Gary Isn't the Only Stevens Still Going Strong

Scott Stevens | Canterbury Downs

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The story of Gary Stevens, still going strong and winning major races at age 53 and after numerous injuries forced him into retirement, is rather remarkable. But maybe not quite as remarkable as the story that is playing out every day at Turf Paradise by his older brother Scott, who is not only still hanging in there at age 56, but is quite possibly having the best year of his career.

As December neared, Stevens was battling it out with Andrew Ramgeet for still another Turf Paradise riding title and was winning at a rate of 24% on the year. He's all but certain to finish the year with the highest winning percentage of his career. Among jockeys who have had 400 mounts or more on the year, he is tied for ninth-place in the winning percentage category. Little brother Gary, by comparison, has a 13% winning rate on the year.

Stevens said his focus changed after he nearly died in a spill in 2010 at Canterbury Park, which caused him to realize that maybe trying to ride nine races a day, 52 weeks a year at his age was not the way to go. With the exception of a few stakes mounts here and there, he only rides at Turf Paradise, which does not run for some four months in the summer. And when he does ride it won't be in any of the cheaper races and he's not looking to ride a 30-1 shot in any race.

“Thanks to my agent, Chad Anderson, we've got great people we ride for,” Stevens said. “The better you do, the better chances you get, the more opportunities you get to ride live horses. You can see on my record, one year I rode 1,500 horses on the year. What am I at, around 500 this year?”

The Canterbury spill cost him 4 1/2 months of his career, but it could have been a lot worse. His girlfriend was attending the races and is a respiratory therapist. When Stevens' mount went down, she rushed out to the track and made a decision that well could have saved his life.

“I went down and ended up with two collapsed lungs, 13 broken ribs and broke both collarbones,” he said. “I had the wind knocked out of me and thought that was all that had happened. She runs over from the grandstand and when she got there I told her I can't get my air. She knew immediately what was wrong with me. The EMTs are trained to have you on your back and strap you down in case your neck is broken. When they tried to get me on my back I was actually drowning in my own blood. I was bleeding out the mouth so bad, like a hose was coming out of me. Had I not been conscious I couldn't have told Pam what was wrong and if not for her they would have put me on my back and I would have died for sure.”

Ironically, Gary Stevens, the man of many comebacks, all but begged his big brother to retire.

“When I got hurt so bad Gary was retired at the time,” Scott said. “And he told me I was absolutely nuts to try to come back. He kept saying, What are you doing, this is stupid?'”

The Stevens boys were born in Caldwell, Idaho and their father, Ron, was a local trainer. Both began their careers at Les Bois Park in Boise. Scott was so eager to get going that he got a fake ID so that he could begin his career at age 15.

He bounced around, riding in Idaho, at Longacres, Oaklawn and at Fairplex. After a particularly good meet at Fairplex, he decided to stick around and ride at the major tracks in California in 1986. He stuck it out for a while, but never enjoyed anything close to the success that his brother would have.

“I rode in California for a year and a half,” he said. “My family was the most important thing to me and when you are sitting around and worrying whether or not you're going to win any races to pay the bills, it's tough.”

He packed his bags and settled in at the B level tracks, primarily Canterbury and Turf Paradise, where he has won eight riding titles. He's only won two graded stakes races in his career, but along the way he did get involved with at least two top horses.

He rode Real Quiet (Quiet American) three times as a 2-year-old, including in two races at Santa Fe Downs. He went zero for three on the future winner of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S.

“I can tell you I rode a horse that a came within a nose of winning the Triple Crown and I got beat on him twice in Santa Fe, New Mexico,” he joked.

He was also the regular rider of Great Communicator (Key to the Kingdom), but never regained the mount after injured in a spill. With Ray Sibille aboard, Great Communicator would go on to win the 1988 GI Breeders' Cup Turf.

“I made enough money that I pay my bills and I don't owe anybody anything,” he said. “I'm alright. I wouldn't change my career for anything. I'm not going to tell you I wouldn't have loved to win a Kentucky Derby race or a Breeders' Cup race, but I'm happy. I have a very good relationship with my kids and that's something I am proud of.”

The Stevens brothers remain close.

“I'm so proud of him,” Gary Stevens said. “He's the master. He taught me everything I know. When I say that I'm not bs-ing. In our sport, we're like a golfers because everyone is trying to beat us, but we don't have coaches. There are only two guys who will come to me or I will go to for criticism or constructive criticism. One is my big brother. He's not afraid to tell me I screwed up or you might try this instead. The other is Mike Smith.

“Whatever Scott did, I wanted to do and from a very young age. I always wanted to follow his footsteps. If not for him I'm pretty damn sure I wouldn't have been a jockey. He can take full credit because he deserves full credit for it.”

It's anyone's guess who will last longer, Scott or Gary. Injuries could decide that, but Scott Stevens says, for him, age is not a factor.

“People ask me that, about when I'm going to retire,” he said. “I never dreamed I'd still be riding at this age. When I look at it, I don't feel like I am 56. I don't know how you're supposed to feel when you are 56, but I don't feel any different than I did when I was 35. I don't get up in the morning and hurt, and I've broken early every bone you could possibly break. As long as I feel like I'm still helping the horse and I'm having fun I'm going to keep riding.”

 

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