Jockeys Are Threatening a Strike on Jan. 1

Contract negotiations between the Jockeys’ Guild and the Thoroughbred Racing Assns. tracks were at a standstill after a three-hour session in New York Friday, leaving open the possibility that many of the country’s jockeys won’t ride at Santa Anita or other tracks on Jan. 1.

A week-old proposal from the tracks regarding jockeys’ accident and health insurance was not accepted by the guild. Apparently the only movement by the tracks was to extend their deadline, which had been Friday.

“We’ve extended the discussions into next week, but we still need (an agreement) well ahead of the end of the year,” said Brian McGrath, commissioner of the TRA.

McGrath and John Giovanni, national manager of the Jockeys’ Guild, said that another meeting is not scheduled, but they have agreed to talk by phone on Tuesday. The current three-year contract expires on Dec. 31.

“The wording (on the jockeys’ television rights) is still a big obstacle,” Giovanni said. “And the dollars the tracks are spending annually on premiums ($1.7 million) are the same as the current contract. That left the guild to pay an $800,000 deficit in 1993. The tracks are not optimistic about the idea of running an extra race at each track each year, with the proceeds going toward insurance. The money offer on the table would bleed us the next three years if we agreed to it.”

The tracks’ proposal was said to be “final,” and McGrath indicated Friday that it still is.

“This is our best offer, and I’m still hopeful,” McGrath said. “We’ve doubled the coverages, and in this economic environment, that’s doing something. The jockeys are sincere, but they have to face the fact that there’s not a big potful of money out there in racing--for them or anybody.”