They’re Ready to Take Reins

Like many jockeys at Hollywood Park, newcomer Jason Lumpkins sees the imminent retirement of Chris McCarron through different prisms.

“I was saddened,” Lumpkins said, “because Chris is a great jockey, a nice guy and someone who’s made a lot of contributions to the sport. When I was younger, I would watch Chris ride in all those Kentucky Derbys and say to myself that I would like to be in his shoes some day. I wish Chris and his family nothing but the best.

“But also, Chris’ leaving might open some doors for the rest of us. Maybe I can get my foot in one of those doors, and kick some of the marbles around.”

Lumpkins, that rare Northern California jockey who threatened the long-running dominance of Russell Baze the last two years, had already made the decision to compete in the Southland before McCarron said last Saturday that this Sunday would be his career finale. Likewise, Kevin Krigger, an 18-year-old apprentice, had arrived locally weeks ago, well before McCarron’s stunning announcement. But now these two riders--Lumpkins, the well-traveled 32-year-old journeyman, and Krigger, the teenager from the Virgin Islands--find themselves on the fringe of a talent pool that will have one fewer Hall of Fame jockey to contend with.

“Even without Chris,” Tony Matos said, “this is still the toughest jockey colony in the world.”

Matos, who has been booking mounts for the country’s top jockeys for more than 30 years, represents Krigger and Victor Espinoza, who is on the cusp of a career breakout after winning this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness aboard War Emblem.

Of the three remaining Hall of Fame riders, Laffit Pincay is 55, Eddie Delahoussaye is 50 and Gary Stevens is a 39-year-old with 60-year-old knees, but it would be a fallacy to suggest that what McCarron is leaving behind is a collection of superannuated graybeards. In truth, the Southern California riding colony is rife with a skilled group of jockeys still in their 30s. They are either riding at the peak of their powers, or fast approaching the day when they might take their game to the next level.

Merely because of mathematics, McCarron’s departure figures to hasten that process. “No question,” said jockey agent Tom Knust, “that trainers are going to have more choices.”

Knust books mounts for Kent Desormeaux, who at 32 was on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year. Besides Stevens, Desormeaux and Espinoza, other heavy hitters in their 30s include Pat Valenzuela, Alex Solis, Mike Smith, Corey Nakatani, David Flores and Garrett Gomez. The list is so deep that riders such as Martin Pedroza and Jose Valdivia Jr.--who’s only 27--must work overtime to keep their identities. And the competition is so keen that all it takes is one slump--see Tyler Baze, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice for 2000--to fall from consciousness.

Valenzuela, 39, has been in trouble with California racing authorities because of drug problems, but he has reinvigorated himself once more and is currently atop the leaderboard at the Hollywood Park meet with almost 50 wins. Since 1992, Solis, 38, has won 15 riding titles at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar.

Smith, 36, won Eclipse Awards in 1993-94, and was the regular rider for horse-of-the-year champions Holy Bull and Skip Away, but his career dead-ended after a 1998 spill at Saratoga, where he broke two vertebrae. Smith, who had been based in New York, began riding at Hollywood Park in May of last year. This year, his mounts, who have included Proud Citizen, Azeri and the now-retired Snow Ridge, have earned $3.2 million.

“Mike did the right thing,” Knust said. “He saw that the guys at the top out here--Laffit, Delahoussaye and Chris--had some age on them and decided to take a shot.”

For Southern California jockeys, there’s a high pitch to every race, even when a $21,000 five-furlong sprint for maiden 2-year-old fillies is run before what looks like an exclusive crowd on a midweek afternoon at Hollywood Park. At the 16th pole in what became a two-horse race, it appeared that after the veteran Gomez and his mount, Shesafortunatecat, ranged up on the outside flank of the youngster Krigger and his horse, Humorous Lady, they would sail on by and win easily. Gomez had even opted for Shesafortunatecat, the 7-10 favorite, after having ridden Humorous Lady to a third-place finish in her career debut two weeks before.

But Krigger found another gear for Humorous Lady, and they hung on tenaciously for a narrow win. It didn’t hurt that Humorous Lady, because of Krigger’s apprentice standing, was carrying 114 pounds, five fewer than Shesafortunatecat.

Krigger, who is a string bean 5-foot-4 at 106 pounds, will lose his apprentice weight allowance in November and cross that scale when he comes to it. Meantime, he is rolling up wins in impressive quantities at Hollywood Park. Last week, he had a three-win day there, and Humorous Lady gave him his 16th victory of the meet, good for ninth place in the standings.

“I like competition,” Krigger said, “and one of the reasons I left Thistledown [in Cleveland] was to become a better rider. The better the competition, the more it tests your ability, and I like that.”

His trip from Ohio to Santa Anita and Hollywood Park was not nonstop. Early this year, Krigger dropped in on the meet at Golden Gate Fields, where he registered 54 wins--competing against Russell Baze and Lumpkins--before a chipped elbow, suffered in a spill, sent him home to Saint Croix. While recuperating, Krigger was told by Paul Nicolo, the clerk of scales at Golden Gate, that Matos might be interested in taking over his book in Southern California. Matos had already watched the kid ride on tape, and after one phone conversation they hooked up.

“Kevin has natural talent,” said Julio Felix, another Thistledown jockey. “He just needs a little guidance. He remembers what you teach him.”

Matos figures there’s no better place to learn than in the local maelstrom.

“The better the circuit, the more a young rider can learn the techniques,” Matos said. “I hope Pincay and Delahoussaye never retire, because riding alongside them can only make Kevin and Victor better riders. The other Lakers are better because they play alongside [Shaquille O’Neal] and Kobe [Bryant], and it’s the same way at the track. Laffit and Eddie might be trying to beat Kevin every race they ride against him, but they can become his assets too.”

Like Krigger, Lumpkins came to California from Thistledown, where he had racked up 14 riding titles. Trainer Wayne McDonnell, once the agent for the late Ron Hansen, told Lumpkins that he was good enough to make the move from Ohio to Bay Meadows and Golden Gate. During almost two years at the Bay Area tracks, Lumpkins hung up enough wins to threaten the stranglehold that Russell Baze has had on that circuit for about 20 years. In April, Lumpkins had a six-win day at Bay Meadows for the second time, and finished the meet last Sunday with 73 wins, 26 fewer than Baze. Lumpkins won 264 races last year, finishing 16th nationally, and with 141 wins he ranks eighth in the country this year.

Working with Northern California agent Dennis Patterson, Lumpkins rode four races at Hollywood Park on Wednesday, but he will return to the Inglewood track only sparingly the rest of the meet, before tackling the Del Mar season full-time starting July 24. Lumpkins will be testing a circuit that wasn’t particularly kind to Russell Baze for three years in the 1980s.

“I know it’s going to be super-tough,” Lumpkins said, “but already I’m tired of chasing Baze where I am, so it’s worth a try. I’m going to work hard and see what happens. It’s very important that I get off to a good start at Del Mar. If that happens, maybe some of the business will shift my way.”

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Changing Times

The Southern California jockey colony in March, 1978, when Chris McCarron started to ride regularly on the circuit, and at the Hollywood Park meet in June, 2002. McCarron announced his retirement last week and will have his final mounts Sunday at Hollywood Park:

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