A proposed nationwide jockeys walkout was averted last night, just hours before final riding assignments are to be made at many racetracks this morning for tomorrow's card, the day of the threatened job action.
According to a statement released by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, which represents the majority of the country's track owners, the TRA and the Jockeys' Guild reached an agreement in principle that extends the current contract between the two groups for another three years. That contract was due to expire today.
The only advance made by the guild in a final offer made by TRA commissioner Brian McGrath last night and accepted by the guild's national manager, John Giovanni, is an additional $150,000 in annual funds that the tracks will pay for the care of 46 permanently disabled riders.
Under the new deal, accident and weekly disability coverage is doubled from the previous three-year contract, but that agreement already had been reached before the jockeys' planned walkout tomorrow.
The agreement reached last night is far from the $9 million figure that the jockeys wanted for their media rights. Instead, they settled for the same $1.7 million figure that is stipulated in their current contract and that the guild uses to pay for health and welfare benefits.
Working against the jockeys was that all TRA tracks, including Laurel Park, were able to card full programs for tomorrow and found enough replacement jockeys, mostly non-guild members, to ride.
Giovanni could not be reached for comment last night. George Daffin, a public relations executive who serves as a spokesman for the guild, said Giovanni will issue a statement today.
McGrath said that the track owners are "extremely pleased to reach this agreement," which means that racing will continue uninterrupted tomorrow.
Chris Scherf, the TRA's executive vice president, said that increasing the monthly disability pay for the permanently injured riders "means we will be able to take care of some people that really need the help."
Talks had broken off between the two groups on Dec. 20 and were not revived until late yesterday afternoon with the threat of a walkout edging closer.
According to Scherf, the jockeys held a conference call about 3 p.m. with their executive board, and, about an hour later, the TRA also checked in via teleconference with its member tracks around the country.
"There was some discussion that there was not enough communication between the guild and the TRA," Scherf said. "Separately, some of our board members broke out to talk to some of the guild representatives. Finally, about 6 p.m., Brian McGrath and John Giovanni excused themselves from their simultaneous conference calls, got on the phone with each other and quickly came to this agreement."
He said that McGrath made the proposal that the tracks put up the additional $150,000 for the disabled riders.
Last night, Laurel/Pimlico president Joe De Francis said he is gratified that an agreement was reached.
"We already pay about $100,000 a year to the TRA for a catastrophic insurance policy for the jockeys, as well as paying a per mount fee that goes to the guild for the health and welfare package," De Francis said. "This agreement means we'll pay an additional $7,000 to $8,000 a year, which is almost a 10 percent increase. So, it's substantial.
"However, I'm glad that racing, for all the criticism it receives, hasn't followed the examples of baseball and hockey. We haven't been foolish enough to cut our own throats."
Timothy Boyce, a Laurel jockeys' agent, said he expects confusion to reign at the 9 a.m. scratch time today, when final riders for tomorrow's card will be named.
When the list of entries came out yesterday, 86 horses were entered with 14 different jockeys named to ride them, including such riders as Mark Rosenthal, Jimmy Aburn and Desiree Kieser, who have not ridden competitively for several years or compete elsewhere. Non-guild members Mary Wiley and Rafael Verderosa received the most mounts. A total of 27 jockeys, mostly guild members and virtually all of the track's leading jockeys, had refused to ride. Now, they will be able to be named on the horses.
Laurel general manager John E. Mooney said trainers will have to pay a double mount fee if they replace a named rider with another jockey. But Boyce said that might not be necessary if the change is made before the 9 a.m. scratch time.