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Originally Posted by Storm Cadet
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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For their 10% they hang your silks at your box in order of horses you ride , they clean all your goggles with pledge and usually set your helmet up for the next race(most jocks have 2 ). They also set your big or little saddle depending on the weight you have to make and at the end of the day they clean your boots and saddle. There is a person in the jocks rooms who does all the laundry and the valets sort it out the next day and give each jock their stuff.
Valets also provide shampoo and shower things such as soap and towels and shower slippers ( dont wanna get any foot funk) and really good valets try and provide extra stuff whatever that might be.
Some valets (the really good ones) could have the top 3 or 4 riders in the standings , usually when you start as a valet they give you the lower rung jocks and you work your way up , if you so desire.
There is a guy here at Santa Anita who retired after 25 years as a valet and his pension is 4000.00 a month , thats some pretty good ching if you ask me.