Inspirational Jockeys

Even though horse racing doesn’t exactly float my boat, I find some real inspiration in the history of the sport. For example, Eddie Arcaro lost his first 250 races before going on to become the winningest jockey of all time, with five Kentucky Derby wins. This week on radio, I interview author Rick Maturi about his book on another famous jockey, Triple Crown Winner, Earl Sande (pictured), an American sports icon during the 1920s.

Sande’s stats are impressive but it was his unorthodox way of getting a winning performance from a horse – even one he was riding for the first time – that got my attention. While other jockeys were whipping their horses toward the finish line, Sande sang opera to his, rarely going to the whip. Now get this: Sande was actually a good singer and performed professionally at New York’s Stork Club in later years.

Radio interview with author Rick Maturi

Triple Crown Winner: the Earl Sande Saga