The Bottom Line
Every fan of Thoroughbred racing has heard of jockey Jerry Bailey, arguably one of the greatest riders of this generation, and a member of the sport's Hall of Fame. In his autobiography, written with USA Today sportswriter Tom Pedulla, Bailey tells us how he got to where he is and takes us through some of the more memorable horses in his career, while also battling alcoholism which hurt his marriage and career. This belongs in every racing fan's bookshelf, an excellent work indeed.
Pros
- Excellent, candid, first-person account of the life and times of an all-time great rider
- Comments by friends and family inserted into the text helps paint a clearer picture
- Bailey includes a very fitting tribute to his all-time favorite mount, champion Cigar
- His successful battle against alcoholism is a very important backdrop to the story
Cons
- At the end of the book, Bailey hints of his upcoming retirement.
Description
- Early on, he would miss morning workout assignments because he was too hung over to wake up.
- He would get himself barely sober enough to ride, then at the end of the day he was back drinking.
- His honeymoon with Suzee was spent in the hotel room drunk, leaving her feeling all alone.
- Trainers who used him regularly fired him for his drunkenness, and Suzee threatened to leave him.
- Bailey was already a talented rider but alcohol prevented him from realizing his true potential.
- It was only after he broke the habit that he worked his way to the upper echelons of racing.
- Over 2 chapters he pays tribute to his favorite mount, the great Cigar, winner of sixteen straight.
- "Not only was he a great horse but a great horse to be around, loved the attention and the cameras"
- As president of the Jockey's Guild, he explains that racing needs to promote jockeys and trainers.
- At the end of the book he hints of retirement, expressing a need to spend time with his family.
Guide Review - Review - Against the Odds: Riding For My Life
Jockey Jerry Bailey is one of the greatest jockeys of this generation, widely regarded as one of the premier jockeys ever to mount a Thoroughbred.. The Texas native has won seven of the last nine Eclipse Awards as champion rider in North America, each Triple Crown race twice, and a record 14 Breeders' Cup races. He also leads in Dubai World Cup wins with four, the first of which was aboard Cigar, winner of sixteen straight from 1994 to 1996. He started as a stable lad under the tutelage of top Texas trainer J.J. Pletcher, working alongside J.J.'s son Todd, who has gone on to be a top trainer himself. Eventually Pletcher promoted Bailey to foreman and allowed him to work horses out in the mornings at Santa Fe Downs, New Mexico. When he finally got to ride in official races, Bailey proved to be a natural at the job and the rest is history. However, joining the fraternity that is the racing community meant joining in one of its unhealthier pastimes, drinking. Bailey became an alcoholic and it was only when he admitted his problem and joined Alcoholics Anonymous to beat the habit, did his marriage and career improve dramatically. After beating the bottle, the Jerry Bailey we know today came into being. Winning the Kentucky Derby aboard Sea Hero and taking the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard 133-1 longshot Arcangues made people take notice that he was a force to be reckoned with.
