“JOCK”: THE LADY LEGENDS RACE – MAY 14, 2010

In the world of horse racing, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont, many people picture men as the riders of the great Thoroughbreds. But, sadly, never does the image of a woman come to mind. In the long history of horse racing, jockeys have always been men.

In the beginning of the famous Kentucky Derby, the majority of the jockeys were Black men, as seen here. Black men jockeys caught hell, just as the women jockeys did. Black men jockeys whose names are all but forgotten. Black jockeys like Alonzo Clayton who won the Kentucky Derby at only 15 years of age. Black jockeys like Willie Simms, who won the Derby twice and each  of the Triple Crown races at least once.

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Through the years, the Black jockeys were edged out by White jockeys and for many decades only White male riders heard the call, “Riders up!”

But, in the storied history of the Run for the Roses, and other races, there were women jockeys who made their indelible mark on the Sport of Kings. They were considered “the weaker sex.” According to Nick Jemas, managing director of the Jockey Club, “They’re not strong enough to be good riders. They’ll freeze.  They’ll panic. ” Another trainer commented, “…all women are like housewives – if you watch a woman at a stoplight, she’s the slowest to accelerate because her reflexes aren’t as good as a man’s’ “. But, those disparaging myths did not stop women jockeys. They took the Maryland State Racing Commission to court and sued to get the chance to prove themselves on some of the best mounts of the day.

Now in the works is a film that celebrates and honors the women jockeys who faced chauvinism, hate, insults, attacks and slander—-women who held onto their dream to be the best of the best in guiding a 35-40 mile-an-hour running horse down the track to victory.

Riders, past and present, like Cheryl White (who made history as the first Black American woman jockey   who faced many ups and downs, and now a racing official at the Northern California Fair Racing circuit during the summer doing a variety
of jobs under that title, such as patrol judge and film analysist, and assistant clerk of the scale ).

 

Cheryl White on the cover of Jet Magazine in 1971. Photographer Isaac Sutton

 CHERYL WHITE, as she appeared on the cover of Jet magazine in 1971, just after graduating from Grand Valley High School.

 

 Sylvia Harris, (the second Black American  woman jockey  ) who earned her first career win on December 1, 2007 as she rode Wildwood Pegasus to a victory in the ninth race at Hawthorne Race Course), Jessica Gilbert (a young jockey who rides at Portland Meadows & Emerald Downs), Diane Crump ( the FIRST female jockey to ride in a race, and the FIRST female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby), Mary Bacon (the most controversial of all the women jockeys), Barbara Jo Rubin, who on February 22, 1969, at the tender age of 19, was the first woman jockey to win at a recognized race track at Charles Town Races in West Virginia,  Julie Krone (considered the winningest female jockey in history), and the only woman to be inducted into thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame.  She won 3,704 professional races, totaling over $90 million in prize money. She is still the only woman to have won a Triple Crown race, crossing the finish line while riding Colonial Affair in the 125th running of the Belmont Stakes (the third and final leg of the famous Triple Crown) in 1993, and Robyn Smith who at 5′-7″ was tall for a jockey, and who rode for the wealthy Alfred Vanderbilt on both coasts. She later married the great Fred Astaire. She is now a professional Lear Jet pilot and still maintains her Beverly Hills home she had with Mr. Astaire.

On May 14, 2010, “Jock, The Movie” will showcase the many women jockeys, from the 1960s to the early 1970s, who fought for the right to ride race horses professionally. The film celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first woman jockey to ride in a Triple Crown race. On that day, the weekend of the Preakness race, at the 86TH running of the Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland, eight retired women jockeys will race to cross the finish line “one last time”. The movie (still in production, and relying on tax-deductible donations for the final leg of its completion), is produced by filmmaker Jason Neff  and Emmy Award-winning producer Linda Ellman, who have been following the veteran women riders around as they get in shape for the upcoming race. The ending of the film will be completed that day to be edited and readied for public theatrical viewing.

The film was organized by the Maryland Jockey Club and benefiting the Susan G. Komen For the Cure for breast cancer. The following website synopsis gives the latest information on the movie:

THE LADY LEGENDS RACEDescription:For the first time ever in racing history, on May 14th, 2010 (Preakness weekend) at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland, eight retired female jockeys will embark on an unprecedented journey to cross the finish line one last time in The Lady Legends Race.This race will be a live, pari-mutuel race and filmed as the climatic ending to the feature length documentary titled, JOCK, telling the story of the first generation of female jockeys.“ The Lady Legends Race will run on Black-Eyed Susan Day to benefit Susan G. Koman for the Cure. Check out all the events happening at Pimlico that day at http://www.preakness.com/sgkPress ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Linda Ellman
April 11, 2010
info@jockthemovie.com
(323) 860-8500GENDER, AGE AND PASSION COLLIDE ON-CAMERA WHEN EIGHT FEMALE JOCKEYS ATTEMPT TO GO FROM RETIREMENT TO THE WINNERS CIRCLE IN A
HISTORY MAKING PARI-MUTUAL HORSE RACE SET TO BE RUN PREAKNESS WEEKEND
AT PIMLICO RACE TRACK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND“Everybody said a race like this could never happen.”
–Jason Neff, FilmmakerLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – On the 40th anniversary of the first female jockey ever to ride in a triple crown race, the feature length documentary, JOCK is following 8 RETIRED FEMALE jockeys as they participate in a first of it’s kind RETIRED FEMALE JOCKEY LEGENDS RACE.JOCK, from Director/Producer Jason Neff and Emmy Award-winning Producer, Linda Ellman presents the never-before-told story of the courageous female jockeys who overcame sexual harassment, ridicule and life threatening injuries to wage a gallant fight for the right to ride more than 40 years ago. They used passion as a weapon in the sexual revolution and paid a price with their lives.As part of JOCK, Neff and Ellman are documenting the 8 retired jockeys as they prepare for the LADY LEGENDS RACE FOR THE CURE. The race is being organized by the Maryland Jockey Club and benefits “Susan G. Komen For the Cure,” the world’s largest breast cancer organization. It will take place on Black-Eyed Susan Day, Friday May 14, 2010 at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland.The Lady Legends Race for the Cure will provide the closing act of JOCK, bringing the stunning journey of the pioneer female jockeys to a conclusion that’s as dramatic as the day it began. Riders include:• Barbara Jo Rubin, age 60, first woman to win against a man at a recognized racetrack, 41 years ago.
• Jennifer Rowland, 57, top pioneer female rider on the Maryland Circuit in the 70’s.
• Cheryl White, 56, the first African-American female jockey.
• PJ Cooksey, 52, the third all-time leading female jockey with over 2000 wins and breast cancer survivor.
• Mary Wiley Wagner, top 5 apprentice jockey in the nation in 1987 and breast cancer survivor.
• Andrea Seefeldt, Kentucky Derby and Preakness jockey.
• Gwen Jocson, record holder for the most wins in a single year by a woman.
• Mary Russ Tortora, 56, first woman to win a Grade 1 stakes race.The oldest in the race, Barbara Jo Rubin said, “I can’t believe I’m doing this at 60 and a grandmother (chuckle)!”
Barbara Jo began working out in January with weights. She’s been galloping and will begin breezing this week at Fairmount Park in St. Louis, MO. She says she actually feels pretty good. “Each day I gallop I remember more, but it’s amazing how my body just doesn’t react the way it used to. ”Mary Wiley Wagner is a breast cancer survivor. She underwent her last chemo treatment in November and is well on her way to being fit to race. She hopes that if «one woman newly diagnosed with Cancer can look at what I am about to accomplish and feel positive about light at the end of treatment, it is worth every single minute I’ve devoted to this.»
Mary has been galloping and breezing at Laurel Park in Laurel, MD.According to Director/Producer Jason Neff, “I’ve watched these women train. They are working hard at getting fit and their competitive spirit is stronger than ever.”Producer Linda Ellman who Directed and Produced “On Native Soil: The Documentary of the the 911 Commission Report,” which made the short list for an Oscar nomination, says JOCK is both an action film and an empowerment story: “This race and the film explore what happens when perseverance and passion collide.”About the Director: Director Neff is no stranger to the horse racing world. He grew up on a horse farm and at the racetrack. His uncle (Don MacBeth) and father (Myles Neff) were both jockeys and both of his grandfathers were horse trainers. Says Neff, “It’s always been my desire to recognize these women for what they accomplished and what they had to go through to get there. It’s a classic underdog story that’s historically significant beyond the racetrack.”

Contact Info  

Email:

jason@jockthemovie.com or georganne.hale@marylandracing.com

Website:

http://www.jockthemovie.com
http://pimlico.com

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For more on women jockeys who broke the barrier, click here for the website “Female Jockeys – The Interviews”. In their own words, many women jockeys tell how it was for them and how they overcame insurmountable odds to race when so many doubters told them it could not be done.

So, with the names of Ron Turcotte, Angel Cordero, Willie Shoemaker, Steve Cauthen, Eddie Arcaro, and Steve Hartack, the names of Diane, Julie, Cheryl, Robin, Mary, Barbara Jo, and so many others, should be added into the canon of horse racing history.

These women have more than earned their much deserved place in the Sun.

Peter Wynn Thompson for The New York Times

Sylvia Harris (7) collected another victory last Wednesday at Hawthorne Race Course near Chicago, this time aboard Rob Why Tee. (1-9-2008)

RELATED LINKS:

Black Heritage Riders

Project to Preserve African American Turf History