ANTLEY INSISTS HE'S NOT A HERO - OR THE GOAT.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Horse Racing horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with Chris Antley Christopher W. Antley (January 6 1966 - December 2 2000) was a Champion American jockey. He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida but grew up in Elloree, South Carolina. He left school at sixteen to ride horses professionally at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. isn't sure he saved Charismatic's life. He is certain he didn't cost the colt a Triple Crown. Antley came home to Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may be several places:
Oldest of the three U.S. horse races that constitute the Triple Crown. The Belmont originated in 1867 and is named after August Belmont (see Belmont family). The stakes is held in early June at Belmont Park, near Garden City, Long Island; the course is 1.5 mi (2,400 m). . But the jockey was aware that some in the crowd probably thought his aggressive tactics early in the Belmont wore out Charismatic and caused his third-place finish Noun 1. third-place finish - a finish in third place (as in a race) finish - designated event that concludes a contest (especially a race); "excitement grew as the finish neared"; "my horse was several lengths behind at the finish"; "the winner is the team with the behind long shots Lemon Drop Kid Lemon Drop Kid (foaled 1996) is a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. He is among many stakes-winning Thoroughbreds to be descended from Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. Seattle Slew is the sire of his dam, Charming Lassie. and Vision and Verse. Both might be true. Or neither. Antley said he did what any rider would do. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if I saved Charismatic,'' Antley said Thursday in the Hollywood Park jockeys room. ``I did what my conscience felt. There was no thinking involved.'' He tried to steer Charismatic as straight as possible as he slowed abruptly. Then he jumped to the ground and held the leg so the horse wouldn't put weight on it before veterinarians Veterinarians and veterinary surgeons (vets) are medical professionals who operate exclusively on animals. Well-known and notable veterinarians include:
``I knew the sesamoids (small bones in the ankle) weren't broken, because he wasn't standing on the ankle. I knew (the cannon bone cannon bone the 3rd metacarpal (metatarsal) of the horse, or the 3rd and 4th metacarpals (metatarsals) of ruminants. ) wasn't broken clean through,'' Antley said. ``But I also knew the pain threshold Noun 1. pain threshold - the lowest intensity of stimulation at which pain is experienced; "some people have much higher pain thresholds than do other people" absolute threshold - the lowest level of stimulation that a person can detect that thoroughbreds have. You see so many horses break down and - what do they do? - they go hobbling off.'' What Antley did next might have limited the damage to racing from another televised breakdown: He cried, demonstrating that people in the sport do care about the horses, which might have come as news to nonfans. ``I didn't want that big story to end that way - in disaster,'' Antley said. Letters and e-mail had convinced him Charismatic was ``the people's horse.'' He thought of what the horse's fans must have been feeling. Also, Antley felt a particular bond with Charismatic, because he equated his own comeback from weight problems with the colt's rise from the claiming ranks. The emotions that built up during three rugged weeks of anticipation, TV appearances and soul-searching spilled over in tears. ``Everything just came to a head on Belmont day,'' said Antley, who was worn out and suffering from a cough Thursday. Now that Charismatic's fractures have been surgically repaired, and he's expected to go to stud as a healthy horse, Antley said he's ``not upset anymore.'' But some are upset with Antley for letting Charismatic race within a length of the fast pace set by the filly Silverbulletday. Charismatic had won the Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. and the Preakness with sweeping rallies. Was Antley overanxious o·ver·anx·ious adj. Anxious to an excessive degree. o  ver·anx·i ? Was he determined not to let
Silverbulletday get away?
``I rode him the same way as I did in the other races. It just didn't shape up the same way,'' Antley said Thursday. He said he kept Charismatic on a long rein leaving the starting gate starting gate n. Sports 1. A series of stalls with interconnected doors that open simultaneously at the beginning of a race. 2. and let the colt set his usual pace. In the Derby and the Preakness, other horses surged past, but in the Belmont ``everybody was taking hold.'' ``He was comfortable (dueling for the lead). He was galloping,'' said Antley, noting that front-runners did well at Belmont Park that day. ``I do believe, if (he hadn't been injured), he'd have won by 10 (lengths). ``I can't blame being close (to the pace) for losing the race.'' Unretirement party: Antley will be at Churchill Downs on Saturday to ride Silver Charm against Victory Gallop in the Stephen Foster Handicap The Stephen Foster Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in mid June at the end of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet in Louisville, Kentucky. The Stephen Foster Handicap is run on the dirt at a distance of one and one-eighth miles. and to take part in the track's Kentucky Derby Alumni Day celebration. Antley won the Derby aboard Strike the Gold in 1991 and then aboard Charismatic. Antley said he was first contacted about the event in November - when he'd been sidelined for a year with weight problems. The invitation said he would be honored among ``retired jockeys.'' He has saved the invitation and hung it on his refrigerator - ``my danger zone'' - as a motivator. Recently, another invitation arrived, making no mention of Antley's supposed retirement. The weekend: SundTay's $350,000 Shoemaker Mile drew exactly the kind of major U.S. turf horses Hollywood Park envisioned when it raised the race's purse in 1996. But those U.S. stars - including Brave Act, Hawkley Hill, Ladies Din and Lord Smith - will have to beat Argentine import Chullo. Before the trip to North America and a 15-month layoff caused by physical problems, Chullo won six of eight starts and more than $500,000, his victories including the Argentine Derby by four lengths over Lazy Lode. Chullo, a 5-year-old ridden by Chris McCarron, could be the latest South American star for trainer Richard Mandella. ``He might be a real super horse,'' said Mandella, whose South Americans have included Gentlemen, Sandpit, Siphon siphon (sī`fən, –fŏn), tube through which a liquid is lifted over an elevation by the pressure of the atmosphere and is then emptied at a lower level. , Romarin, Memo, Malek and Puerto Madero. Mandella appears to be out of his deep slump. He has saddled a winner each of the past four days at Hollywood Park. A lot to pick from: Hollywood Park will guarantee a $1 million pick-six pool on Sunday, and there's no mandatory payout, so a Wednesday carryover is possible. The pick-six, on races 5 through 10, drew almost 10 horses a race. A WEEK AT THE RACES At The Races is a British television channel, originally co-founded with Channel 4, but now owned by a partnership between British Sky Broadcasting, Arena Leisure PLC and 28 (out of the 59) UK racecourses. Hollywood Park leaders: Jockeys (through Wednesday): Alex Solis, 30 wins; David Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the and Emile Ramsammy, 23; Garrett Gomez, 22; Laffit Pincay, 19. Trainers: Ron McAnally, 18; Julio Canani, 10; Ted West, 9; Bob Hess Jr. and John Sadler, 8. Handicapper hand·i·cap·per n. Sports & Games 1. One who assigns handicaps. 2. One who predicts the winners in a horserace, especially one who publishes such predictions as a guide for bettors. Noun 1. helper: Win bettors are getting more than their money's worth from leading trainers McAnally (profit: 83 percent) and Canani (profit: 77 percent). But not from leading rider Solis (loss: 25 percent). On the stakes schedule: At Hollywood Park: Saturday, $100,000 Valkyr Handicap, California-bred fillies and mares 3 and up, 5-1/2 furlongs on turf; Sunday, $250,000 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile on turf, and $125,000 Super Diamond Handicap, California-bred 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles. At Belmont Park: Saturday, $350,000 Brooklyn Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/8 miles. At ChTurchill Downs: Saturday, $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/8 miles. Mileposts: This Triple Crown thing seems to be catching on: Hollywood Park handled $21.8 million in wagers Saturday to set a Belmont Park-day record for the track - after setting Kentucky Derby- and Preakness-day records in May. Each day's betting made Hollywood Park's all-time top 10. . . . Strub winner Event of the Year has been retired and will go to stud in 2000 at breeders/owners John and Betty Mabee's Golden Eagle Farm near San Diego. The Mabees considered trying to bring the 4-year-old back to racing after his knee injury heals. . . . Solis, who is from Panama, and Iggy Puglisi, who is from Argentina, skipped Thursday's Hollywood Park races so they could complete the process of becoming U.S. citizens. . . . Cash Asmussen, subbing for Corey Nakatani, won an international jockeys' competition in Sweden this week. He beat Laffit Pincay, Kent Desormeaux and others. Pincay rode a winner to bring him within 83 of Bill Shoemaker's record 8,833. . . . Pincay, Desormeaux, Eddie Delahousaye, Chris McCarron and Chris Antley will be part of Kentucky Derby alumni-day ceremonies Saturday at Churchill Downs. . . . The county-fairs racing season starts next week with the opening of Stockton on Wednesday. . . . Nakatani is two victories away from No. 2,000. . . . New face in the Hollywood Park jockeys room: Greg Childs, 37, one of the leading riders in Australia. . . . Gary Stevens rode three winners in his first week in England. He was third aboard Beat All in the Epsom Derby and had three second-place finishes on that Saturday card. . . . Puerto Madero worked a half-mile in :47 3/5 Tuesday to stay on target for the June 27 Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions. . . . . Hollywood Park favorites are winning at a high 37.5-percent clip. . . . Maui Bopper knows her place: The claiming filly has finished second in nine of her past 10 races. . . . Standardbred Standardbred Breed of light horse developed in the U.S., primarily for harness racing. The foundation sire was an English Thoroughbred imported in 1788; his progeny were bred with other breeds, especially the Morgan, to produce speedy trotters and pacers. great Niatross died at age 22. Niatross was the first to pace a mile under 1:50 and woTn 37 of 39 starts before retiring in 1980. And his offspring have earned more than $57 million. - Kevin Modesti CAPTION(S): Box Box: A WEEK AT THE RACES (See text) |
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