Jockey's pay, interesting info
 

I asked someone who I knew would not BS me (wife of a jockey) how much he gets paid. It works this way - If he wins he gets 10% of 60% of the purse. This is what blew me away, at Beulah second on back - $45. For every Jockey. What kind of expenses do Jockeys have besides the obvious, meaning rent etc.. What kind of expenses in relation to their job?

There Biggest Expense Would Be Paying Their Agents I Believe

I wonder what Jockey's get paid in other markets?

You think it's cheap to get someone to interpret the comics for you?

Or to apologize to trainers for the mistakes and promise not to do it again the next time?
Good agents also take donuts to barns of the winning mounts the next morning. I'm not kidding.

Ok I Guess I'll Take A Dozen Krispy Kremes, Unless Any Of You Know A Tastier Donut, Ha Ha

dough daddy's on versailles rd couple miles up from Keeneland...

Krispy Kremes are the worst donuts ever made. Not fit to be called a donut.

Tell you a funny story, I will never forget it. I worked for an owner who had the same tradition. If he had a horse win the next morning he went to the winning barn and brought two dozen doughnuts for the help. One morning we had gone to watch works and he and I and his wife went and got the doughnuts afterwards to bring to the barn of this high profile trainer.
Upon pulling in front of the barn, the grooms and help came running. They were eagerly awaiting the doughnuts. His wife and I sat in the car. His wife is a wonderful person through and through but doesn't say much very often. She made an astute comment and observation while watching the help come running that I never forgot and I never would have thought of. She said "You'd think with all the money this guy makes(meaning the trainer), that he could buy these poor guys some doughnuts every day."

Thats so true too. During a record meet I consistantly took the help out to lunches, dinners, out to watch football. Just really treated them well. You would think the trainer would do something nice for them but it never crossed his mind. Infact I sent a special letter over the weekend because the one guy had a kid, gave him a couple hundred, and thanked him. These guys work very hard, its grueling to wake up every morning and work, its brutal. Im sure there are some trainers who recognize the help, but usually trainers just use them.

Noted philanthropist Jerry Bailey supposedly tipped the entire barn $1000 after winning the Derby on Sea Hero.

I would have preferred donuts.

Pat Day talked the talk and walked the walk. Not gonna name names, but I know Bid will know this story being a KY guy(Bid its Steves site so please don't even give a clue as to who this is). Pat's agent told me this story, so I know its legit.
Pat Day is as good a human being as anyone I ever met. If I ever could bring myself to live life one-tenth as good as Pat has I'd be proud.
After a breeders cup win for certain barn, Pat sent his agent over to the barn with a HUGE check to be given to the help. HUGE. gave it to the trainer and his wife. Word got back to pat that the help never got the check. Nice huh? So pat sent Doc over with another one to give directly. Now thats class. And anyone who has ever met Pat won't doubt this for a second.

I first really got into horse racing during the Easy Goer and Sunday Silence battles... I always liked Pat Day and even more when he rode Unbridled to his BCC win. :cool:

I talked to Pat Day for five minutes when he was here, smart guy

His rides were questionable at best on easy Goer and even worse on the Seeking the Gold(pull up his travers sometime, I still get angry and red faced watching it).
But as a human being hes one of the most incredible people you will ever meet. That story with the man in the wheelchair is pretty much what you would expect from Pat. Not surprising at all. In a world where so many people don't practice what they preach, Pat is a man who preaches so much, and practices every bit of that and more.
That being said his rides on Goer and Seeking The Gold probably took years off Shug's life.

Can't say I blame Pat on that one... better that than to argue it til he's blue in the face like Clinton tends to do. LMAO...

I didn't understand enough about racing when Pat was riding Easy Goer to know that he rode him poorly... I was only 9.

Sunday SIlence was better than Easy Goer

Yeah he sure looked it in the belmont didn't he? Only got beat a football field.