Bailey rides off with Jockey Championship

GRAND PRAIRIE, Tex. - Dallas native Jerry Bailey captured his first title in the NTRA All-Star Jockey Championship on Friday night when Pesky Rascal, his final mount of the series, rallied to finish second, allowing the three current Hall of Fame members in the contest to sweep the top three placings.

Bailey and three others among the 12 competing jockeys had a chance to win going into the final leg of the four-race series. But when Bodacious Bubba, a 24-1 shot, captured the last race under Jorge Chavez, Bailey inherited the victory by virtue of total points.

Bailey finished with 19 points, one more than Laffit Pincay Jr. Pat Day was third with 16. The top three are all Hall of Famers, although another All-Star, Earlie Fires, will be inducted into the Hall in August.

Chavez finished fourth with 15 points, followed by Edgar Prado (10), David Flores (8), Corey Lanerie (6), Robby Albarado (3), Ron Ardoin (3), Aaron Gryder (3), Fires (1) and Tyler Baze (0).

The various payouts of the All-Star Wager, predicated on the final point standings, were Bailey (No. 3), $12.80 to win, $6.40 to place and $4.60 to show; Pincay (No. 11), $12.60 to place and $6.40 to show; and Day (No. 6), $4.60 to show.

The 3-11 exacta paid $106.20 and the 3-11-6 trifecta paid $739.80.

In the win pool, three men were sent off as 5-1 co-favorites: Bailey, Day and David Flores.

All-sources handle on all All-Star Wager pools was $111,213, down slightly from the 2000 total.

Points were awarded, respectively, on a 12-6-4-3-1 basis for first, second, third, fourth, and scratches.

"I really wanted to win this," said a beaming Bailey, who has competed in four of the five All-Star competitions, missing only last year because of a prior commitment to ride at Ascot. "I thought it'd be a shame to accomplish what I have in 26 years, and then when I retire in a few years, have to say that I couldn't win this. I thought I was going to have to win (the last race), but I was able to do it with a second."

Pincay led the point standings going into the fourth and final race of the series, carded as the seventh on a 10-race Lone Star card. But his mount, Moody Man, faded badly after chasing the pace in the five-furlong turf race.

In the first leg of the series (race three), Pincay, who won the All-Star Championship two years ago, got a great stalking trip when riding Warhead ($17.80) to victory for trainer Cole Norman.

In the second leg (race four), Bailey coaxed Slew City Knight ($10) to a narrow victory for trainer Marilyn Asmussen.

In the third leg (race six), Day gave D C Storm ($14.60) a perfect off-the-pace trip, overtaking Pincay aboard favored Rare Cure to win for trainer Larry Robideaux Jr. The second-place finish gave Pincay an 18-16 lead over Day going into the final race.

No jockey has won the All-Star title more than once. Previous winners were Gary Stevens (1997), Shane Sellers (1998), Pincay and Prado (2000). Along with Bailey, Pincay and Day, Prado was the only other jockey with a chance to win going into the final leg Friday.

All jockeys are assigned horses at random, with each assigned one apiece in categories known as A, B, C, and D.

Ontrack attendance was estimated at 15,000.