Lisa Platts
When
Jim and I started this website there was an unwritten list in my head of jockeys I personally knew and wanted to see on
this website. Up until now I had interviewed all the ones I wanted
except for 1. Well now we can make that zero. Here is an interview with my favorite
jockey Lisa Platts. Some of you might remember her as Lisa Dellipaoli. Lisa got married and changed her last name. She
still rides up in
Lisa receives her award
after winning the riding title at Atlantic City Race Course.
FOTH: Where were you born and where did you grow up?
LP: I
was born in
FOTH: What sort of girl were you growing up?
LP: I was definitely a tomboy! And once I got into the horses at 10, that's where I spent almost every waking minute!
FOTH: Do you have any brothers or sisters and if so what do they and your parents think about you being a jockey?
LP: I have 2 younger brothers. They and my parents are very proud that I followed my childhood dream of becoming a jockey. They follow my career very closely. Without a doubt they are my biggest fans and supporters. They know it's tough and dangerous and they have been thru every spill with me! But they always keep up with their support!
FOTH: What event or events led to you becoming a jockey?
LP: When I was about 5 or 6 years old. I saw a horse race for the first time. I just knew that that was what I wanted to do with my life. I started riding at 10 and got a horse at 12. I had him for almost 20 years. In 1989 I worked on a broodmare farm and the trainer (Dave Adel) took me to the track. A jockey named Sergio Aralano taught me to ride. I also learned from Braulio Baeza and Bobby Woodhouse. I learned and rode my first race at Aqueduct.
FOTH: Looking back, was becoming a jockey easier or harder than you thought?
LP: Becoming a jockey wasn't that difficult at all. It was staying a jockey that became difficult. Sometimes people don't take women riders seriously. It's tough to get rolling and once you do it's tough to stay there. You have to prove that you can ride with the boys. At least that was an obstacle when I started. I find it's not so much now a matter of riding with boys but being able to ride period. There are so many women riders now that I don't think it's so much a boy/girl issue as much as it used to be. Don't get me wrong...it still is, but not as bad. You still have to be as strong if not stronger than the guys!
FOTH: Tell us what you remember about your 1st race.
LP: The first race I rode was at Aqueduct in NY. I rode a filly named Repete. I was a nervous wreck. I lost 5 pounds sitting in the jocks room being nervous. I left the gate in front and stayed there until the turn, which I missed completely! LOL! (She was lugging out) She got tired and quit running about the 1/4 pole and I finished last. I was so excited and so exhausted at the same time.
FOTH: Tells us all about your 1st win. Did you win by a lot?
LP: My
first win was at
FOTH: Did you get creamed after the race and did you know it was coming?
LP: I got creamed with EVERYTHING every jock could get there hands on; water (clean and dirty) eggs, ketchup, mustard, you name it, I wore it! I knew it was coming because I had taken part in it before for other riders. I actually have a tape of me walking up the stairs to the jock's room very, very slowly. Once I got to the door...it was all over! It was a great feeling though!
FOTH: We got to know each
other at
LP: I was very sad to hear about Garden closing. It was one of my favorite tracks. The surface was always taken care of. The people were great. I have a lot of memories from there. I learned so much there as well. I got to ride with some pretty good and pretty great riders. I made a lot of great friends and rode some really cool horses. I won a lot of races there too. I was taught how to "race ride" there. I miss it a lot and wish it hadn't closed. That was probably the nicest girls jocks room I have ever been to. I had a lot of fun there.
FOTH: I know you also rode down at Atlantic City Race Course and won the riding title there in 1997. What are some memories you have riding there as basically they run like 3-4 days meets once a year?
LP:
FOTH: I know you now ride up in Canada at Woodbine. What are some of the differences of riding styles up there as opposed to the east coast?
LP: The riding styles here aren't all that much different from home.
FOTH: For those who have never been there, tell us what Woodbine is like and have you ever gone in and played or looked at the slot machines there?
LP:
Woodbine is beautiful. The grass course is a mile and a half and is on the outside of the main track and it's beautiful! There
is also a standardbred track inside the main.
The purses are great. There are 4 places to train in the mornings; the main
track, the training track, the sand ring or the field. It's a tough circuit,
but the people are really great! There are some really nice horses up here
too and yes I have been into the slots, which is weird cause I never went to
FOTH: Take us through what you do in a typical day.
LP: A typical day would be waking up at 5:30 am Going to track, galloping and/or breezing horses going to jock's room, riding races, coming home having dinner with my husband (we take turns cooking) . 3 nights a week I go to yoga, if i don't have yoga, sometimes Fenton (hubby) and I will go to a movie (by the way the theaters are up here are incredible!!!). Every other weekend we have my step daughter and we try to do fun things with her!
FOTH: If a young girl came up to you and said she wanted to become a jockey, what advice would you give her?
LP: To be perfectly honest, being a jockey really isn't as cool as you might think. There is a lot of stress, a lot of pressure and certainly more lows than highs. I would have to say that you have to follow your heart. If it's what she really wants then I would suggest to start at a farm and learn how to gallop there. If she still wants to ride races, go to the track a polished rider and a prepared person. Prepared for anything, because anything can happen in this business; good, bad or indifferent. But ALWAYS have something else to fall back on. I would also suggest getting an education first. Race riding is NOT for everyone I would say, get a feel for it before jumping in with both feet!!
FOTH: What are some injuries you have had and what was the worst one?
LP:
I have a tear in my right shoulder and a bone chip, I have a separated AC joint in my left shoulder. I've hurt my back,
my knees, my head. I think concussions come with the jock's license.
My worst spill was in 1999 at
FOTH: How long do you want to ride?
LP: I have been race riding for about 10 years now. I'd like to ride a few more years, but I would also like to become a mom so basically, I guess I'll ride until I can't ride any more!
FOTH: Do you have a proudest moment as a jockey?
LP: I'm not sure if I have a proudest moment. I guess I have a few favorite moments. When I won the title in AC, when I won the Arabian stake race at Sam Houston and got to meet Patrick Swayze. There are horses that I ride and have ridden in the past that make me proud of them when they run well. Horses that I galloped every day and when they won it feels like an accomplishment! I ride a filly up here named Dana's Lucky Lady and every race she runs she makes me proud!
FOTH: Any other hobbies or things you like to do when your away from the track?
LP: I started doing yoga over a year ago. I love it! I do it 3 nights a week. The girl that teaches it is a beautiful person, she used to ride races as well. I would like to take the teacher's course and teach it myself after my racing career. I also like to paint (mostly horses of course).
FOTH: Any other female jockeys you like or admire?
LP: My all time favorite would of course have to be Julie Krone. She is truly an amazing woman!!! Basically I admire any woman that gives this job a shot. Like I said it isn't for everyone and although it's not as bad as it used to be, women still have a hard time in racing. Some are more fortunate than others but above all it's a tough sport.
FOTH: DO you think female jockeys are not respected enough in the horse racing industry?
LP: I think women are respected more now than ever before. I'm not sure if everyone feels we are equal to a man in a sense of strength or even talent, but women have certainly come a long way in this sport and yet we still have a long way to go.
FOTH: Do you have any goals you still want to accomplish before you hang up your riding boots?
LP: I would really like to win stake races. I've won stakes on Arabians, but I really want to win them on thoroughbreds. I finished 3rd in the Shady Wells Stake last year. I am also only 4 wins away from 200 lifetime. May not seem like a lot, but it is a goal just the same. Like I said there are more lows than highs in this business.
FOTH: Lisa mega thanks for the interview. Any last words you want to say to wrap this up?
LP: For anyone who reads this, I just want to thank everyone that has helped me along the way and to say to anyone thinking about riding to be careful and really think things through before making decisions either while riding or before riding. Thanks for adding me to the list of great women on your web site, Chris!
FOTH: Lisa, the pleasure is all ours and best of luck with everything. Stay in touch.
