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‘Love What I Do’: Ageless Jon Court Carries On At Churchill Downs

Veteran jockey Jon Court is the elder statesman in the Churchill Downs jockey colony at age 60. However, the journeyman rider continues to ride at a top level and remains optimistic about the future of his career.

“I've been very fortunate and blessed to be able to have a body that still cooperates and to have live horses underneath me,” said Court, who had five wins through 28 days at the Spring Meet. “I know I'm at the top of the stretch in my career but that means I still have a quarter-mile left to go. I've been around the block for many years and love what I do.”

Court has won more than 4,200 races in his career that began in 1980 at the now defunct Centennial Race Track in Littleton, Colo. Court started his jockey career before eight of the current Top 10 riders in the Churchill Downs colony were born.

“When you get to this stage of your career, some of the younger riders come up and ask for advice,” Court said. “I'm very open and love doing that. It makes you realize you are very blessed to be in that sort of situation where fellow riders are asking you for advice. I'm very lucky.”

Court was named to ride six horses over the next three days of racing at Churchill Downs. Among his scheduled mounts was a 2-year-old named Curly Tail for trainer Dallas Stewart and owner Willis Horton. Stewart and Horton remained successful with Court earlier this year when he rode Will's Secret to a third-place finish in the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

“There have been many loyal trainers and owners who have stuck with me for a number of years,” Court said. “This game is tough but loyalty goes a long way.”

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Gerard Melancon Scores 5,000th Victory At Evangeline Downs

Evangeline Downs fans were treated to a historic evening as jockey Gerard Melancon picked up a milestone victory in the final race on Thursday. Melancon's heavily favored runner, Reposado, led gate-to-wire, as he became the newest member of the 5000-victory club. With countless friends and family in attendance, Melancon was able to celebrate early, even flashing five fingers as he crossed the wire in a 5-3/4 length victory.

The win was made more special as the victor was trained by longtime friend Glen Delahoussaye. Running for owner Charles Carlton, the gelded son of Shackleford, Reposado is out of the Two Punch mare Bronze Abe.

Melancon began his professional riding career at Delta Downs in 1984. His first victory came with his third career mount with Dash and Cash on February 9, 1984. His first victory over the original Evangeline Downs oval was astride Cajun Lawman on April 7 the same year.

A multiple graded stakes winning jockey, he piloted Bonapaw to a Grade 1 winning score in the 2002 Vosburgh at Belmont Park. Melancon claimed two editions of the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot, first with Saber Cat in 2011 and then with Rise Up in 2013. His most recent graded-stakes score came in 2019 in the Lukas Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs with Mocito Rojo.

The native of Rayne, La. has ridden in over 31,900 races and his mounts have earned nearly $88 million in purse money. He recently passed Ramon Dominguez on the career wins list and the next rider to catch is Alex Solis with 5,035 wins.

He considers the 2004 Super Derby aboard Fantastic Cat his biggest win.

“It was a race I had dreamed about winning, and to do it twenty years into my career was pretty special,” he stated.

Several people have been integral in the storied career of Melancon.

“I have to thank my wife, Annette, for all of her support through the years. Manuel Robin was integral in giving me a chance to get started, and my agent Louis Coco has been a great partner for the past 25 years.”

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Author Jennifer Kelly To Serve As Paulick Report Weekend Editor

The Paulick Report is pleased to announce the appointment of author and historian Jennifer Kelly as its new weekend editor.

Kelly brings a wealth of writing experience to the role, having worked as a technical writer and college writing instructor before embarking on her first book titled 'Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown,' published by University Press of Kentucky in 2019. She was inspired to write the book on Sir Barton when she wanted to learn more about the first American Triple Crown winner and realized how few resources there were in place to tell his story.

Kelly is currently working on a second book titled 'Foxes of Belair: Gallant Fox, Omaha, and the Quest for the Triple Crown.'

“We are thrilled to have someone with Jennifer's passion for racing in our weekend editor role,” said editor-in-chief Natalie Voss. “I've enjoyed her work for years and am happy to have her unique perspective on our team of contributors.”

Kelly has been a horse racing fan since watching her first Kentucky Derby in 1988 and has been a speaker at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, the Keeneland Library, and Kentucky Derby Museum.

Kelly has previously specialized in research and writing for academic and business settings. She holds bachelor's degrees in English and French from the University of Montevallo and a master's degree in English from The University of Alabama in Huntsville. From there, she shifted to teaching first-year composition and technical writing for over a decade at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

“I am excited to join the team at Paulick Report,” said Kelly. “This is a team deep in talent and experience and I am grateful for the chance to be a part of a roster of turfwriters like this one.”

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Argentinian Jockey Maria Scaldaferri ‘Chasing The American Dream’ At Monmouth

Trainer Luis Carvajal has a simple explanation for giving so many unproven – and often inexperienced – jockeys a chance with his horses.

“When you do good things for people it eventually comes back to you,” he said.

Maria Scaldaferri, a native of Argentina who has yet to win in the United States, is the latest aspiring rider to get an opportunity from Carvajal, getting the mount aboard Malibu Life in Friday night's fifth race at Monmouth Park.

It will mark the Monmouth Park debut for the 30-year-old native of Pergamino, Argentina.

“I was looking for an exercise rider and (trainer) Rafael Schistl recommended her to me,” Carvajal said. “So I put her on some horses in the morning and she started working for me. She has done a good job. She wants to ride. She was a jockey in Argentina and she wants to ride in the United States.

“She works hard. She looks good on a horse. The most important thing to me is that she has that edge, that inner drive, to succeed. I'm giving her a chance and we'll see how she does.”

Carvajal has a history of rewarding hard work for jockeys needing a break.

On the June 4 program at Monmouth Park, he gave apprentice Derbe Glass a leg up on Free Flayme.

Two years ago, he put Maria Maysonett on Malekith at Monmouth, resulting in her first career win. Last year he gave Sean Gilpin his first professional mount aboard Now I'm Broke, also at Monmouth Park.

“I like to help people who like to work,” said Carvajal, who has 16 winners overall from 96 starters this year after posting a career-best 24 victories a year ago. “If I see them motivated and working hard I feel like they deserve a chance.

“I always try to put myself in their shoes, thinking that if I worked hard enough someone would give me a chance. So I do what I can to help. It's not like I am putting them on (retired multiple Grade 1 winner) Imperial Hint. But they deserve a shot.”

Scaldaferri, who also rode in Brazil and Peru from 2011 through 2018, is 0-for-21 in the United States, having ridden just once last year.

“Of course I'm excited,” she said. “This is my first time riding at Monmouth Park and everyone has been very helpful. I am chasing the American dream. I know in this country that if you work hard enough people will give you a chance, whether you are a woman or a man.”

Scaldaferri is also working horses for Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer in the mornings.

“As long as I keep working hard I think people will give me a chance,” said, Scaldaferri, who does not have an agent. “I just want to be a jockey and win races.”

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