Triple Crown has been a strange ride for jockeys
Aside from missing the loud roar of the crowd, veteran jockey Mike Smith has had no trouble staying locked in the minute he finds himself at the gate for a big race these days.
As for the other minutes throughout the days since the coronavirus pandemic began, nothing has been normal for Smith and jockeys from all over the country.
From the required COVID-19 testing to quarantining to social distancing requirements in jockey rooms, a jockey's daily routine is in disarray.
Smith, who is bypassing this year's rescheduled Preakness Stakes because the horse he rode to a fourth-place finish at the Kentucky Derby, Honor A.P., was injured and retired, said being unable to regularly ride in the higher stake races around the country has proved to be the biggest change.
“Most of my business is traveling,” said Smith, a California-based jockey who has won seven Triple Crown races, including two at the Preakness. “Every state has a different protocol — New York is different from Kentucky and Kentucky is different from California — so it's been really difficult as far as being able to get in and out of places. A lot of time, you go into a place and you can't come back to your own home course, so it's been really tough. For me, it's crushed my business.”
For local jockey Trevor Mccarthy, who rides out of Laurel Park, the pandemic hit even closer to home when he tested positive for COVID 19 on Aug. 11.
Diligent with his recovery plan, the 26-year-old Wilmington, Delaware, native was able to overcome the symptoms in a week's time and return to riding Aug. 27.
“As jockeys, we're just so fit and athletic, and our bodies are used to take a little bit of a beating because we're working six and sometimes seven days a week during the summer time, so I think with having COVID I was just able to fight it off,” Mccarthy said. “It seems that way with other athletes as well — that is hasn't affected them too much, both in our sport and other sports. That healthy fitness mentality that some people have has really helped in the long run with the COVID-19 virus.”
Upon his healthy return, Mccarthy has run across the same problems other jockeys are dealing with. Accustomed to riding six and sometimes seven days a week during the summer months, he has mostly been limited to the three days offered at Laurel. A winner of over 1,500 races and Maryland's leading rider in four of his 10-year career, he has posted three wins since his return.
During normal summer seasons, McCarthy described his work like a traveling circus show, traveling to quality racetracks throughout the Northeast.
Now, he's mostly limited to only riding at Laurel during the pandemic.
“We're committed to be at one place and only ride three days a week here at Laurel, which is a big bummer because the horses travel as do we travel with them. This summer, we haven't been able to travel with the horses like we'd want to,” he said. “It kind of has it's pros and cons, though. You're losing opportunities because you're not able to go out and ride those horses at other racetracks, but you're getting an opportunity due to guys not being able to come ride their horses (at Laurel).”
Mccarthy will be able to ride at Pimlico during Preakness Week, which opened
called ESPN to see if the network could reschedule one of Louisville's league games in order to create an opening to play on the date Kentucky wanted: Dec. 26.
The schools had previously agreed to play on Dec. 12, Mack said. Then Kentucky decided that date was too soon after a Dec. 6 game against Michigan in London. “Never mind the fact that the Dec. 6 game got canceled,” Mack said.
Neither Fraschilla nor Bilas seemed alarmed that one school might call ESPN in order to try to manipulate the other school's schedule. ESPN owns rights to televise Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference games. ESPN declined to comment on the matter.
“It's believable because John has always had a great relationship with ESPN,” Fraschilla said.
As Umass coach in the early 1990s, Calipari agreed to about anything ESPN wanted in order to have the network televise his fledgling program's games, Fraschilla said. “From there, he's always smartly had a great relationship with ESPN.”
Uk/calipari seeking ESPN'S help in changing Louisville's schedule “wouldn't surprise me,” Fraschilla said. “I could see it could upset Chris. But, you know, it's John again trying to protect his own program.”
In the video, Mack said Louisville had been unaware of Kentucky seeking ESPN'S influence.
“I can understand why Chris, you know, made sure that was part of the video,” Fraschilla said with a knowing chuckle.
Despite Calipari's tweet about Dec. 26, that date for this year's Kentucky-louisville game has not yet been officially announced. Barring a coronavirus-related cancellation, it seems likely the teams will meet this season one way or another. The current contract between the schools runs three more games, including this season, through 2022-23.
With an eye toward the economic hit to Louisville's economy from few fans attending this coming season's game, Fraschilla offered a Solomonic solution.
“Why not play home-andhome the next year with fans at both places,” he said. “I'm thinking of the economic impact.”
Meanwhile, Bilas saw the back-and-forth making both Kentucky and Louisville winners months before the teams actually tip off (whenever that is).
Said Bilas: “It's just good, smart P.T. Barnum marketing by everybody.”