“I
get as much of an adrenalin rush out of acting as
in
riding in races. As far as retirement is concerned,
I
have no time line. I was a raving lunatic for the
11
months that I spent out and I love mixing the two
professions together.”
Which is your favorite race?
It's
gotta be the Kentucky Derby. No question about it.
What was the most memorable
moment of your racing career?
Riding Winning Colors in the 1988 Kentucky Derby.
[It was Stevens' first Triple Crown win]
On beating Shoemaker's record
for winning the Santa Anita Derby (G1) with his 9th
win, Gary said:
"When
I won the first time with Winning Colors in 1988,
I thought it was great to win such a big race. I could
never imagine winning two or three, much less nine
and breaking Shoemaker's record. "
What's the hardest part
of being a jockey?
At the level of competition that I'm at at this point,
it would have to be the travel and the constant weight
reduction.
Who has had the biggest
impact on your career?
Definitely
my mom and dad and my older brother Scott who is also
a jockey. When I got in the limelight and was riding
all the big races a lot of your peers look at you
as bigger than life. It's really hard to get advice
from your peers, but my older brother - he's not afraid
to call me up when he sees that I'm in a slump and
tell me what I'm doing wrong. Being a jockey is very
similar to any other professional athlete - you can
have talent, but when it comes down to the big day,
it's 90% mental. If you're not mentally focused, you're
going to make mistakes and it going to make you pay
in the long run.
Overheard
at ROYAL ASCOT