By Dave Johnson
If you are reading this column, you probably wanted to be a jockey when you were a kid, right? Who didn't want to ride in a race if you went to your local track with family and friends.
I rode the back of the couch, like you did, while listening to the race call. I even rode my bicycle with a whip. One Indian summer evening, I needed a bit more from my Schwinn, and gave it a crack. The stick went through the back wheel and I damn near killed myself.
Today, I found out the most talented rider in Europe, William Buick, also rode the back of the sofa. But, at age 10 and the son Walter Buick, eight-time Norwegian champion rider, William made it a game.
The youngster was so attuned to the styles of the great riders at that time, that he had his dad guess who he was on the back of the couch by the way he was riding!
The guy always wanted to be a champion jockey. Presently in the race for top rider of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting, he is tied with Ryan Moore. They both had two winners Friday, so Saturday will be the showdown at the Queen's corral.
Young Buick rode a few races for Todd Pletcher in the winter of 2007 at Gulfstream, but did not win from that handful of longshot mounts. It was during that season that Angel Cordero, Jr. tried to talk him into coming to New York as an apprentice. No dice.
Walter sired three sons, but only Will is a rider. Martin is an assistant to the racing manager for the Niarchos family, and
Andrew works in the financial industry in London.
Remember “Ussery Alley?” That far-outside part of the far turn at Aqueduct where Bobby Ussery showed us he could go faster by going farther, taking his mounts to the banked part of the track on the outside fence. Then off the turn he would cut to the inside and seemed to always find himself in the one-path and on the lead.
Well, Seamie Heffernan tried to do that with Wisconsin in Friday's Queen's Vase S. at one mile and six furlongs. Seamie covered two miles with his mount, and had the lead at two calls during the race, but the mount was difficult to handle, and faded badly. No Heffernan alley here.
In the feature race of the day, the G1 Coronation S., trainer Aidan O'Brien continued to absolutely dominate the training standings, finishing first, second and third. Winter, the winner, followed home by Roly Poly and Hydrangea.
I saw Mark Casse in the car park after the races, and even though his terrific filly, La Coronel was unplaced in the Coronation, he was all smiles.
“What a beautiful day!”
That is what an afternoon at Royal Ascot does for you.
Old pal John McCririck, who fans will remember for his outlandish outfits and description of odds with hand signals on several NBC telecasts, leaned out of his car to shout, “Isn't it great that all the fans in the States can watch this meet on the telly?”
Yes, John. Odds on, right again.
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