Santa Anita Looking for Jockeys : Horse racing: Replacement riders might be necessary if agreement is not reached before midnight Saturday in national health and accident insurance dispute.

Cliff Goodrich, president of Santa Anita, said Monday that the track is making arrangements to find replacement riders if many of the regular jockeys don’t ride Sunday because of a national dispute with Thoroughbred Racing Assns. tracks over health and accident insurance.

At a news conference attended by both sides in the stalled negotiations between the Jockeys’ Guild and the tracks, Goodrich also said Santa Anita’s business would be affected by the absence of important jockeys. Chris McCarron, who was also present at the conference, and other leading riders are not expected to ride if a new insurance contract is not signed. The existing contract runs out at midnight Saturday.

“Without the regular jockeys, it would affect attendance to some degree, and handle to a greater degree,” Goodrich said.

During a 12-day jockey walkout at Aqueduct in 1988, betting dropped $10 million.

There are more than 450 jockeys licensed to ride thoroughbreds and quarter horses in California, and trainers at Santa Anita would be able to draw from this pool, as well as from out-of-state riders.

“If I can’t get the jockey I want to ride my horse, then I’ll go to the next best available,” horse owner Ed Friendly said. “The jockeys are negotiating with the wrong parties. It would be unconscionable for the jockeys to strike because the TRA has nothing to do with racing in California, where the jockeys are viewed as employees, not independent contractors, and where the horse owners pay for workers’ compensation to cover them.”

The TRA is a trade group that represents 40 tracks in the United States and Canada.

McCarron attended the conference after returning to Santa Anita from a nearby hospital, where X-rays of his bruised ribs were negative. McCarron and two other riders were injured after a horse broke down in the first race.

“That’s an example of why we need better insurance,” jockey Alex Solis said.

The executive board of the Jockeys’ Guild, which includes McCarron, was scheduled to conduct a telephone conference call Monday night. Brian McGrath, commissioner of the TRA, said he would be willing to talk with the guild later this week, but no meetings are scheduled. McGrath reiterated that the TRA’s proposal, made on Nov. 6, is “our best and final offer.”

The TRA has been willing to pay $1.7 million toward jockeys’ insurance premiums but has rejected a guild proposal to deduct one-tenth of 1% from betting, which the jockeys say would raise between $9 million and $10 million.

“I don’t even think we’re discussing insurance, we’re discussing broadcast rights,” McCarron said. “The issue is what value there is to the jockeys’ broadcast rights. When that signal is sent out, for nationally televised races and simulcast races, I’ve assigned my rights and that should mean something. I know it’s far-fetched and sounds crazy, but if the jockeys rode in masks and nobody knew who they were, it’d be interesting to see what the effect would be on the handle.”

The TRA has offered to increase the jockeys’ accident coverage, including a jump from $50,000 to $62,500 for medical and surgical coverage.

“If you break your pelvis, that’s good for about two months,” jockey Corey Nakatani said.