are these valets the sole worker one one jockey like a golf caddie or do they handle multiple jockeys on a daily basis?
Are they like club house workers in pro sports where they are on salary from the team as well as getting tips from the ball players for all the personal stuff they do in a MLB clubhouse?
Can you imagine a valet asking for 10% of Jeter or A Rods salary to keep their shirts/pants clean and shoes shined each day? Face it, what does the valet REALLY do? Have a nylon shirt (racing silk) ready to hand the jockey? Most tracks already have a guy who handles all the silks to get them correct. And shine a couple of pairs of boots each day so they are clean for the next race owners to be proud of???
The jocks DONT eat, so it's not like most clubbies who serve team pre and post meals and have snacks ready for players. I've been in the Belmont jocks room and it's crap. Old dirty, not like a nice team locker room. They surely don't make it a nice environment for their jockeys. The clubbies in pro sports are responsible for the cleanliness of showers, team rooms and locker rooms.
So what do they do for 10% of a jockeys purse? I'm in the sports business and owned and raced horses for 7 years...but 10% seems a little steep to be a valet, especially if they are already on a track payroll. IMO
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