MY FAVORITE RP MOMENTS OF THE MEET – TB MEET 2012 PART II

By Chris Kotulak
Communications & Broadcast Associate

  In my last post, I intended to address my favorite racing moments of the 2011 TB season, I didn’t quite get around to that, but I know the time and space I used was well-spent. 

As far as my favorite racing moments of the meet, I have many, but in considering time and space, I really need to pare it down to just a few.

In the horse category, I’d have to say it is a dead-heat between two horses:  Now I Know and Ted’s Folly.

 Hollywood simply could not have scripted anything better than what played out this season for Ted’s Folly; and his connections could not have been any more agreeable throughout all meet long.  Of course, why wouldn’t you be agreeable if you were campaigning a dramatic win machine in the process of earning over $330,000?  This was not the first rodeo for trainer Wilson Brown; he’s prone to having a fast and fast-developing two-year-old in his barn.  Wilson and his wife Brenda were as steady as ever from the first win to the sixth.  And what fun it was to always hear the grateful, excited, squeaky voice of jockey Jose Medina.  He’d begin each post-race winners circle interview by thanking God – and Wilson, and owner Steve Martin.  This seems like a good time to congratulate Luis the groom of Ted’s Folly.  He was helpful to me when we swung by the barn to get some video.  My guess is that he was pretty helpful to Teddy.  Teddy is the logical nickname for Ted’s Folly.  I’ll never forget how during the running of the $315,000 Springboard Mile, with five horses lined up racing past the ¼ pole, and the crowd cheering heartily, along came another horse to join the battle - it was Teddy!  I think I heard it before I realized it.  Come on Teddy, Come on Teddy!  That was the scream that rose above them all and it was the primary cry of owner Steve Martin.  I’d heard it a few times in the stretch run of some of his earlier races this season, but never before at such a high decibel-level.  I’m not sure what was more fun, the race, or post race celebration with Steve, his wife Brooke and their friends?  It seemed like that procession to the winners circle grew with each an every race.  Steve got a bit emotional a few times in the post-race interview.  It’s those moments that make me ever so proud that I do what I do.

I picked against her in her first two starts, although I knew all along what could be; I guess I might simply say, Now I Know.  Shame on me!  Countless times in my early days I saw a Don Von Hemel first-time-starter win with aplomb, Now I Know was yet another.  For some goofy reason, I picked against her in her first race versus winners; but I made such a big deal of her pre-race, you’d have thought she was my top pick.  That’s just me being a genius again. 

By the time she won her third-straight race it was evident that a genuine star was in the making.  The real genius is the simple technique, experience, knowledge and class of trainer Don Von Hemel, coupled with the icy-cool power of Perry L. Compton - the consummate journeyman jockey.  Now I Know, DVH, PLC, and their footmen – and women, have proven be a tremendous force.  Don Von is based in Hot Springs, AR and when he is not at the barn, his shed row is in the very capable hands of his assistant Bridget Lambert and longtime DVH exercise rider Allan “The Shadow” Lawrence.  Now I Know has a nasty reputation of being very temperamental and she has been known to buck-off anyone she damn-well-wants, whenever-the-hell she wants.  Now that’s attitude.  She won all four of her RP starts with embarrassing ease and speedy style.  Her co-owner and co-breeder, Wayne Stockseth and his wife Norma Lee, wanted more from their filly and they got it.  They took the Now I Know Show on the road and she was a tour de force in the half-million dollar Delta Princess.  There, at DeD, horse and jockey went to the front and repelled all challenges to win by four lengths.  Now we all know!  Her next stop will be more stakes races at Oaklawn Park.  One of the good things about a Von Hemel runner is that they tend to return to a track where they had success.  So mark your calendars for the Remington Park Oaks in October 2012.  Patience!

I feel like I need to chuck in my Honorable Mentions for the meet, so here they are, in no specific order…

Best Winners Circle Interview - Runner Up:  Local owner, Big Mike Walker tearing up after his Tourmaline won this year’s RP Oaks.  Hey ya big lug; suck it up – you’re making the guy who’s interviewing you tear up too.

Respect Your Elders:  Scrappy Roo finished off the board in his last two starts at the meet, but the 8-yr-old won his first two and that’s good enough for me.  I better not forget Motion Approved who won this year’s Red Earth Stakes at age ten.  Way to go grandpa!

Best New Face:  In my paddock previews I intentionally try to not mention jockey names; it seems to do more bad than good.  For years, my motto has been to only mention someone’s name in a good light.  Problem is, over the years, sometimes my mentions, or misinterpreted or misconstrued mentions, can come back to bite me.  Bite me!  ;) (winky face)  Anyway, jockey Jose Medina might not be new to you, but he is new to me.  Jose really impressed me.  And he would have impressed me even without Ted’s Folly beneath him.  He seemed fearless without being stupid; and I love his enthusiasm.  I am just kicking myself because Jose has this incredible, thick, wild, bushy hair that he must wrestle-down to keep under his bandana.  Just wait til I do remember to ask him to pull that bandana off.  It’ll be like opening up a can of snakes.  Look out Medusa, Medina might be your match. 

Best Old Face: As I said before, I love seeing and working with many of my old friends.  But I feel so blessed (we all should feel this way) to have Don Von Hemel as part of the picture.  I simply have never met a man in horse racing with any more class.  DVH is my idol.  I could write a book on that topic, but I first need to finish the book I’m writing on JVB. 

Most Favorite Event:  My involvement with the Oklahoma TB Hall Of Fame required a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work, but it was all a labor of love.  I haven’t seen John Lively since he rode his last winner at Ak-Sar-Ben.  John is cut from the same cloth as Don Von, so I guess I have two idols.  That night went by way too fast for me.

Favorite Race:  Ted’s Folly’s race gave the Oklahoma Derby a real run-for-the money; let’s call it a dead-heat between the two.  The OK Dby was a very nice field and the finish was one for the ages – kinda like Ted’s Folly’s.  That’s the second dead-heat for Teddy in this blog.

I Finally Got To Meet…  Chris Richard: he trains for some high-profile clients (Maggi Moss and Mattress Mac) and wins races for them.  Chris Hartman: he wins races for anyone.  CR Trout: only wins/trains for himself, but he won at greater than 30%.  I never heard of Francisco Bravo, but I know him now – Viva Chile! 

Most Snake-Bit:  Randy Morse.  Randy’s horse’s always look like a million bucks when they come to the paddock and the man can train winners.  Apparently Lady Luck and Murphy’s Law collided and landed on Randy.  Cheer up and better luck in 2012!

Best On-Air Zinger From Joy Rose:  Occasionally Joy and I have other obligations that prevent us from doing a paddock preview together.  On one such occasion I was tending to a local news woman, a glitzy blonde (not my type) who needed some direction.  I missed the paddock preview without notifying tv control or Joy.  Well, on my way to the paddock, over the speakers, I heard Joy say,  “…Chris Kotulak cant be here right now, he’s chasing after a blonde.”  Good one!  But not true, I was leading her. 

Scariest Moment:  Calling races is like riding a unicycle.  I’ve called nearly 25,000 races, but being a backup announcer aint like being the full-time announcer.  Dale Day went to three Sooner games this year so I stepped into his announcer’s booth each time.  Calling races as a backup (for me) is like skating on thin ice – I just want to quickly get to the other side of the pond.  Dale does a great job and I’m grateful I can fill-in now and then.  I love calling races – but only from my own booth.  Maybe I should have turned on his lava lamp?

Most Surreal Feeling:  On the final week of racing we had a spill on the backstretch that took down three riders.  The track ambulance brought all three riders back at once.  It was a very strange feeling to see all three, blank-faced riders quietly step down from the ambulance.  Cliff Berry wasn’t limping, Shane Laviolette had a slight limp and Benny Landeros need some assistance.  None of them said a word.  It was similar, but not equal to, soldiers returning from battle.  But horse racing can claim lives - and you could just feel how each rider realized they were lucky to have escaped with their own life.

Most Rewarding Feeling – Runner Up:  Following the recognition in the winners circle of Cliff Berry’s 14^th RP Leading Jockey Title, I got to chat with his sweet wife Kim.  As we walked off together, Cliff purposefully informed me that he and his bride (Kim) had been married 28 years.  He said it with happiness and pride.  Now that’s class. 

Most Rewarding Feeling:  Veronica Griggs impressed me as a good horse trainer who had a good meet , but she impressed me as a person way beyond that on closing night.  I’ve stood next to Veronica when her horse is in a race and she can cheer with the best of them when the real running begins.  Well, Veronica was cheering and screaming and whipping while watching her horse fall a neck short of winning.  Veronica was disappointed she lost, but when she realized that it was jockey Stephanie Keever on the horse who beat her, she was all smiles and was first in line to congratulate Stephanie.  It takes a lot to shift moods so quickly like that – or maybe not?  Maybe that kindness comes naturally?   With Veronica, I know it does, and I know she’s not the only one like that.  Ahhhhhhhh, it’s good to be at RP.