Saturday, June 22, 2002
Retiring Hall of Famer McCarron wins all-star jockey event
By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Maybe Chris McCarron shouldn't have let his wife talk him out of making the All-Star Jockey Championship the last event of his Hall of Fame career. It would have been quite an ending.
McCarron opened the final weekend of his 28-year career by capturing the sixth annual all-star event Friday night, winning it with an outside charge in the last of four races. He also won the first race.
“There's no way you can even dream it'd work out this good — that would be awfully greedy,” said McCarron, a winner of six Triple Crown races and whose mounts won more than $264 million, the most in racing history.
McCarron thought so highly of the all-star event that he considered calling it quits here, like Julie Krone did in 1998. Instead, he listened to his wife, who urged him to ride his last race at Hollywood Park, his home track. He will do that Sunday.
“I think this will make it that much more difficult for me on Sunday,” McCarron said. “But I've made up my mind and I'm satisfied with my decision.”
McCarron was honored on the track before the program, then won the opening race. He was out of the top four in the next two races, leaving him in a three-way tie for second behind Edgar Prado going into the last race.
Aboard a gray horse named Yoto Speakes, McCarron's winning charge was easy to see develop. He grabbed the lead with a few strides to go, leaving a photo finish for second, but not first.
“When there were only two or three horses to get by, I realized I had a chance,” McCarron said. “The adrenaline was unbelievable.”
Prado, who rode long shot Sarava to victory in the Belmont Stakes and won this event in 2000, finished second. Mike Smith was third, winning a tiebreaker with David Flores.
Jorge Chavez was fifth, followed by Laffit Pincay Jr., the all-time winningest jockey.
Victor Espinoza, who guided War Emblem to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, was one of only two riders not to earn a point.
Prado became the favorite after finishing second and first in the opening two races, with his victory coming on a tremendous close to nip a heavily favored horse ridden by Pincay. But Prado was never again was among the top four, the only ones to earn points.
The competition was based on four races, all over different distances, two on dirt and two on grass. The playing field was further leveled by giving jockeys horses of varying calibers: One race apiece on a mount classified as an A (best), B, C and D (worst). Which letter they got in each race was determined by a random draw.
The jockeys raced for pride and prestige more than huge purses. While first place in the overall event paid a $22,000 bonus, everyone was guaranteed at least $14,000.
They also got to enjoy a rare turn in the spotlight, from individual introductions and speeches before the races — highlighted by Alex Solis screaming, “Let's get it on! We know who the winner is going to be. The losers are standing to my left,” — to an Olympic-style podium presentation for the top three finishers. During races, the track announcer called out the riders' names instead of the horses'.
Bettors got into the spirit, too, spending $111,706 on an “All-Star wager,” which meant picking how the jockeys would finish in the four-race standings.
One percent of all wages went to the Jockeys' Guild's Disabled Jockeys Fund, which helps injured or disabled riders with financial and medical expenses. The all-star event has raised more than $500,000 for the fund the last five years and was expected to bring in another $100,000.
The dozen jockeys were certainly worthy of such a night. The field included three Hall of Famers and the winners from all three of this year's Triple Crown events. Their cumulative resume featured 16 Triple Crown victories among 9,000-plus races won and $1.4 billion in prize money.
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