstretch. It's a community I've just grown to love and a place I belong.”

To learn more about the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, visit: https://www.rtcany.org/

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