Sidney Underwood
Sidney Underwood is a now retired jockey from our sport. She had a very unfortunate accident a number of years ago at Atlantic City Race Course that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She has remained in the sport and is now a trainer and has several horses she is training right now. One day over at Philadelphia Park I had a chance to talk to Sidney and this was what was said.
Sidney Underwood winning
at Atlantic City R.C.
FOTH: Where were you born and where did you grow up?
SU: I was born in Huntsville, Alabama and I was raised there for 19 years.
FOTH: What did you want to be when you were growing up? Did you ever want to be a jockey?
SU: Actually in Alabama there were no race tracks. The closest race track was in Louisiana which isn't close and I didn't even know about jockeys. I only thought Kentucky Derby ran. I didn't know 9 races run all over the place every day. I wanted to work with horses and I did jumpers then.
FOTH: How did you actually get involved in thoroughbred horse racing then?
SU: I was working with jumpers and they used to have this big grand prix in the infield at Arlington Park (Chicago, IL) when they ran the Arlington Million Race and I took 6 jumpers with me. I was taking care of jumpers and I brought 6 with me and that was the first time I ever saw a race track. So I went to Maryland after that and I was working with show horses and a friend told me you could make a lot more money if you rode at a race track. So that was when I went to the race track and this was in 1982.
FOTH: If you can remember what was it like getting up on a thoroughbred horse for the first time?
SU: Oh I remember. The first time I got up on a thoroughbred was at Laurel Park in Maryland. Then I went to the farm in Ocala (FL) to learn how to ride thoroughbreds cause I had always ridden jumpers. Horse first time kept jogging and I couldn't pull him up. He didn't go faster than a jog, but he wouldn't go slower than a jog.
FOTH: How long did you excersice/gallop horses before you became a jockey?
SU: Around 2 years I did it down in Ocala learning to be a jockey.
FOTH: Did you get any flak from any trainers/owners when you decided to become a jockey. Anybody try and discourage you at all?
SU: The only person that gave me a hard time was Charlie Henry in Maryland. He came down to Florida to look at some babies on the farm I was breaking horses at and he came to me and asked me to be an exercise rider and I said "No I am gonna be a jockey." He said "Oh girls can't be jockeys." That was the only one I got a hard time from.
FOTH: Tell us what you remember about your first race you rode in. Name of the horse, track, etc.
SU: I remember everything. The first race I rode was a horse I broke on the farm. He ran off with me the day he got off the farm. I got up here at Philadelphia Park and that was the first horse I rode. I came up here with Charlie Badly. His name was "Handsome Answer" and he was 68-1 and I won on him and he paid $136. It was an accident and they did not want me to win.
FOTH: What was it like going into the winner's circle.
SU: Good. (we both laugh) Surprising would be the word.
FOTH: Would you say you were a good apprentice rider when you had your "bug" or were you more average?
SU: I was good. I was leading rider here at Philadelphia Park and also Atlantic City and Garden State Park.
FOTH: Was it hard being accepted as a woman jockey back then.
SU: Well it was me, Julie Krone and Mary Ann Alligood in the room at the time. Here and at the Garden and Atlantic City. Then it was easy, then it got hard and then it got easy again. It went in waves. There was too many girl riders and a lot of bad ones right before I got hurt. Then it weeded out until only the good ones were left.
FOTH: What were some of the other race tracks you rode at? Any favorite track?
SU: I rode in Florida (Calder) , Kentucky (Churchill Downs, Turfway Park), Penn National, Monmouth, Meadowlands, Birmingham. Atlantic City was the most fun it was like summer camp.
FOTH: What stuff were you taught as a rider?
SU: How to keep the horse together, how to help him, how to communicate with the horse.
FOTH: To your knowledge were you ever taken off a horse cause you were a female rider?
SU: Oh sure a lot of times.
FOTH: What was the biggest race you ever won and the biggest race you ever rode in?
SU: The biggest race I ever won was allowance races. I rode in the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth. I won on big allowance purses. When I was riding they didn't ride girls in stake races. As soon as the horse got really good and they put him in a stake race they took you off to ride somebody else.
FOTH: You are in a wheelchair after a horrible accident. Can you tell people what happened.
SU: I was in Atlantic City and I rode this pig a $5,000 claimer it was its third start and he wouldn't step on shadow so he didn't put his front feet down and he made me he forked me into the ground. One thing when you take a spill when you roll and roll and roll you come out of it ok. When you don't roll they say its not the fall that gets ya, it is the abrupt fall that does. That is what happened I hit and I landed on my neck and I flipped 3 times and that was it. It bit my back in half and just broke it. I broke one vertebrae in half and compressed 3 others.
FOTH: What are some of your favorite memories as a jockey?
SU: The best part was like my 5th and 20th mount and you say to yourself "I can't believe I am doing this for a living cause you love it and you’re getting paid to do it.
FOTH: Any funny jockey stories to tell?
SU: One of the funniest things I remember is walking back to the jock's room with Julie Krone after a race and the owners and trainers are talking to you on the way back and I already talked to mine and I am right behind Julie and she is talking to the owner and the horse had bolted with her in the race and the owner just said "Why didn't you just pull on the left reins?" I looked at her and I expected some smart answer and she looked right up at him and said 'Next time I'll try that." When a horse is bolting you wouldn't think to pull on its reins.
FOTH: You are now a trainer. How did you get involved in that aspect of the sport?
SU: I just wanted to stay involved in the thoroughbreds. I figured after going through all this I should get to do what I want to do. I wanted to stay in this business and this is the only way I could.
FOTH: How many horses do you own?
SU: I have 2 on the farm and 4 on the track and one retired.
FOTH: What advice would you give somebody who wants to be a jockey?
SU: The most important thing is make sure you are ready and polished when you ride your first race. Unfortunately when you’re a guy you can learn while you’re out there, but with a girls you need to be more polished when you start cause they are going to be looking for any reason not to ride you in the first place. Half the reason they ride a lot in the beginning is to cash a bet. Get the odds. A lot of girls get a lot of givens in the beginning ya know.
FOTH: Do you use female riders at all?
SU: A funny thing when I started training I never used girls. The girls I really liked had quit riding and the ones riding I wasn't really impressed where I was. By way of default, not fair, but true I started riding Lisa DelliPaoli (now Lisa Platts) and me and her just clicked. She would come back and tell me what I needed to know. I could talk to her and she would listen to what I would say. Then I rode Deirdre Panas and we did good together I also rode Rachel Lavoy and Paula Keim-Bruno. I have actually liked girl riders cause they come back and tell you what they know and they don't blow you off and they work with you.
FOTH: Any female riders impress you nowadays?
SU: Rachel is good. I am over here at Philadelphia Park so I don't get to see many ride nowadays. Diane Nelson is one of the tops. Rosemary Holmeister Jr is good. Mary Doser-she is great. Those are the ones that I know are still riding.
FOTH: Any jockeys ever ask you for advice?
SU: No cause most are too cocky. I have never had any jocks ask for advice.
FOTH: What would you like accomplish as a trainer?
SU: I just want to have around 10-15 nice horses and make a living. Make it enjoyable and not a headache. I'd like to be able to go here and in Florida.
FOTH: How long do you think you will be a trainer?
SU: Always. Unless I am homeless and have no money.
FOTH: Any last words?
SU: I enjoy this career the whole thing. The horses they respond to you, you can find out what makes them tick. It is fun to figure out what makes each horse tick.