I won a lot of titles there. I got suspended
once before I got there when it was only
24 days of racing and I missed days. I was
suspended once in the middle of the meet
one time and still won it. It made me very
proud to do it in a place like Saratoga, the
classiest place in racing in the world. To win
13 out of 14 titles and 11 in a row, that's
the most proud moment for me.
If you had not become a jockey, what
might you have done with your life?
Both of my grandfathers were jockeys
and trainers. Four people on my mother's
side, they were all jockeys and trainers,
and there were 49 on my father's side that
were in racing. The only thing that was
in my mind was the thought of training
horses. Never any other thing because I
was too little for the other sports that I
liked. I wasn't able to practice any of the
sports because I was raised poor and we
didn't have any money to buy equipment.
I grew up with the horses. That was always
in my mind, to be a jockey and a trainer.
Best advice you gave your children?
I gave them a lot of advice: Don't touch
anything that doesn't belong to them.
Whatever they do in life, try to be the best.
Help people when they need help. Try to
stay together and help each other.
To win 13 out of 14 titles
and 11 in a row (at Saratoga),
that's the most proud moment for me."
