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WlIITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 2. 1986 PAGE 17 SPORTS WEEK Picov Downs off and- By MIKE JOHNSTON v-U.. r c rr ow Free Press staff The inexperienced two yea' olds were clearly ner- vous as their jockies tried to manouver them into the starting gate but then the gates shut behind them and a tense still fell over the quarter mile track. The starter surveyed the track, making sure the long straightaway was clear of traffic and debris. The jockies leaned forward on their mounts and then, in an instant, the animals were out of the gates hitting full stride in a torrent of dust and pounding hooves. "The noise and action will keep them going forward," said Tony Vincent, one of the quarter horse jockies riding in Picov Downs' weekly Sunday racing schedule. Vincent, 26, has been a jockey for five years, but said he has been around horses all his life. lHe lives at Woodbine racetrack in Toronto where he gallops thoroughbreds in the mor- nings. He was at Picov Downs in Ajax last Wednesday night, schooling the young horses. "We have schooling on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for the young hor- ses," explained Quarter Horse Owners Association president Ralph Pearson. "It gives the young horses an opportunity to become familiar with running down the track beside other hor- ses and the schooling periods teach them how to come out of the gate." "You have to stay in balance with a horse. You ride in a way so you can help the horse while he helps you. We're a team going down that track," ex- plained Vincent. The jockey said the yelling and the noise is usually enough to get a hor- se worked up to race down the quarter mile track. "You don't like to hit a hor- se unless you have to." Vincent said that riding a quarter horse and riding a thoroughbred is similar in style but the thoroughbreds require greater pacing. Trainer John Coulter agreed. "The quarter hor- ses are really drag racers," said Coulter adding that the main lesson a quarter horse must learn is how to get out of the gate fast. To that end, Coulter said he prefers smaller quarter horses to the larger ones, although he admitted there are always exceptions to that rule. In addition to being a fast starter, Coulter said he looks for certain physical characteristics in a horse, including a long hip, long shoulders, lots of balance and a slope to the shoulders. "Every horse is an in- dividual. You biave to find out how they w to get along Coulter who tr Sutton. Coulter al there is not mu between a q and a thoroug just have to ra thoroughbred. ter horse the i to teach them out of the gate. The compar quarter ho thoroughbreds be seen in trait and speed, bu key ingredient "The trainin of a quarter ho cludes care feeding and a averages aro month. At V Greenwood thE be $45 a dayî thoroughbred,' son. "There is a running vork and learn get into thoroughbred with it," said racing were as with the ains horses in quarter horses it isn't as expensive and we enjoy it so believes just as much." ich difference Picov Downs is home to uarter 'horse the premier quarter mile ghbred. "You race track in Ontario. The te and pace a horses are brought to the With a quar- track from as far away as main thing is Quebec in the east and Win- how to come dsor in the west for a season fast." that lasts from May to Oc- ison between tober. rses and This year, the Quarter cannot only Horse Associàtion has been ning methods granted fine days of pari- it in another mutuel (betting) by the On- - the cost. tario Racing Commission g and upkeep as opposed to the four the irse which in- association had in the past. training, Betting at the track will blacksmith, begin the first weekend in und $300 a JuIy and will run nine con- Woodbine or secutive weeks. at cost could Quarter horse racing fails and up for a under the racing rules of the said Pear- Ontario Racing Com- mission while Agriculture high scost to SEEPG. 18