Kaymarie Kreidel
I had only met Kaymarie Kreidel one time and that was when she came to ride one day at the very last Garden State Park meet in May of 2001. I had a picture taken with her that day and I used to see in the racing form that she usually rode down in the Virginia/Maryland area. So I figured this was one pic that was never gonna be signed.
I was lucky to have a weekend off in August and imagine my surprise when I saw Kaymarie was listed to ride at Delaware Park which is where Jim and I were going to be spending our Saturday afternoon. Armed with a tape recorder, some questions scribbled on small pieces of paper, and my pic for her to sign we headed to Delaware Park. After the 3rd race as Kaymarie was heading back to the jock's room I called her over to sign my picture. After explaining to her about our jockey site, Kaymarie was more than happy to do an interview. After a quick shower she, Jim and I sat down on a bench and I turned on my tape recorder and this proved to be a very interesting chat with this very nice jockey.
Kaymarie Kreidel on a visit
to Garden State Park, 2001
Chris: Where were you born and where did you grow up? Any brothers or sisters?
Kaymarie: I was born in Tampa, Florida. When I was 4 years old we moved to Maryland and I grew up near Delaware Park and actually got my 1st galloping job here at Delaware Park when I was 16 years old. I have a younger brother who is 4 years younger than me.
Chris: What did you want to be when you grew up?
Kaymarie: Actually I wanted to ride in the Olympics. (laughs) I wanted to be an Olympic rider. My 2nd choice was a vet as I ended up being a jock. Nothing in my dreams at all.
Chris: Were you close with your parents while you were growing up and what did they think of you being a jockey?
Kaymarie: I am very close to my parents and they supported me 100% behind being a jockey and unfortunately the 1st time my mother and brother came to see me ride was when I had a bad spill here at Delaware Park. They support me riding, but they will never come watch me ride. I can only tell them about my races after I have rode in them.
Chris: What events lead to you being a jockey? What was it like getting up on a horse for the 1st time?
Kaymarie: Pure accident actually. I grew up riding show horses all my life and passed a farm and I just sold my pony and I saw these horses out in a field so I pulled in a driveway and I said "Can I ride your horses"? And they were like "these are race horses" and I am like "so can I ride your horses"? And they got me my 1st job at Delaware Park. Getting up on a race horse was actually to me no different from any other horse. It was just excitement and they are very intense.
Chris: How long did you gallop/exersise horses before becoming a jockey? Did you always want to become a jockey at this point.
Kaymarie: Pretty much wanted to become a jockey. I galloped like 2 or 3 summers and then 2 full years of galloping before I became a jockey.
Chris: Any jockeys you liked or talked to while you were galloping horses to get advice and stuff?
Kaymarie: I take advice from just about anybody that is a journeyman (jockey that is no longer an apprentice-Chris) because they all have different little techniques they use. When one jock uses one thing it might help me, but then some jock might give an opinion that won't help me. So I'll just take advice from all journeyman.
Chris: Any special trainers or owners that helped you out? How did you learn to ride?
Kaymarie: I got my jock's license through the Bonifaces at The Bonita Farm they were the ones that got me my jock's license and got me my 1st ride and got my started and everything. The jock that got me started riding regularly in Maryland was Donald Souder. Maryland is a very tough state for female riders, they don't like female riders it's very tough and right now I am the only female rider riding in Maryland. So Donald got me started there. Another big help has been Graham Motion, I mean he had horses that have rode in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont, and he has nice horses and he doesn't discriminate and he gives me a shot to ride horses. He influences owners to let the little girl ride their horses (laughs). I have won stake races so he has been a big help too.
Chris: How excited were you when you actually got your jockey license? Is being a jockey harder than some people think?
Kaymarie: I wasn't so much excited, but more happy and pleased that I was able to accomplish the job of getting my jock's license and it is very difficult to be a jockey, you have to maintain your weight, you work 7 days a week, you work 20 hours a day, I mean its a lot of pressure on a rider and not only do they have to deal with the horses, but we have to deal with the owners and trainers and other riders making comments and trying to steal your rides, so it is a very difficult job.
Chris: What do you remember about your 1st race? What track was it at?
Kaymarie: The horses name was Falconess and it was at Marlboro Racetrack in Maryland, which at this time does not even run anymore. They ran 2 dates for the whole year on a Wednesday and then one more on the following Wednesday. It is now a training track. I think it was like a 3/4 mile track and the 1st time I crossed the wire I was laying 3rd and I think I ended up finishing last. The race was a 1 mile and a 1/16th and after the race I got off the horse and fell to my knees cause I was so exhausted (all 3 of us laugh)
Chris: When did you get your 1st win? Was it on a long shot or a favorite? What was going through your mind as you went into the winner's circle for the 1st time?
Kaymarie: I believe it was 1992 that I got my 1st win. It was Arcain Testimony at Penn National (PA) for Bonita Farm. I think it was 20-1 or 50-1, it was a longshot I can tell you that. As far as the winner's circle goes I wanted to do it more often.
Chris: Have any male jockeys ever tried stopping you from being a jockey?
Kaymarie: No not really. Most of the guy jockeys have treated me pretty equally. As a matter of fact I got interviewed with Mark Johnson and they asked him "how is it like riding with a girl," and he says "what girl" and they said "the girl sitting next to you" and he said "oh she is just one of the guys" so I think I am treated pretty equally around here.
Chris: Do you think you have a certain riding style?
Kaymarie: I don't know about a riding style, but I think I am a very patient rider. A lot of riders gun it and go for it and I think I have a lot patience and several trainers and riders have said that I am a very smart rider and that I outthink a lot of the other riders. I wish I had a little more style, but I am working on that.
Chris: What was your biggest win as far as purse money and biggest race you ever rode in?
Kaymarie: That would be a stake race last year right here at Delaware Park. It was a $75,000 purse. The biggest day for me was I rode in a couple races on Preakness Day. That to me was a big deal cause it was a lot of publicity and even though I didn't ride in the Preakness, they gave me a lot of attention cause I was a female riding on Preakness Day.
Jim: What was the name of the horse you won on in that stake race?
Kaymarie: Senza Paura was the name of the horse and name of the race was called "The Denise Rhudy Memorial Stakes."
Chris: What are some of the tracks you have ridden at? Have a favorite track? What track or tracks would you like to ride at one day?
Kaymarie: I have pretty much ridden from NY as far south as Virginia. I would like to ride down in Florida one day. I don't really have a favorite race track, but my favorite turf course to ride on is Colonial Downs in Virginia. I think that is about the best turf course I have ever ridden on and my 2nd favorite turf course would be Penn National in Pennsylvania. It is a shame they just don't have the money to run more turf races like Delaware or Maryland. As far as tracks to ride at any track in Florida. I have family down there and I would like them to see me in person actually ride a race. I would also like to ride in Texas at Lone Star Park. I just like the looks of it. It looks like a very fancy race track. Plus I could get off the East Coast which I haven't been off in my entire life. (laughs)
Chris: Do you know how many wins you have? Any other female riders you like?
Kaymarie: I have no idea how many wins I have. I admire Julie Krone a lot and before I started riding when I was galloping horses I went up to Saratoga (NY) and I met her and she autographed a magazine which was the cover of Sports Illustrated. And she gave me a bit of advice. When I had my bad injury here at Delaware Park she sent me some flowers and a card and everything and she shows a lot of respect for other riders. I think she is very talented. (What a cool thing for Julie to do!-Chris)
Chris: Do you like riding on the turf course or the dirt better or it doesn't matter?
Kaymarie: Oh everybody loves the turf course better. Number #1: You don't eat much dirt, #2: The horses float across the turf course. Horses travel much tougher across the dirt.
Chris: Do you still make mistakes riding?
Kaymarie: Oh definitely. Everyday. Every time I get on a horse I make a mistake somewhere along the line. Sometimes it doesn't make a difference and sometimes it does. Sometimes people notice it and sometimes they don't. I don’t think any rider rides a race absolutely perfect.
Chris: What is a typical day like for you?
Kaymarie: My husband owns some horses so I usually get up 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning and I help him with his horses. I also exercise full time for 18 Graham Motion and then I ride during the afternoon. In between all this I have a 6 year old son I take care of. I average 4-5 hours sleep at night.
Chris: How many more years do you think you will ride for?
Kaymarie: I want to retire by the time I'm 40. So I have 10 1/2 more years to go.
Chris: What injuries have you had over the years and what was the worst one?
(Note: What follows below may be unsettling to some. If you have a weak stomach, perhaps you should skip this answer and proceed below to the rest of the interview.)
Kaymarie: God I have many injuries. I broke my back in 5 places from 3 different spills, broke my ribs, I have had a stroke, a heart attack, a had a heart murmur, I lost prevail vision, I have a collapsed jugular vein. When I went down to Delaware Park I had 32 injuries. I actually flatlined out on the race track, flatlined on the ambulance and flatlined at trauma. (Wow, for Kaymarie to still even be riding shows this is one tough lady-Chris)
Chris: Take us through a race as the gate opens and the horses leave the gate.
Kaymarie: The best race to take you through would be a horse that comes off the pace. You sit back there and watch people that are gunning and you sit there and try to position who you think is gonna end up quitting and where your spot is. Your job is to sit back there you get your horse nice and relaxed and either your horse has got a 3/8ths kick or a quarter pole kick you start picking him up just slowly inching him up closer. Then you get your spot, then you split horses and sneak him through and hopefully you win by more than a head.
Chris: Do you think another female rider will ever go into the Hall of Fame?
Kaymarie: Hopefully somebody will. I would like it to be me (smiles), but hopefully somebody will.
Chris; Anything you want to accomplish before you hang up your riding crop?
Kaymarie: I would like to ride in one of the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby/Preaknees/Belmont Stakes) Races. That is one thing I would like. Even if I am on a 200-1 shot and trailing the field by 30 lengths. I just want to ride, preferably in the Kentucky Derby. But I think that is any riders dream is to ride in the Kentucky Derby. I would be content to ride either in the Preakness or The Belmont just to say I rode in a Triple Crown race.
Chris: What do you do in your spare time? Any hobbies?
Kaymarie: One of my hobbies is rock climbing. I do rock climbing and I help my kid he has a little pony and I want to get him into horse showing and stuff like that. A lot of my time is spend with my kid, but one of my hobbies is rock climbing.
Chris: Have you had any owners/trainers not put you up on a horse due to being a female?
Kaymarie: I have not had anybody say that directly, but I have been taken off of horses cause I am a female. I have had trainers come to me and say the owner is taking you off and putting a guy on figuring a guy would finish stronger. The only thing is a lot of these owners don't realize is guys are naturally bigger than us. So they have to do weight reduction (sitting in the sauna, running before weigh in, throwing up after eating, etc., you have to weigh a certain weight or you don't ride so some riders do the above things to make weight-Chris) to make weight, while I don’t do any reducing. And I gallop. My arms are 3 size the times of most guys arm. (I will agree with that. I was right next to her and she does have some nice size arms-Chris) Honestly I would be a stronger finisher than most guys would. A lot of owners still believe that men are more dominant than woman. That is a problem in racing right now.
Jim: That is something I have been saying for years and nobody wants to believe me.
Kaymarie: I mean honestly think about it most guys don't have arms as big as mine. They honestly don't. You walk up to Mike McCarthy and his arms are as maybe the same size as my wrists. (Kaymarie flexes for me and Jim and let me tell you her arms are big and have some size to them. I lift weights too and I can see this is one strong rider-Chris)
Chris: Any funny stories to tell?
Kaymarie: The craziest thing I have ever seen is we had one rider he went out there quite confident on a long shot he was riding. He was bit cocky. So we all kinda messed with him and made him believe and we gave him an easy lead and we all sat back and the last second we all just swarmed him and before the wire he was looking all around like 'Oh my God where did everybody come from." I think all riders like to mess with the ones that can get a little cocky. It is a tough business and you can't be that cocky. You can't be like that and you have to earn your respect around here.
Chris: Any last words?
Kaymarie: Anybody that wants to do it your heart has to be into the horses cause it is a hard job and it is all the time. But if you want to do it I recommend it. I do it for pure enjoyment. The adrenaline rush everytime I get on a horse is like getting paid to have fun.