Driving To The Wire: Quarter Horse Jockey Shanley Jackson Also Pilots School Buses

Veteran jockey Shanley Jackson regularly inhabits two different worlds. On weekends, he pushes the limits of speed on horseback aboard Quarter Horse in races primarily at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind. On week days, however, the 58-year-old can be found driving kids to school in Leon County near his hometown of Tallahassee, Fla., according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Jackson has an uncle, also a bus driver, who inspired him to apply for the position five years ago. He now drives bus routes for Amos P. Godby High School, Griffin Middle School, and Fort Braden School.

This year, per Equibase, Jackson recorded nine winners from 76 mounts for earnings of $320,073, including a win aboard Beach Blast in the $192,400 Miss Roxie Little Futurity at Indiana Grand on Oct. 24. Overall, the jockey has a record of 279 wins from 2,133 starts with Quarter Horses, earning over $5.6 million.

While injury has played a role in his career, Jackson said he's not ready to walk away from the “rush” of race-riding.

“The way I feel now, I feel no different than when I first started. I guess I'll let my body tell me when enough is enough,” Jackson told the Tallahasseee Democrat. “As long as I stay young.”

Read more at the Tallahassee Democrat.

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Turf Paradise Commences 2021 Race Meet With Increased Purses, Limited Fans

Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz. commences its 84-day live race meet on Monday, running from Jan. 4 thru May 1, 2021. Racing will be conducted on a 5-day-a-week schedule, Monday thru Friday.

Opening day attracted 88 entries for the nine-race program with a first post time of 12.30 PM (MST.) The highlight of the opening day is the $30,500 Hank Mills Sr. Stakes (6 ½ Furlongs), which has drawn a full field of twelve including three from the barn of Justin Evans: Pendleton, Raagheb and Black Ops.

The Hank Mills Sr. Stakes continues to honor the long time Turf Paradise starter and kicks off a series of 15 Thoroughbred stakes throughout the meet. March 12, 2021 is the date for some of the most eagerly awaited stakes races during the meet – the Phoenix Gold Cup and Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap both with $75,000 guaranteed purses, and the Arizona Oaks and Turf Paradise Derby, both with $50,000 guaranteed purses will be run on the same day.

Quarter Horse racing is a long-term staple at Turf Paradise, and the 2021 meet features 10 stakes races, commencing with the $12,500 guaranteed Turf Paradise 870 Challenge on Jan. 8, 2021. The most valuable QH race of the meet is the $30,000 added Desert Classic Futurity scheduled for April 28, 2021. However, Quarter Horse fans will welcome the first QH races of the meet on Jan. 5.

Purse money is up from $80,000 to $110,000 per day, given that the meet is starting with an estimated $4 million. Although there have been many challenges in 2020, the 2021 Turf Paradise race meet is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent years.

Track General Manager, Vincent Francia said: “We are running this race meet primarily for the horsemen. It has been an incredible effort by everyone in very challenging times to pull everything together. Individual horsemen and women, the HBPA, state officials, and the Turf staff, all continue to play their part in making this meet a success.”

Fans will be limited initially to just 50 (though that may increase); only the ground floor and outside apron will be accessible to the public. The Clubhouse and Turf Club will not open for the duration of the meet. There will be no food or beverage service.

“Wearing of masks and social distancing is mandatory when on track,” said Francia. “We will adhere to all Coronavirus protocols as set forth by the State.”

With more than 50 OTB locations across the state and Turf Paradise able to be wagered on many platforms across the country, Turf Paradise will be increasing its social media presence and interaction with fans on their Facebook page and Twitter account. (@turf_paradise)

Additionally, fans everywhere will be pleased as no one won the Grand Canyon Pick 6 Jackpot at the end of the abbreviated meet on March 14, so the Pick 6 carryover pool will open at $28,009.06.

For further information, go to www.turfparadise.com.

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New Mexico: Quarter Horse Trainer Fined $15,000, Suspended 1 1/2 Years For Clenbuterol Positive

Trainer Marco Flores was issued a 1 1/2-year suspension and a $15,000 fine by the New Mexico Racing Commission this week, according to a recent ruling posted on the Association of Racing Commissioners International website. The penalties were handed down due to a positive post-race test for clenbuterol in Quarter Horse “Stand In The Sun,” following the mare's win in a Sunray Park allowance race on May 3, 2019.

Stand In The Sun has run 16 times under five different trainers, thrice under Flores' name but primarily (nine times) under the name of Jesus Soto. The mare raced under Soto's name on Feb. 1, 2019, with Soto listed as owner, then next appeared under Flores' name on May 3, 2019, with Julio Islas listed as owner. In her next start, she ran under the name of trainer Raul Vega on Dec. 15, 2019.

Flores is required to pay the $15,000 fine before Jan. 23, and his suspension will run from Jan. 1, 2021 through July 1, 2022. Flores' Quarter Horse training record includes 18 wins from 166 starts, though he has not had a starter since May 10, 2019. He was summarily suspended by the NMRC beginning May 11, 2019, for another Clenbuterol positive in the post-race test of “Bonafide Hero” on April 19, 2019 at Sunray.

Most recently, Stand In The Sun ran under the name of Jesus Soto as both owner and trainer, finishing eighth in an allowance race at Zia Park on Dec. 8, 2020. Soto's training record includes 88 Quarter Horse wins from 595 starts.

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Successful Racing Quarter Horse Now Besting Barrel Competition

Second career racehorse This Is Debt and owner Ty Lloyd receive an award. PHOTO: Courtesy of Brandi Lloyd

A warhorse, in racing parlance, is a horse who has made more than 50 career starts. By its very definition, a warhorse has to be not only talented, but also sound and gritty enough to withstand the rigors of an extended campaign.

This Is Debt, a 2005 sorrel gelding, is a warhorse –and is now a first-race speed event horse.

Bred in Ontario by Brian Farrell, he was campaigned by the Farrell family–owned by Bill, trained by Laurie–exclusively at Ajax Downs in a career that spanned from 2007 to 2011. He won or placed in 15 of his 52 starts, earning $57,698, including appearances in the 2008 Maple Leaf and Ontario Bred and Foaled derbies.

Sired by Royal Evening Snow, he is out of the Pacific Bailey mare Pipe Dream Bailey.

Brandi Lloyd is a lifetime horsewoman and is friends with the Farrell family. She served as a groom for This Is Debt during his racing career and loved his Pacific Bailey bloodlines. She asked the family if she might be able to get him when his racing career was over and train him for speed events like barrel racing and pole bending.

“They called and said he's ready to come and get,” Brandi says. “I picked him up and we gave him about a year off, and then I started him back. He's been super easy. He's light, runs to the snaffle, took to the barrels really easily. He's excelled in pole bending. He keeps getting better and better.”

The horse the family calls “Pretty Boy Roy” or “Roy” has adapted well to his new life. Brandi trained him on the barrel pattern by riding exhibition runs at events while her two sons were running their ponies. She says that Laurie Faurell's horsemanship and early training of Roy made the horse's transition from racing to arena competition especially easy.

When her son, Ty, was old enough, Roy was given to him for a Christmas present. They have been competing together for about four years.

“Roy and Ty just click,” the proud mom says. “They make a great team. I trained the horse, but he runs harder for Ty. Ty motivates differently than I do, too, and kinda hangs it out there, and Roy really tries for him.”

Roy has earned 6.5 points in limited AQHA competition, as well as several Top 10 finishes in barrels and pole bending at the prestigious All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio.

The family goes to events together, mainly competing at National Barrel Horse Association and Ontario Barrel Horse Association competitions, with Brandi and Ty riding, and her dad and younger son sitting together in the stands, providing priceless Statler-and-Waldorf-type commentary on their videos.

“He's pretty great,” Brandi says of Roy. “He has an attitude some times, but as far as working with him, he has a great work ethic, he's happy to do his work and do his job.”

While Roy is the family's first second-career racehorse, he's probably not going to be their last. In addition to having a great horse, they've also gotten checks from the Ontario Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Program, which promotes the careers of Ontario-bred racehorses even after they leave the racetrack.

“Honestly, I'd do it again in a heartbeat,” Brandi says. “I'd encourage anyone interested to look at one for sure.”

This story, which is part of the Second Career Stars series, originally appeared on the American Quarter Horse News website and is republished here with permission. Second Career Stars is an ongoing series on retired racing American Quarter Horses in new careers. If you know of a horse that should be featured, write to acaudill@aqha.org. AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, “like” Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.

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