Nerves of steel, a need for speed, and the ability to have a special human-animal bond — those are just some of the job requirements for the 15 jockeys at the Assiniboia Downs.
Jockeys have been racing thoroughbreds for more than six decades at the Downs. Currently, the majority of riders at the Downs are from the Caribbean, including leading rider Antonio Whitehall.
“I eat, sleep, dream horses,” Whitehall laughed while speaking with Global News alongside the racetrack. “That’s it. That’s the truth.”
Whitehall has been racing at the Downs for about eight years, and riding for most of his life, in different disciplines. He switched to racing thoroughbreds out of a need for more speed.
“I started doing dressage, then I went to show jumping, and after show jumping, I went to thoroughbreds, I need(ed) more adrenaline rush,” Whitehall said.
The 29-year-old has won two riding titles during his time at the Downs, in 2018 and 2020, and this year he’s looking to gain his title back. In 2020, he finished third among all jockeys in Canada with 117 victories. He’s currently the leading rider at the Assiniboia Downs, and has over 400 wins in his career and over $3.6 million in purses.
But beyond the titles and the trophies, is something that runs deeper: A passion for the horses he rides.
“They’re so powerful, and they’re kind animals, you know. You (form) a bond and a relationship and we do get along. And I just love the horses. Once you start with horses, you’re trapped for life. Trust me,” Whitehall said, adding that there’s nothing like the feeling of crossing the finish line at a full-out gallop.
“When you approach the quarter pole, you got two furlongs to go, and you got so much horse under you, you can feel it, it’s just a huge adrenaline rush,” Whitehall said.
“And as soon as you straighten up and then switch their leads and they give you that huge kick, you just want to get to the wire and it’s a really good feeling, you get so pumped up. You just feel like you’re flying, you know, like you’re superman, that’s the truth.”
Whitehall comes to Winnipeg from Barbados each year, spending about six to seven months living in the accommodations behind the barns and the track, where an entire community exists.
“I think I really fit here perfect, it happened like a dream came true,” he said. “I like the racetrack, I like the people, I got good clients here. It’s just beautiful. It’s just like a second home to me.”
Whitehall said he often rides 10 to 15 horses a morning. Each morning, the jockeys, trainers, grooms, stable hands, and exercise riders are up getting the horses ready to run through their morning paces, operating a well-oiled machine in preparation for race day.
“There (are) many days though that we’re not out of bed before 4:30,” trainer Jared Brown said.
“But it’s a lifestyle. It’s not like work when you’re doing what you like to do.”
For the jockeys, the work doesn’t stop after the morning runs.
“Me personally, I have to go to the gym or go to the sauna, sweat. We’ve got to lose water weight, shed a couple pounds to make the weight for the races,” Whitehall said.
“And I just do a lot of homework: watch back horse races, etc., and do homework on the horses I got to ride.”
There is a sense of both community and competitiveness among the jockeys.
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“I got good sportsmanship. I like the competitive (nature) about it, it’s very competitive,” Whitehall said.
“It brings out the best in you as a rider and it keeps you sharp and focused. (You) can’t slip up, because the other guys want to take your spot too, you know.”
That’s something jockey Jorge Carreno knows all too well.
“Nobody wants to win a race as much as I do. So you got to try harder, buddy,” Carreno laughed.
“(When I get injured) that’s when I come back stronger, because I want to prove that I’m okay to keep going, that I’m here to win 100 per cent. That’s the way I feel. It’s just a passion, I love what I do.”
Carreno, who is from Cocula, Guerrero, Mexico, has been racing at the Assiniboia Downs for two years and riding for two decades. He has won back-to-back riding titles at the Downs in 2021 and 2022. In his career, the 39-year-old has won more 1,600 races and over $18 million in purses.
He said one of the difficult parts of being away from home for so many months is being away from his daughters, but his drive to win is also fuelled by knowing they’re watching and cheering him on.
“This is my passion, this is what I love doing. I know there’s money, (but) I never look at how much the purse is or anything like that. I’m just (thinking about) winning,” Carreno said.
“Of course, I’m not going to win every race, but if (you) had a bad day because you went down out of the gates or something, I’m always thinking tomorrow is going to be better. Tomorrow is going to be better, and it actually happens.”
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