McCarron Surprised Record Held Up 15 Years

After hearing that Kent Desormeaux had broken his 15-year-old record of 546 winning rides in one year, Chris McCarron sent a telegram congratulating the rider Marylanders know as “Superman” or “The Kid.”

“It surprised me it lasted this long,” McCarron said from Hollywood Park, where he is riding. “Nowadays you can ride seven days a week. The probability of it getting broken got greater each year. I’m proud it lasted this long.”

Then, obviously kidding, he said, “I’d like to borrow a quote from John Longden when (Bill) Shoemaker broke his record (of 6,000-plus career winners). ‘I knew it must have taken a hell of a man to break it. Because it took a hell of a man to set it.’ ”

Three weeks ago as McCarron waited to ride Sunday Silence to victory in the $3-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park in Florida, he relaxed and talked about Desormeaux, his apparent successor.

McCarron took the record in stride in 1974 when he established it while riding at Laurel Race Course. But two years later he switched to Southern California, and he bought one of those “vanity” plates for his car with the legend “546 WINS.”

The tags are not on one of his cars now, but they are among his trophies.

He acknowledged that the record gave him a great deal of satisfaction through the years and that he, in the same manner as Desormeaux, had set it as a goal long before the big day.

Eddie Kinlaw, his agent, had said that Sandy Hawley’s record of 515 winners set at Laurel the year before, 1973, was easily attainable with a little luck, no falls and some day-night riding.

McCarron said he could relate to Desormeaux’s drive to excel.

“I’m very happy for him that he’s going to break this record because he set a goal for himself a couple of years ago,” McCarron said while he was at Gulfstream Park.

“When I was there (in Maryland) visiting for one of the races, I asked him when he was going to move out of Maryland and he said, ‘Not until I break your record,’ so its been a goal of his for a couple of years now.

“He’s set his sights on it and he’s worked very hard this year to get it and things have fallen in place for him. I’m really very happy for him that he’s going to accomplish it.”

McCarron had excelled in Maryland, just as Desormeaux has, but he learned much more when invading California, and he thinks Desormeaux can also improve when he makes the inevitable move.

“I’m very impressed with his style of riding,” McCarron said. “He gets a lot of run out of horses. He’s a good, strong finisher, has a very aggressive style. He likes to ride a (rival) horse very close, but he knows when to cross and when not to cross the fine line.”