Mahoning Valley Jockeys, Seeking Mount Fee Increase, Opt NotTo Ride On Cold Day In Ohio

Winter storms and a deep freeze from Texas to the Northeast led to the cancellation of live racing on Monday at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla., Mahoning Valley Racecourse in Youngstown, Ohio, and Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa.

At Mahoning Valley, “frustration” in the jockey colony over a desire to increase mount fees may have just as much to do with the cancellation as the weather. Equibase, the industry's official database, reported "weather" as the reason for the cancellation. Horses were reported to be in the paddock for the first race at Mahoning Valley on a cold and windy day with temperatures in the teens when the races were cancelled.

Owner-trainer Robin Schuster, posting on the Mahoning Valley Racecourse Horseman's page on Facebook, wrote, “Pony people tacked and suited up for the day. Owners drive from wherever to watch their horses run. Horses shipped in from wherever. Every single animal in today treated with Lasix. $1,000s of dollars and endless hours lost today by people that had ZERO clue that the jocks were going to go on strike today. People that for the most part, myself included, would most likely 100 percent go for our riders to get a pay increase. ... I respect that you all stuck together and took a stand today, but whoever instructed you to screw over the horseman in this particular manner should be ashamed of

themselves.”

Schuster added that track condition was not a problem.

Terry Meyocks, president and CEO of the Jockeys’ Guild, said the jockeys’ decision not to ride was based on “frustration” over mount fees combined with the cold weather they faced.

“I was unaware until after the fact,” Meyocks said of the decision by the jockey colony, which he said includes a number of non-Guild members. He said the Guild’s regional director, Herbie Rivera Jr., called him after the cancellation to tell him what happened and that a conference call was scheduled with Dave Basler, executive director of the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

Jockeys at Mahoning Valley currently receive $75 on losing mounts and they are seeking an increase to $100, plus a written agreement, which Meyocks said they currently do not have. He said their last increase was in 2015.

Jeff Jarvis, an owner director of the Ohio HBPA, said the issue of jockey mount fees did not come up at the most recent Ohio HBPA board meeting Jan. 16.

“If the jockeys representative has been in discussions with anyone, it’s unbeknownst to the OHBPA BOARD!!” Jarvis wrote on the Mahoning Valley Racecourse Horseman's page. "To create a work stoppage without fair negotiations is unprofessional. I have spoken to others on the board, and none were aware of a request for increase. This is not fair and being held ransom for pay raises is unacceptable.”