horse racing football
Evas Boy finished seventh in Saturday's eighth race at Suffolk Downs, but it wasn't any fault of the jockey, even if he is older than dirt. Frank Amonte Sr. did his job; he just had a slow horse. Sooner or later he figures that doing his job will be enough, that he can steer a willing partner with at least a modicum of ability around the racetrack, across the finish line, to the winner's circle and into the history books.
Also a trainer, jockey Frank Amonte Sr. has just one mount.Amonte, you see, is just two months and a few days shy of his 70th birthday, and, the best anybody can tell, no 70-year-old jockey has ever won a race in this country. He is determined to become the first.
"I just want to do it," he said. "How many people do you know who could still do this at my age? I love this sport. I have no problem going on. It's not too different for me now than it was when I was younger because I'm always active. I'm exercising horses and my arms and legs are going all the time. I keep myself in shape. I don't feel like I'm going to be 70. It's just a number."
Then he offers another theory: "I've got to be either crazy or in love," he said. "Which is it? A little of both."
How does he do it?
"You'd have to ask God that question," he said. "I don't know how I do it. It just happened this way."
It was back in 1991 when Amonte set his sights on breaking the record. That was when Willie Clark, a rider at Charles Town, finally retired at age 69, winning two races that year. It is believed that Clark was the oldest U.S. rider to have won a race. Amonte was 56 at the time and figured he had plenty of years left in him. Always riding at small-time tracks and never getting a chance on a top quality horse, Amonte figured this was his chance of doing something special in the sport.
"He's like an iron horse, said his son, Frank Amonte Jr., who is an assistant to trainer Gary Contessa. "My old man just keeps going no matter how many times he gets hurt. A couple of weeks ago he got kicked in the elbow by a horse but that didn't stop him. He's determined to do this."
His biggest problem along the way has not necessarily been age but a dispute with the Massachusetts Racing Commission. Because Amonte is also a licensed trainer, the commission will not let him ride any horses but the ones he trains. Since he trains just one horse, Evas Boy, it's a little hard for him to get mounts.
Amonte says there is no written rule prohibiting a trainer from riding for other horses and believes he will eventually win his fight with the commission. Until then, he will have to make do with just a handful of mounts.
He has had just two mounts this year, both of them on Evas Boy. Last year he had 10 mounts and 11 the year before. His last winner was in 2003.
At the very least, Amonte does not appear to pose a danger to anyone. Old or not, he is a veteran who knows his way around the track and has the admiration of his competitors.
"The other jockeys have a lot of respect for me," he said. "They all call me 'Papa.'"
Amonte's best chance of winning a race should come at the Northampton Fair meet in Central Massachusetts. Because he does not train there, the racing commission allows him to ride other horses for other trainers. The others riders coming in for the bottom-of-the barrel race meet don't exactly remind anyone of Jerry Bailey, so Amonte's services are somewhat in demand.
He said he's confident he can ride several horses during the meet, which starts Sept. 2 and ends Sept. 11. He will be 70 on Sept. 5, which gives him four days of racing to try to ride a winner as a septuagenarian.
Should he fail this year, he says it won't be a problem. Winning a race at 71 would be just as nice. He's willing, young at heart and feeling good. Why stop now?
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