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News • Arkansas • United States • 2013-03-18

Top Oaklawn Jockeys to Attend Special Event During Governor’s Conference on Tourism

Zoie Clift, travel writer

Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

Meet some of the nation’s top jockeys in Hot Springs next week during the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism (March 3-5).

Attendees of the conference have a chance to visit one-on-one with some of Oaklawn’s best riders at “Tips and Tales,” a special event on Monday night (March 4) of the conference. Calvin Borel, Rosemary Homeister Jr., Jon Court, Luis Quinonez, Jenna Joubert and Terry Thompson are among the jockeys that will be mixing drinks and serving them up with a side of “horse tales.” All tips collected at the event benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

“We brainstormed on ways that Oaklawn could be involved in the Governor’s Conference and this kind of came to us,” said David Longinotti, Assistant General Manager of Racing at Oaklawn, on what initiated the idea for the event. “It will be neat for folks from other areas of Arkansas to be able to have a meet and greet with some of the jockeys we have here. This is one of the few states where jockeys are treated like celebrities.”

This is an exciting season for Oaklawn. Calvin Borel is just one victory away from a landmark 5000th career win. Overall, the track is hosting a strong field of riders. “We do have a pretty deep jockey colony this year,” said Longinotti. “We typically do but this one is a little deeper than it has been in the past. We have got some new faces — people like Rosemary Homeister who is the second leading female jockey of all time. This is her first foray into Oaklawn and she is doing quite well. She has certainly made herself very popular with the fans.”

Oaklawn is one of the premier race tracks in the country. Best known as the home of the Racing Festival of the South and the Arkansas Derby, the track has played host to some of the biggest names in the sport including champions Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, and Smarty Jones. The live Thoroughbred horse racing season started in January and the racing action concludes April 13 with the 77th running of the $1 million Arkansas Derby.

Here is some information about the jockeys that will be at “Tips and Tales:\"

Calvin Borel

All eyes have been on Calvin Borel on his quest for his 5000th career win - a feat only 24 other jockeys have ever attained. He is one win away from this historic milestone.Borel reached his 3000th and 4000th win at Oaklawn and hopes to mark number 5000 there as well.

A wrist fracture temporarily sidelined Borel just a few days before opening day at Oaklawn on January 11th. He has just started racing again and will next ride Rose to Gold when she races in the $150,000 Honeybee Stakes March 9.

When he reaches number 5000, the event will be celebrated with free Calvin Borel trading cards for all in attendance that day. The cards will have a color photo on the front and text information on the back along with information about visiting Hot Springs.

In recent years, Borel, a two-time-riding champ at Oaklawn, has become synonymous with Kentucky Derby success, winning the Run for the Roses three times in four years between 2007 and 2010 including with 2010 Arkansas Derby runner-up Super Saver. The Kentucky Derby streak is matched only by riding great Eddie Arcaro – who became a household name by riding Mine That Bird to victory in the 2009 Derby, but then stuck with eventual Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness two weeks later.

Rosemary Homeister, Jr.

Jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. is the second-leading female rider of all time, behind only Julie Krone. The daughter of Rosemary and the late James Homeister, both jockeys themselves, Homeister Jr. has spent her entire life around horses. After taking time off for pregnancy in 2011, she won 125 races in 2012 and is coming off a solid third in the standings at Arlington Park and a top 10 finish at Hawthorne. She is riding at Oaklawn for the first time in her 20-year career.

Homeister has quite a list of credentials to her name, being the first female to win the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in the United States. She is also in the Calder Race Course Hall of Fame.

Jon Court

Veteran jockey Jon Court has ridden horses at numerous racetracks across the U.S. He was a leading rider at Oaklawn in 2000 and was once again among the leaders last year with 25 victories. He was born in Gainesville, Florida, where his family had horses. Inspired by Bill Shoemaker, he began wanting to be a jockey when he was a kid. Court grew up around horses in Florida, but got his start riding in Colorado in 1980. He later rode in Louisiana for many years before setting up shop in the Midwest where he was a perennial leading rider at Ellis Park and Hoosier. He moved to California in 2004 and was among the riders featured in the television show “Jockey” before returning to the Midwest in 2009. Court won the Arkansas Derby in 2011 with Archarcharch and also rode the horse in the Kentucky Derby that year—a milestone as it was his first Kentucky Derby debut. Court’s son also Aaron also races.

Luis Quinonez

Entering his 16th straight season in Arkansas, Jockey Luis Quinonez had a highlight year last season, finishing fourth in the standings with 35 wins and piloting Pin Oak Stable’s Alternation to three straight victories in the Essex, Razorback and Oaklawn Handicaps. Quinonez -- who is from Sinaloa, Mexico -- made his North American debut in 1989 and earned his 3000th win in 2011.He is the oldest of three jockey brothers.

Jenna Joubert

Jenna Joubert was born in Minnesota. Her family owned race horses and she grew up in the realm of racing. She got her start working with horses for Noel Hickey, a family friend in Ocala, Florida.

Her jockey career began in 2007 at Canterbury Park in her home state, which was also the location of her first win. Her first career stakes win – the 2009 John B. Campbell at Laurel Park -- was also the first one for eventual multiple Grade 1 winner Richard’s Kid. Her circuit currently is Oaklawn, Prairie Meadows and Remington Park. This will be her third winter in Hot Springs.

Terry Thompson

A model of consistency over his career, Terry Thompson last won the Oaklawn riding title in 2010, but finished second in both 2011 and 2012. He has more than 2500 wins (he landed his 2000th at Oaklawn in 2007) and was a protégé of Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg at the start of his career in 1992. Today Thompson is among the regular riders for Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, who gave him first Kentucky Derby mount in 2010 aboard Dublin.

\"Tips and Tales\" takes place after the Arkansas Tourism Foundation Auction in Hall A of the Hot Springs Convention Center at 134 Convention Boulevard. For more details on the event or the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism, contact Marla Crider at [email protected] or at 501-682-1120.

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