Ashton Fitzpatrick
Ashton Fitzpatrick is a young jockey who I have been in contact for almost a 2 years now. When she became a jockey I told her we would have her on our page. Lo and behold she is a jockey riding down in Maryland and here is her interview.
Chris with Ashton
Fitzpatrick at Pimlico, April, 2003
FOTH: Where were you born
and where did you grow up?
AF: I was born in D.C.
but I grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland.
FOTH: Any brothers or
sisters? What do your parents think of you being a jockey?
AF: Yes I have two older sisters and a younger brother. My
parents don’t love me being a jockey because of how dangerous it is, you know,
typical parent worries, but they support me and they make it out most of the
time to see me ride, they enjoy it a lot.
FOTH: I know you have wanted
to be a jockey. How long did you know you wanted to be one?
AF: I’ve ridden horses for 8 1/2 years, but I knew I wanted to be
a jock when i flipped the channel to the KY Derby of ’99 and saw Chris Antley
and Charismatic and they broke from the gate and I pointed to the screen and
said "woah, that’s awesome, I want to be just like him"
FOTH: Who helped or taught
you how to ride?
AF: Well you have to be 16 to
ride race horses and so before I turned 16 I worked rubbing horses on the
backside for 1 1/2 years for Nancy Heil, and then when I got my gallop license
(the day I turned 16). I started galloping for trainers Eddie and Linda Gaudet.
They’ve taught me an incredible amount and their daughter Lacey and I are very
close friends. Also some jocks that have helped me out immensely are Jeremy
Rose, Vernon Scantling, Walter Cullum, Ryan Fogelsonger, Joe Rocco Jr., Natasha
Bracaloni, really a lot of people help me out. It’s a great atmosphere here in
Maryland.
FOTH: Any other female
riders you like?
AF: Of course the usually named,
Julie Krone, Rosemary Holmeister, they’re awesome. But locally Natasha Bracaloni
(a 7 lb bug here in MD) and Kay Marie Kreidel rides a little bit still, but
other than that that’s it as far as girl riders here in Maryland. But Natasha
and I have known each other for years so we’re really close. Kay helps me out a
lot too.
FOTH: Tell us all about your
1st race. How nervous were you?
AF: Actually to
be honest, everyone was shocked, I never get nervous on a horse, it only makes
them nervous and bad things tend to come out of that happening. I was really
anxious and excited. My first race was actually an amateur race at Laurel Park
in November on a mare named Quality, she ran 4th. Then I rode her back 2 weeks
later in my first 10 lb race and she ran 7’th, both were for MSW.
FOTH: Have you won a race
yet? If so what was the feeling like and did you get creamed with stuff after
the race?
AF: Actually I’ve ridden 30 and won 2.
My first race I won was on Dec. 28 on a horse named Lost City. He paid $73.20 to
win and won by a neck in a photo finish going 1 1/8 miles. He’s a cool horse
because he’s really smooth, and yes they plummeted me afterwards they put it on
the big screen in the infield and on TVG and everything they got me really good,
they even admitted in the room that that was the best they’d seen anyone done in
years. The second race I won was on Jan. 18 on that same mare that I rode my
first two races on, Quality. The trainer had taken me off of her and dropped her
from MSW which I rode her in to M/CL $7,000- and she didn’t run any good for 3
other guys so he put me back on and she broke her maiden by 11 with me. It was a
special win, I’ve always called her my Super Mare from day one. She’s a big
beautiful built mama and got a huge stride, that was the best feeling I’ve ever
had.
FOTH: Do you plan on staying
down in Maryland to ride?
AF: Yes, I just got an
agent last week, Al Dellape, and we plan on staying here.
FOTH: Do you have goals you
want to accomplish?
AF: Just to do the best I can
do and hopefully I’ll do well.
FOTH: Take us through what
you do in a typical day.
AF: Typically i wake up
at 4-4:30 (during winter time training starts at 6 a.m. and summer it’s 5:30) so
i get to Bowie or Laurel, where ever I’m going at first that day, at 6 and start
getting on horses until 10:00 when training is over and head over to the jocks
room, eat and relax and what not, and ride the best I can in the afternoon. Then
I go home and play with my horses and feed and do their stalls, do homework, and
go to sleep.
FOTH: Is being a jockey
harder or easier than you thought?
AF: It’s not
easy at all, very time consuming, stressful, all of the above. But it’s well
worth it. I guess from working on the track for 1 1/2 years before I even
started galloping I sort of expected I knew I guess you could say that it is
going to be a tough job. But never give up.
FOTH: What are some things
you like to do when not at the track?
AF: When I
have time, I spend it with my horses or like during the winter right now me and
some of the other jocks here we all go up to PA after training on Mondays and go
skiing. It’s a blast.
FOTH: Have you had any
problems with any of the male riders?
AF: I get
the usual they call me "the baby" and "little bits" and "youngin" but they’re
just being funny, since I guess I’m technically the baby of the room since I’m
only 16 years old, but to be honest with you Laurel park is one great jocks
room. Everyone gets a long good and they all treat me the same way I treat them,
with respect. They all treat me really well and for the most part they’re mostly
all willing to help me out with anything, they’re like a big family. Really
great guys.
FOTH: Do you do anything
special before going out to ride?
AF: No not
really, usually just look at the form one more time, eat candy, you know same
old stuff, we all make fun of each other, the usual.
FOTH: What goes through your
mind when you are in the gate?
AF: I just wait
for my guy in the gate to say 2 out or 1 out and then I wait for the hollar
"locked up" and look straight ahead and where the metal doors in front of me are
together, and relax, and as soon as that gate opens up 1/2 a millimeter I’m
hustlin’ out of there. It’s such an adrenaline rush!!
FOTH: Thanks for the
interview. Any last words to say?
AF: Thanks for
the interview, and having this site, it’s very helpful and if there’s anything I
can do for it ever, just let me know. Thanks again! Take care!