Jockey Tim Doocy
Born: 12/20/55, Blue Earth, Minnesota Resides: Edmond, Oklahoma Family: Terry, wife; Trey, son
Doocy turned 52 in December, but insists he has some good years in the saddle remaining. His next milestone will be career winner 5,000 and he is eager to get on with that pursuit.
Doocy finished fourth in Oaklawn’s 2007 meeting standings, winning with 36 of his 284 mounts. His horses earned $907,860 at the Spa.
During the Racing Festival of the South, he rode Cream Only tovictory in the $100,000 Instant Racing Breeders’ Cup. Early in the meeting he rode Semaphore Man to win the $50,000 King Cotton.
In 2006 the jockey rode 139 winners out of 803 mounts for the entire year. This was sufficient to deadlock for 76th place on the national list.
Over the years Doocy has played an important role in the stakes scene at Oaklawn.
A good year for me was 1998 when I won the Pippin, Razorback, Mountain Valley, Oaklawn Breeders’ Cup and Althea,” he remembered.
He loved to ride the popular runner Chindi, a career earner of $1,000,000 and is now retired in Oklahoma.
“Chindi was an ornery cuss, but I loved him. Late in his career, I heard he had arrived Hot Springs from Oklahoma the night before. So I ran over to Steve Hobby’s barn, taking the horse an apple and some peppermints. He ate his goodies, and then promptly bit me,” laughed Doocy.
Doocy is a two-time Oaklawn riding champion. The Minnesota-born jockey took the 1999 title with 77 winners, the 1998 crown with 86.
Dwelling on the coveted plateau of 5,000, Doocy said, “At one time, I thought no jock would reach that number. NowI have a chance. I am about 100 short of the figure, but I’ll get there. I rode number 4,500 at Oaklawn, and then lost a lot of time following a Prairie Meadows’ accident,” he said.
The Prairie Meadows fall was July 21, 2005.The spill left Doocy with a fractured pelvis and damaged urethra. Twice he had to undergo surgery on the urethra, the second time successfully.“I resumed riding in late March of 2006 at Oaklawn,” he commented. “I finished out 2006 in good shape.”
On November 3, 1996 at Remington Park, Doocy enjoyed an afternoon that most riders only dream about.
“That was Oklahoma Classic Day,” he smiled.He accepted mounts in six stakes and won with four of them. “They were Brush With Pride in the Turf, Western Lil in the Distaff, Highland Ice, the Sprint and Western Train the Juvenile,” he recalled.
“I have been very lucky to have the support of trainers like Kenny Smith and Steve Hobby. In the late Jack Moody, I had a top agent,” noted Tim.
Overcoming the serious injury and still riding after many former riders his age have long since retired, Doocy continues to press forward, think positive and establish goals.
“One thing you can never do in any occupation is give up. When I speak to a group, especially young people at schools, I emphasize this to listeners. I insist they work hard and be nice to people. Maybe someone will notice and give them an opportunity,” Tim chatted.He concluded, “that someone” could be a total stranger, who just happened to see you working hard. One year at Oaklawn I didn’t win a race. The next year here, I won the jockey title.”