Court Not Slowing Down

Through the first 13 days of the 31-date meet, Court has won on 10 of his 57 mounts to trail only defending meet-leader Corey Lanerie’s 16 victories. Didiel Osorio, who won the 2015 Ellis title, also has 10 wins. Court is second to Lanerie in purse earnings, $291,289 to $256,704, which includes Court finishing third in Saturday’s Don Bernhardt aboard 74-1 shot Etruscan.

“Things have just come together pretty good,” said Court, who earned his 600th and 601st Ellis Park victories on opening day. “We felt good about coming into the meet. We didn’t have a predominant amount of horses, but we had enough and we picked some right spots — some not so right. It can change any day. So you’ve just got to keep a positive outlook, keep showing up. That’s half the battle.”

What goes into having a big meet?

“Good horses,” Court said. “And good working ethic.”

So it wasn’t coincidence that Court and agent Steve “Big Steve” Krajcir were hunted down shortly after 7 in the morning at Churchill Downs, the jockey working horses for trainers and the agent making his rounds of the barns. Having had a business relationship for some time, the men even worked together in a backstretch interview.

“Good horses, be out in the mornings,” Krajcir said, following up on Court’s answer.

“Dedication. Committed,” Court added.

Krajcir: “Trying to stay loyal to your people.”

Court: “Staying healthy. Being careful on the boat.”

The last comment was a reference to Court fracturing three ribs in a tubing mishap last summer that delayed his start at the Ellis meet.

“I’m just a little careful,” Court, 56, said cheerfully. “I get a little excited in my playtime when I’m skiing and riding a tube with family and friends. I like to recreate pretty hard, too. So I’m being careful and keeping the focus on my job and being healthy.”

Krajcir at this point saw trainer Mark Danner — for whom Court rides the very nice Indiana-bred mare She Mabee Wild — driving by and hollered, “6 o’clock tomorrow, right?” — in reference to an early-morning workout.

Of course, being loyal is no guarantee for success if a stable doesn’t have the right stock.

“You have to ride the ones who aren’t the good horses, the cheaper horses,” Krajcir said. “But you keep riding for them knowing something is going to come back around. You ride that wave when you get some good horses.

“We’re going to ride for our people. And when you good, all of a sudden other people call you. It kind of snowballs. When you start out good, you get a little more business. The phone rings more, and it’s a good thing to have — to be able pick a spot.”

Agreed Court: “Some of the guys rally around you that you haven’t ridden for in years, even decades. You jump up and win a few races for those guys, it just leaves a good feeling with them and they never forget.”

“It’s 7:31, you better go,” Krajcir told Court, ending the conversation with the reminder that the jockey had yet another horse to work.

Bridgmohan spending first summer in Kentucky

Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan for the first time is riding regularly at Ellis Park. In past years, Bridgmohan would go from Churchill Downs’ spring meet to Saratoga, except for the year he rode at Arlington Park before relocating his tack to Kentucky.

Brigmohan has won 3,019 races — including 16 Grade 1 races — and more than $126.7 million in purses in a career dating to 1997. His presence gives the Ellis Park jockeys’ room two former Eclipse Award-winning riders. Bridgmohan was voted North America’s outstanding apprentice in 1998, six years before Brian Hernandez Jr. won the same award.

The decision between Saratoga and Ellis came down to where he could win the most races, Bridgmohan said. Still, the choice was not the no-brainer it is for some riders, because Bridgmohan has a home in Saratoga Springs as well as in the Louisville area. In fact, while he’s riding in Kentucky, his wife and kids are spending the summer in upstate New York.

“I got off to a good start down there,” Bridgmohan said of Ellis Park. “I was going to go where I had my best opportunity, and it just seems like staying home this summer gives me a better chance.”

One of Bridgmohan’s main outfits is Brad Cox, who is Ellis’ meet-leading trainer with a 10-for-20 record. Bridgmohan has won two races for Cox, a $40,000 maiden race and $41,000 allowance race.

“He’s having a phenomenal meet,” Bridgmohan said. “Everything is working out…. I ride the better races and ride some good stock. I think it’s a good place to be, three days a week and obviously you can ship around and go other places. It’s kind of a relaxing summer, not that grind of six days a week like I’m used to at Saratoga — a different pace.”

Bridgmohan said for a Kentucky-based jockey, the chances of landing the mount on a good young horse are at least as good at Ellis Park as they are Saratoga.

“You’ve seen it over the years, not bad stock coming out of Ellis,” he said. “And the stock is definitely getting better and better.”

Bridgmohan’s new agent is Liz Morris, who also handles lining up mounts for Jack Gilligan.

“I’ve always admired her work ethic,” said Bridgmohan, who rode with Morris when both were at Arlington Park in 2005. “I think she does a really good job. She has a good mind for it, too, and obviously works hard at it.”

Morris rode from 2003 into 2008, her last mount and last win coming at Ellis Park. Before riding races, she worked her way up from hot walker to groom to foreman and assistant trainer. But before that, she majored in biology in college with designs on veterinary school.

“I was going to become a horse vet, and decided to be a jockey instead,” she said. “I was introduced to the racetrack from working for a vet. I said, ‘Oh, wow, that’s something I want to do.’ Since I’ve been an athlete since I was 5 and played soccer, I wanted to combine my athleticism with animal cognition, which I thought I’d get from being a vet and I got that more from being a jockey.”

After getting tired of making riding weight with her 5-foot-5 1/2 height, Morris became an agent. “I always wanted to be an agent,” she said. “But it was at my time and pace. I’ve been ‘hustling book’ for about nine years now with various riders all over North America.”

Morris has been in Kentucky since last fall, when she was at the Keeneland sale and a couple of trainers suggested she take Gilligan’s book (racetrack parlance for working as a jockey’s agent). “I watched him ride, liked what I saw,” she said. “He’s 20 years old, and I think he has a big future.”

Gilligan finished third in the Turfway Park winter meet standings with 40 victories and narrowly missed having the earnings title.

“I have a nice balance,” Morris said. “I have a young up-and-coming rider who is eager to please, and I’ve got a nice established rider, a graded-stakes race rider. So I’m very excited about that.”

Upcoming promotions

Friday: Meet the Announcer – Sign up for a chance to meet announcer Jimmy McNerney and hang out in his booth while he calls a race. Contact Brianna Vitt at bvitt@ellisparkracing.com for more information or to sign up. Food Truck Day — July 28 only. Food trucks featuring an array of original food items will be positioned in the parking lot just outside the track.

Saturday: “Making of a Racehorse: Let’s Get Started” – The weekly fan-education program returns every Saturday through August with the goal of showing the public what goes on in the mornings to get horses ready for the afternoon. The free, family-friendly event begins at 7:30 a.m. Central by the starting gate positioned for schooling in the mile chute, with plenty of parking in the south end of the lot. Learn how horses are taught to break from the gate, with kids getting the chance to stand in the gate when its unoccupied. From there we go to the backside for a visit with a changing menu of horsemen and racing officials. This Saturday’s guests: trainer Jason Barkley, apprentice jockey Rayan Gazader and horse identifier Melinda Vest, and of course Ellis starter Scott Jordan. Sponsored by Ellis Park and the Kentucky HBPA. Contact Jennie Rees at tracksidejennie@gmail.com for more information.

“Inside Track with Joey K. and Jimmy Mac” — Join analyst Joe Kristufek and announcer Jimmy McNerney every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Central in the clubhouse’s second-floor Gardenia Room as they handicap the afternoon’s races. Free with programs, coffee and donuts available to participants. Watching it live on Ellis Park’s Facebook page.

Junior Jockey Club — Kids between 5 and 12 can sign up to be the week’s designated Junior Jockey, serving one race as the honorary paddock judge and telling the jockeys “Riders up!” then watching the race from the winner’s circle. Contact Brianna Vitt at bvitt@ellisparkracing.com for more information or to sign up.

Sunday: Furniture Day, July 30 only. Register for a chance to win a cool piece of furniture after every race. Sponsored by Utley Distributors, Aaron’s Henderson, Business Equipment and Pat Morgan Insurance.

Value Day: Every Sunday enjoy substantial savings on draft beer ($2 for 16 ounces), hotdogs and 12-ounce Coke products ($1.25) and chips and peanuts ($1).

Kids on the Track: Kids 12 and under square off in heats by age group for foot races on the racetrack, the winners getting a pair of jockey goggles and all the fame they can stand. Simply meet in the winner’s circle after the last race every Sunday during the live meet.

Aug. 20 live-money Bluegrass Tournament: Ellis Park is back with a handicapping tournament, this a live-money event presented by AmWager. Entry fee is $500 ($200 to prize money and $300 bankroll), betting minimum of $20 on each of 10 races from Ellis Park’s card and optional races to be announced. Top four finishers get trip to 2018 National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas, plus hotel and airfare up to $500. Top 10 finishers earn prize money. Register at www.amwager.com/bluegrasstournament.