Anthony Reyes

In the early years I remember horses like Mr. Consistency, Candy Spots, Viking Spirit, Hill Rise. My brothers and I used to ride Broomsticks as kids and pretend we were riding one of those horses in a race. My step dad Ralph use to bring us Jockey goggles to use. We use-to-use vines from a bush for our whips.

Some of the riders I grow up watching were Howard Grant, Fernando Toro, Fernando Alvarez, Jerry Lambert, Donald Pierce, Francisco (paco) Mena, Rudy Campas, Rudy Rosales, Danny Velasquez, Frank Olivares, and of course the Shoe Willie Shoemaker. I remember that during big races it seemed that the Shoe and Charlie Whittingham always had the best horse. A lot like Bobby Frankel does today.

The races I remember most were the Native Diver races with Jerry Lambert. They would go to the front and never look back. He was a black horse. Also, the race with Kennedy Road and Cougar II when Shoemaker was removed from Cougar for Laffit Pincay and won by a nose on Kennedy Road. The race with J.O. Tobin against Seattle Slew at Hollywood Park when Seattle Slew was making an appearance and thought to be unbeatable. Hollywood Park was packed that day and Shoemaker went straight to the front with J.O. Tobin and never looked back.

I was fortunate to own two horses in my life Impact and Dixie Style both bought from Cal Fischer at Madera Thoroughbreds. They both broke their maidens at Del Mar. Impact broke his maiden with Chris McCarron in the saddle and Dixie Style with Eddie Delahoussaye. Boy what a treat it was owning these two horses. Impact competed in the Cal Cup twice and ran second in the Cal Cup mile. Impact also won three races at Santa Anita in the meeting of 1994. He also won three races up North with Ron Hansen in the saddle including the Harris Farm II in 1992.

I had the privilege of going to the Kentucky Derby in 1989 with my wife for a week. We went to the Kentucky Horsepark and saw Forego boy what a big horse he was. We also visited the museum at Churchill Downs and listened to replays of some of the great derbies. It was very emotional to replay those great moments. I also had the winner of the Derby that year named Sunday Silence. I still have the tickets uncashed as souvenirs.

Today we seem to be going through a transition in racing with the retirements of Chris McCarron, Eddie Delahoussaye and Laffit Pincay. I miss their riding very much. I won a lot of races with them.