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Tampa Bay’s Veteran Announcer Richard Grunder Retires After 37 Years

For the past 37 years, announcer Richard Grunder's enthusiasm for horse racing has left an enduring impact on countless visitors to Tampa Bay Downs.

“There is no one on the planet who is more passionate about horse racing. Period,” said Pete Aiello, the announcer for Gulfstream Park. “Nobody eats, sleeps and breathes horse racing more than he does.”

Jockey Scott Stevens, the recipient of the 2019 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award and Grunder's long-time friend, suggests fans listen to Grunder with their eyes closed to better appreciate his descriptive style of race-calling.

“It's like he is painting a picture. He'll tell you a horse is 3 lengths behind and full of run, or a horse is boxed in with nowhere to go,” Stevens said from his home in Phoenix. “You can visualize how the race is setting up just listening to his call, and I think that is what makes a great announcer. And he brings a lot of excitement to every race, whether it's a cheap claiming race or a graded stakes.”

Sadly, for two generations of Oldsmar oval fans and simulcast bettors who have grown accustomed to Grunder's trademark stretch call “. … in the clear and strictly the one to catch,” the 68-year-old Dodge City, Kan., product is hanging up his binoculars after the May 2 card at Tampa Bay Downs.

Citing health concerns, Grunder has chosen to retire from announcing after a lifetime spent in the sport. He is believed to have called in the vicinity of 37,000 races at Tampa Bay Downs and is currently the longest-tenured announcer at any racetrack in the country.

“My goal a few years back was to try to go until I was 70, but I've got a medical situation I need to stay on top of and some related stress issues that led me to realize it's time,” Grunder said. “I was in the hospital a few weeks ago on a Wednesday and barely got out in time to call the first race, and I don't get up those stairs to the press box as fast as I used to.

“I am going to miss the camaraderie and the people, especially the three stewards who work next door to my booth. It's been a great environment to work in. But I have no regrets at all. My father (the late Dean Grunder, a railroad worker and owner-trainer in Nebraska and New Mexico) told me once I would be a really rich man if I was able to go to a job I liked every day.

“By that account, I'm a millionaire many times over.”

Grunder will remain active in the sport, working as a jockey's agent at Canterbury Park in Minnesota this spring and summer for Alonso Quinonez and Israel Hernandez. He plans to travel extensively with his wife of 48 years, Diana, visit other racetracks and spend more time with son Chad and his wife Erica, who live in El Dorado, Kan.

“I love to fish, and we're 100 miles from Lake Okeechobee. I've never been a bass fisherman, but that's something I plan to get into,” Grunder said. “And I'm looking forward to returning to Oaklawn Park. I haven't been there since I worked rubbing horses for (trainer) Red Payne in 1974.”

Grunder has contacted his close friends, Tampa Bay Downs trainers Bernell Rhone and David Van Winkle, about returning to a favorite summer haunt in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada, where they rent a cabin without electricity, fish for walleye and escape from civilization. Their trip last year was cancelled because of COVID-19.

“We try not to talk horses, but once in a while it comes back to that,” Rhone said. “We'll rib each other, but we've got each other's back. I've been at Richard and Diana's house for Thanksgiving, and they've come over to eat with my family. I know if I ever need help, he'll be there for me, just like I will be for him.”

Grunder's departure will leave a void that will be difficult to fill. He has documented most of the major moments in the history of the track, which had a reputation as a sleepy backwater until current owner Stella F. Thayer gained control at the start of the 1986-1987 meeting and instituted a series of gradual, fan-friendly changes, starting with the introduction of Sunday racing that season and hitting a high note with the debut of the acclaimed turf course on May 2, 1998.

“Tampa Bay Downs has been incredibly fortunate that Richard has spent most of his career with us – an amazing 37 years,” Thayer said. “His voice and his style embody his enthusiasm and love for Thoroughbred racing.

“We will never forget his contributions. Fortunately, his voice will live on through his calls of Tampa's signature races. We are grateful for his many wonderful years at Tampa Bay Downs and wish him the best.”

The thrilling 2007 edition of the Tampa Bay Derby, in which Street Sense and Calvin Borel edged Any Given Saturday and John Velazquez by a nose, stands foremost among Grunder's Oldsmar memories. “When they hit the wire together, I said 'Too close to call, it might have been Street Sense.' Then I said to myself, 'Whoa,' because it was like this,” he recalled, holding his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “Fortunately, I got it right.”

Other unforgettable races included the dramatic come-from-behind victory by the Woody Stephens-trained Cefis in the 1988 Tampa Bay Derby and Tepin's victory in the 2016 Hillsborough Stakes, in which she gobbled up an 18-length deficit on the backstretch to defeat pace-setter Isabella Sings in the Grade II turf event.

“Tepin was so far back, I was worried for a moment she might have broken down,” Grunder said. “(Julien) Leparoux rode her with so much confidence. At the quarter pole she still looked hopelessly beaten, and she came on so fast he turned down his stick before they hit the wire. She was a special, special horse.”

Grunder lived to help fans enjoy the sport as much as he does. He was the emcee for the track's “Morning Glory Club,” which invited race-goers to enjoy coffee and donuts on winter Saturday mornings and listen to Grunder interview jockeys, trainers and track officials. His guests over the years included Carl Nafzger, Ken McPeek, Kent Desormeaux, Edgar Prado, Ramon Dominguez and Michael Trombetta, as well as handicapper and author Steve Crist.

Preaching the gospel of racing came naturally to Grunder, who got his first job at a racetrack 60 years ago at the now-defunct La Mesa Park in Raton, N.M., as a photo-finish runner – the guy who would post the developed photographs of a tight finish under glass for spectators to observe.

“People would be shouting 'Here comes photo boy,' and I felt like I was King Tut. I got paid $3 a day, and sometimes people would ask what they did with the old photos after the next race. I said 'They like to file them, but they're for sale for 50 cents,' and that became one of my side gigs,” he said, laughing.

More valuable, though, was the chance to hang around racing officials and the track announcer, absorbing their insights into all the behind-the-scenes workings at a racetrack. “I'd go home at night and run around our living room re-creating races out of the monthly chart books. I couldn't get enough,” he said.

From his first announcing job in 1973 at age 20 at recently-shuttered Marquis Downs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to the present, Grunder has worked at numerous racetracks (see timeline below story). He is quick to credit Diana for her patience and understanding in enabling him to pursue his dream.

“She is the trooper of all troopers. I was rubbing horses at Oaklawn Park when we got married, and we had a two-day honeymoon in Denver before I went to West Virginia to work at Waterford Park (now Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort) while she worked at a soda fountain back home in Dodge City.

“We did a lot of moving in those days. We figured it out and one time we lived in six different apartments in 12 months,” he said.

His years as a jockeys' agent helped him develop a keen appreciation for the skills and courage of the athletes on horseback. “I've gotten aggravated with them just like everybody does,” Grunder said. “But they are unbelievable athletes who have to prove it every day. Football and basketball players sign multi-million dollar contracts, but when it comes to getting paid, jockeys are only as good as what they did last week.”

Stevens, who is recuperating from injuries suffered on Feb. 24 in an accident at Turf Paradise, says jockeys appreciate the depth of knowledge Grunder brings to his calls. “He knows every part of that backside, from the racing office to the trainers to the exercise riders. That kind of understanding is a big thing to bringing new fans in,” Stevens said.

The stories of Grunder's generosity are many. In 2010 at Canterbury, he organized fund-raising efforts to assist Stevens and two other jockeys injured in a multi-horse spill. On New Year's Eve in 2005, he turned the microphone over for one race to an aspiring young announcer whose previous experience consisted of calling races on the Arizona county fair circuit.

“I think about him giving me that shot all the time,” said Aiello. “You make so many connections in this business, but only time will tell how many people Richard has touched over the course of his career.”

Grunder's voice became so recognizable that when Sega Corporation was looking for someone to perform voiceovers for its Derby Owners Club horse racing simulation arcade game in 2010, it hired him to travel to Tokyo for a week to assist in the production.

“It was a lot of fun and an amazing experience. After a couple of days, I thought to myself 'I'm not in Kansas anymore,' ” he said. “They needed me to voice about 150 phrases, and they must have had me do 'And they're off' about 35 or 40 times.

“A few years later, I was driving to Canterbury after Tampa's season had ended, and I saw a bunch of people playing the game at a truck stop in Des Moines. I told a woman sitting there, 'Hey, that's me. I'm the announcer.' She looked at me like I was from outer space and said 'Get out of here. I'm playing this game.' ”

Moving forward, the good news for Grunder is that racing always needs new fans looking in from the outside. It is a major adjustment, but one he is confident he can handle with the cherished support of his family, racetrack friends and the thousands of fans who have welcomed him into their homes.

“He has been such a good ambassador for racing, promoting Tampa Bay Downs and encouraging people to come to the races. Now he wants to slow down and spend more time with his family,” Rhone said.

“I think he will be a little bit lost next year, but he'll be fine because he is so upbeat and great with people. Richard can talk to older folks, little kids and people who know nothing about racing, and find something in common.”

Regardless of where his path is next directed, Richard Grunder – his voice, his kindness, his encyclopedic knowledge of horse racing – will be remembered for a long time.

RICHARD GRUNDER'S JOBS IN HORSE RACING THROUGH THE YEARS

Aug. 4, 1973—Called his first race at Marquis Downs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

1974—Racing office, backup race-caller, Waterford Park, W.V.

1974—Announcer, Marquis Downs and Regina Exhibition Park (Sept.-Oct.)

1974-77—Placing judge, backup race-caller, Delta Downs, La.

1975—Announcer, Assiniboia Downs, Winnipeg, Manitoba

1976—79—Announcer, Marquis Downs and Regina Exhibition Park (May-Oct.)

1977-84—Announcer, assistant racing secretary, Portland Meadows, Ore.

1980-82—Announcer, Assiniboia Downs (summer)

1983—Racing office, backup race-caller, Ak-Sar-Ben, Neb.

1984—Announcer, Arapahoe Park, Colo.

1984—present—Announcer, Tampa Bay Downs

1990—Announcer, Canterbury Park, Minn.

1991-92—Announcer, Ak-Sar-Ben

1993—Announcer, Prairie Meadows, Iowa

1996-97—Announcer, Ag Park, Nebraska State Fair, Atokad Park, Neb.

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Family Life Helped Axmaker Discover The True Meaning Of Winning

In the stretch run leading to his son Noah's birth in November of 2016, trainer Cody Axmaker would playfully pat Danielle Larabell's belly and ask their boy if he could enter the world on a day when his dad didn't have a horse running.

“Cody is very intense about his work,” said Larabell. “Before Noah came, he couldn't walk past a horse's stall if he noticed anything out of place.”

Five weeks after Noah's arrival (which came on a day with no horses in), Larabell rejoined her life partner's barn at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz., setting up a nursery in one of the tack rooms. Although Axmaker remained laser-focused on running his stable, a gradual shift in perspective occurred each time he stopped in to check on Noah.

“You've never felt anything as strong as the love you have for your kids,” said Axmaker, a 32-year-old Granger, Wash., product in his first season at Tampa Bay Downs. “It's a feeling you wouldn't trade for the world. It makes you step back and look at the future.”

A self-professed perfectionist, Axmaker tends to analyze every detail, no matter how small, in evaluating his horses and their performances. Five or six years ago, he might have obsessed about what to do differently to win more races (he has four winners from 51 starters here, with 12 seconds).

Although he still returns to the drawing board after a disappointing outcome, having Noah, 4, and daughter Delilah, who was born July 4, 2019, helps Axmaker maintain a strong grasp on what he can and cannot control.

“It (parenthood) has leveled him out. It's taken him down a notch,” Larabell said. “It helps take his mind off things at the track when he comes home and has the kids to focus on. As much as we love the horses – they were our kids before the kids – there is more to life than racing.”

Axmaker has hired additional help so that he can get home a little earlier to be with the family (due to COVID-19 restrictions, Larabell and the children are not allowed on the backside). For the past several years, their home has been a 40-foot Presidential Holiday Rambler RV, which they keep at a bucolic, shady private residence nearby.

Noah has as much energy as a 2-year-old colt in training, and Axmaker enjoys teaching him to play catch, hit a golf ball and shoot baskets and then watching him play on his mini-trampoline when Dad gets worn out. Axmaker reads both kids bedtime stories before turning in.

“Danielle is a great mom,” Axmaker said. “I just kind of help guide them, be a disciplinarian when it's needed and give them chores and keep them busy.”

The couple senses a day coming when the RV won't be sufficient for four people, along with a cat, a red heeler cow dog and a bird. They also own a 9-year-old Icelandic pony they adopted on the off chance Noah and Delilah grow up liking horses.

They are looking to find a house in the surrounding area, with a goal of making Tampa Bay Downs their annual winter racing locale. Axmaker is submitting stall applications for the rest of 2021 to Monmouth Park in New Jersey, Canterbury in Minnesota and Gulfstream Park in south Florida, after primarily racing last summer and fall at Arapahoe Park in Colorado and Belterra Park in Ohio.

“The RV is a little crowded sometimes, and Noah is ready for his own space,” Larabell said. “But it's fun. It's nice to be able to put everything in there and go to the next place when we need to.”

Axmaker's mother Suzy, who works on the Oldsmar backside for trainer Michael Campbell, helps pick up the slack, both at the barn and with the children. She handles laundry duties for her son's stable and is adept at using an equine massager to soothe sore equine muscles. She'll also watch the children when Cody and Danielle need a night out.

For Axmaker, being the breadwinner for four after mostly answering only to himself and owners is a validation of a lifestyle he was born to. His father Peter Axmaker is a trainer, and Cody grew up in Granger wanting to spend his free time helping around the barn and learning what makes Thoroughbreds tick.

“I grew up on a 70-acre farm where my dad bred horses, broke babies and trained them for the racetrack, and I was always watching and learning,” Cody said. “I remember reading the condition book on the drive home from Emerald Downs when I was 7 and figuring out which races were good spots for his horses, and discussing it with him.”

The young boy enjoyed getting into the stalls, feeling a horse's legs and trying to get in tune with their bodies, the way his father did. Most of Peter Axmaker's horses were Washington homebreds, some with nagging issues that kept them from running to their full potential. Cody came to believe the No. 1 thing a trainer could do to improve their performance was treating them as he would want to be treated – giving them sufficient time to recuperate after a race and letting them out of their stalls whenever possible.

In 2008, Peter Axmaker decided he wanted to spend the majority of his time breeding and raising horses in Kentucky, so Cody took over the racing end of the business. He proved himself by sending out a steady stream of winners at Turf Paradise under his father's name and leading the stable to a second-place finish in 2010 at Yavapai Downs (now Arizona Downs).

He quickly discovered that the most challenging aspect of the business was trying to get faster horses.

“I had a lot of cheap horses starting out. They didn't have much blood (pedigree) compared to what I have now,” he said. “The cheaper horses are harder to train than those with better bloodlines. They are like a puzzle, and if you want to win races you have to figure them out and make the right moves.

“You have to have a lot of patience, and you have to convince your owners to be patient and wait for the horse to bloom into itself.”

Being around his father's stable taught Axmaker there are no shortcuts to success and that he had to be self-reliant to survive. Before his big meet at Yavapai Downs 11 years ago, he was scuffling along at Turf Paradise, training horses running in his father's name while the elder Axmaker raced at Los Alamitos in southern California.

In his last race that season at Turf Paradise, Cody saddled a 12-1 shot, Stormy Seattle, for an upset victory that turned things around.

“That got me ten grand in my pocket, and that was good to get us to Yavapai Downs, where my dad's stable won 20 races and was second-leading trainer,” he recalled.

It also allowed the ongoing education of Cody Axmaker to continue without interruption, and he was determined to grasp the opportunity.

“You can never stop learning in this industry,” he said.

“I think that is where he has an advantage, because he is very hands-on and rides all his horses,” Larabell said. “He loves working with them to find out what makes them feel good. Shoeing, chiropractic work, whatever it takes, he's done all of it.”

Axmaker has found Tampa Bay Downs to be an ideal location for his 20-horse stable. He'll hook his horses up to a walking machine in the afternoons and give them free rein to soak up sunshine and their surroundings, and he'll let them roll in the sand pens. He says that has been a successful formula for his 8-year-old gelding William Crotty, who became Axmaker's first 10-race winner with a victory here on March 12 in a mile-and-40-yard waiver claiming race.

William Crotty, who races for one of Axmaker's major clients, Carrol Stubbs, has thrived under the conditioner's care, winning 10 of 29 starts. The trainer also worked to alleviate some chiropractic issues he thought were preventing the horse from fully extending himself.

“It sounds simple, but he's just a horse that you have to keep happy and feeling good. I've got a sand-pile outside the barn I let the horses roll in, and he never misses a day,” Axmaker said. “He'll roll on one side, get up and roll on the other. There's a lot of green grass, too, and we'll let him graze and enjoy the sunshine every day after training.”

In addition to Stubbs, Axmaker has forged solid relationships with owners Roger Shiflett and Snowbird Thoroughbreds, owned by the husband-wife team of Tom and Pam Thieding. Both Shiflett and Snowbird Thoroughbreds have claimed horses for Axmaker at the current meeting, with Shiflett paying $32,000 for the maiden 3-year-old filly Sweet Mary Lou after her runner-up finish in a mile turf race on March 12, and the Thiedings claiming 3-year-old colt Kayaker for $32,000 after a maiden victory on Feb. 26.

Another solid owner is Michael Feigenbaum, whose 6-year-old mare Bonita Annie – a second and two thirds locally, from four starts – is Axmaker's top money-earner.

“Now that I'm getting some better quality horses from owners who are willing to put up the money to buy better-bred, younger horses, I think I can compete with the best of them,” Axmaker said. “We're excited to see where they lead us.

“My philosophy is that you always want to have a string freshening up, a string getting ready to run and a string racing, because they can't run all year long. I feel like I can get 10 good races a year out of most of them if they remain sound and competitive.

“I think I'm pretty good at diagnosing problems. I've worked with a lot of good vets over the years, and I'm big on being able to pinpoint an issue and working on it and just staying patient, giving the best care we can give.”

Although she has her hands full with Noah and Delilah, Larabell misses being able to help out at the barn. Besides working as a groom, she has also galloped horses, getting a quick education one day when Axmaker put her on a horse so independent-minded that she decided to bail out when he took off in the wrong direction.

That experience is something she can laugh about because of her respect for each horse's strength and spirit.

“They have so much heart,” she said. “If a horse is losing all the time, they feel that. You can tell they're mad when they get back to the barn. When they win, they come back walking like 'Yeah, I just won.'

“They know how you're feeling, too,” she said. “They peer into your soul. They've helped me get through a lot of things when I was having a hard time.”

Winston Churchill is credited with saying “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

And, yet. … Axmaker was in search of something else eight years ago when he went to the Whiskey River Saloon in Phoenix (long since shuttered) after a day of hard work at Turf Paradise.

“We met two-steppin',” recalled Larabell, who was there with friends. “He tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to dance, and that was it.”

“Her big blue eyes drew me in,” said Axmaker.

Axmaker was getting ready to head back to Granger for the summer. After spending most of their free time together the next few weeks, he asked Larabell to come with him (“I can't do long-distance, so you're going to have to come with me if we want to try to make this work,” in horse-trainer speak).

“That was pretty wild for me, seeing that I'd never been away from family,” said Larabell, who has a cosmetology degree and had considered becoming a sign-language interpreter. “I told him, 'Well, you have to come meet my family first if I'm going to leave the state with you.' It was kind of a weird feeling, but it felt right. And I liked the idea of being involved with horses. We went out to lunch with my best friend and she grilled him, but when you know, you know.”

As they continue to progress in the sport, Axmaker and Larabell hope to make a difference in how racing is perceived by the public. They are committed to finding new homes for their horses when their racing days are ended, scouring the Internet for potential new owners interested in a show horse or one to trail ride or simply turn out in a pasture.

“It is the trainer's responsibility to do something for the horses that don't want to compete anymore,” said Axmaker, who estimates he has found new homes for about 100 retired racehorses.

Larabell would like to see more tracks establish child-care facilities to assist young parents struggling to balance the demands of raising a family and caring for valuable racehorses.

No matter where the road takes them, they are firm in their belief that they can accomplish their goals together. Call it faith.

“We definitely involve God in our success,” Axmaker said. “There have been a lot of times when I've thought, how am I going to get out of this one? And He pulled me out somehow. That is something we try to pass down to our kids.”

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Florida Cup Tickets On Sale

Tickets to the 18th annual Florida Cup Mat. 28 are being sold online on the track website and at the customer service booth on the first floor of the grandstand on racing days. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, fans must have a pre-purchased ticket to attend. The Florida Cup, which was cancelled last year due to the worldwide pandemic, is comprised of six Florida-bred stakes, three on the dirt and three on turf.

General admission tickets are $10, plus a service fee if purchased online. Picnic area tables are also available for $50, which covers the cost of admission for six fans.

The post Florida Cup Tickets On Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘Shortcuts Won’t Get You Anywhere’: Tampa Bay Derby Winner Jose Ferrer Voted Jockey Of The Month

While the track's old guard of riders has, to date, swept this season's Salt Rock Tavern Jockey of the Month Awards at Tampa Bay Downs (imagine how ancient this correspondent feels including Antonio Gallardo and Samy Camacho in an “old guard”), the influence of several new faces seems likely to be felt for years to come.

Many of those younger riders are likely to have successful careers by following the example of the current Jockey of the Month, 56-year-old Jose Ferrer. A full 28 years after he last rode in the race, Ferrer won Saturday's Grade 2 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on 15-1 shot Helium, then came back Wednesday to ride three winners.

Ferrer rode 10 winners from 39 mounts during the judging period, and that was just enough to wrest the award from Hector Diaz, Jr., who posted a streak of eight consecutive racing days with a victory in his bid for the honor.

You can't be a jockey without dedication, but Ferrer's devotion to his craft is exemplary. He lifts weights in a makeshift gym in his garage before and after the races and on off-days, and he rides bikes with his wife Steffi, logging 3-to-6 miles on “dark days.”

“He's the fittest guy in the world. You've never seen a guy as strong as he is,” said trainer Dennis Ward, who uses Ferrer on many of his horses.

Ferrer thrives on competition.

“You have to want it more than anyone else,” said the Santurce, Puerto Rico product, who is ninth in the Tampa Bay Downs standings with 22 victories and has ridden 4,543 career winners. “You have to be willing to sacrifice and go over the limit.

“Taking shortcuts won't get you anywhere. People who are willing to dedicate themselves the most are going to be successful, whether it's in sports or business or any field.”

Ferrer derives tremendous inspiration from Steffi and their sons Derek, 6, and Joseph, 5. Watching his boys run into the winner's circle after a victory is an awesome sight to the jockey and a treat for Tampa Bay Downs fans. “They are such a big part of my life. I'm so blessed,” Ferrer said.

To last in any profession for almost 40 years, you had better be grounded, because the road isn't always smooth. In September of 2017 at Delaware Park, Ferrer suffered a collapsed lung, eight broken ribs and three fractured vertebrae in a multi-horse spill at Delaware Park.

Someone else might have considered that a sign to retire and be thankful to have dodged disaster one final time. Yet after being told by doctors it would be at least 4-to-6 months before he could get back on a horse, Ferrer started working horses again at Tampa Bay Downs that November, and he won his fourth race back on Dec. 6 aboard Jermyn Street for trainer Keith Nations.

Ferrer finished sixth in the Oldsmar standings that season with 37 winners, but that was merely a warm-up for the following summer. On July 8 at Monmouth Park, he rode a personal-best six winners, and he ran away with the 2018 Monmouth track title with 95 victories.

Ferrer also was the recipient of the 2018 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, which honors a jockey whose career and personal character bring credit not only to themselves, but the sport of Thoroughbred racing. The cherished award is determined by a vote of jockeys, who select from five finalists.

Those achievements, and his 27 graded-stakes victories, place Ferrer in rarefied air. But unlike legendary 85-year-old trainer D. Wayne Lukas (who, after winning the 1999 Kentucky Derby with Charismatic, told a reporter suggesting he might consider retirement that he would be harrowed into the racetrack), Ferrer can't compete forever.

And the new wave at Tampa Bay Downs, full of competitive vim and vigor, is ready to take up the mantle.

The 31-year-old Diaz, whose career got off to a relatively late start, has been making up for lost time in his debut meeting at Tampa Bay Downs. Displaying an ability to win both on the front end and coming from behind, as well as superb timing on the turf course, Diaz has climbed to fourth in the standings with 45 victories while earning the trust of such outstanding trainers as Kathleen O'Connell, Michael Stidham and Arnaud Delacour.

Jose Batista, 24, is fifth in the standings with 26 victories, with 25-year-old Tomas Mejia tied for sixth with 25 winners and 22-year-old Isaac Castillo eighth with 24. All three are from Panama and at this stage, relatively quiet guys who let their on-track accomplishments do their talking.

Mejia and Batista finished in the top-15 in last year's Tampa Bay Downs standings, while Castillo gained valuable experience last year at Monmouth, finishing eighth in the standings with 21 winners. The youngster looks polished beyond his years.

Wilmer Garcia, 29, and Raul Mena, 28, have been around a little longer, and the majority of Tampa Bay Downs bettors have no qualms supporting either when the horse and the price look right. They also handle their business the right way in the morning, with positive attitudes and an eagerness to share insights about horses with their trainers after workouts and races.

The racetrack is a classroom, and the only way a jockey gets ahead is by being willing to learn.

“Jose Ferrer is a really good rider, and he's very good from the gate,” Mena said. “I'm always trying to pay attention to how he breaks a horse from the gate, because he knows how to get to the lead and make the rest of the field fall asleep behind him. We can take a lot of good things from all those (veteran) riders.”

The “kids” might be soft-spoken, but they aren't afraid to approach an older jockey for insights. “I have a lot of questions for (Ferrer). He's a really nice guy and a classy person who tries to teach you a lot,” Mena said. “But I also pay attention by watching him in the races, because I know he's not going to tell me all his secrets.”

Sigh. None of us will be around forever, and replacements seem always at the ready. But it's heartening to know so many members of the next generation of Tampa Bay Downs standouts have the respect, and the intelligence, to keep the tradition of safe, competitive race-riding alive through their own determination and eagerness to make the most of each opportunity.

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