Our love for various sports often has unique origins. In the case of horse racing, many have stories to tell. The TDN is on a mission to gather these tales from notable figures in the industry to understand how they became hooked and remained so. Let's delve into some of these captivating narratives.

Discover the Roots of Horse Racing Enthusiasm

Pat Day's Journey

Growing up, Pat Day had no association with horse racing. His aspiration was to be a bull rider. At rodeos, people suggested he consider becoming a jockey. Despite being 4-11 and weighing 100 pounds soaking wet, he was an adrenaline junkie with no fear of riding bulls. He had heard about the Kentucky Derby and Bill Shoemaker and Eddie Arcaro but had never watched it on TV. In 1973, through an acquaintance, he got a job on a Thoroughbred farm. He was told to work there for two to three years, learning from the ground up. However, he couldn't handle the menial farm labor and left after a month, planning to return to bull riding. But in Las Vegas, he couldn't find a job. At Las Vegas Downs, he met Steve Talbot and started galloping his horses for $2 a head. Later, when Steve went to Arizona, he invited Pat to come with him. In Southern Arizona, Pat met Karl Pew and started working with him. By mid-summer, he was hooked and won his first race on July 29, 1973. He couldn't get enough of it and wanted to ride every race.

Pat Day's story shows how an unexpected turn of events led him to discover a new passion and ultimately a successful career in horse racing.

Terry Finley's Path

Like many, Terry Finley went to the races with his dad. Growing up in Levittown, Pennsylvania, he visited various tracks like Liberty Bell, Keystone, Delaware Park, Garden City, and Atlantic City. He even went to Delaware Park in the afternoon and then to Brandywine at night to watch the trotters. In his teens, he worked on a farm in Colts Neck, New Jersey. Later, at 15, he started working on the racetrack. While in the Army in Germany, he often thought about getting back into racing. Every time he saw the big racetrack outside the Frankfurt Airport, it made him consider it. But what really hooked him was the Affirmed-Alydar rivalry. He was at the Affirmed-Alydar Derby and Preakness but missed the Belmont. That was a great time for racing. Then there was the Steve Cauthen phenomenon. In 1978, with Affirmed-Alydar and Cauthen, he knew what he wanted and just had to figure out how to make it happen in racing.

Terry Finley's story highlights the influence of various factors and events in shaping one's love for horse racing.