Golden Gate Fields: Mackey eager to take on racing secretary duties

New Golden Gate Fields racing secretary Patrick Mackey begins working at the track Thursday. The 36-year-old Mackey was hired to replace David Jerkens, who recently accepted the position of racing secretary at Del Mar.

Mackey has worked in the racing offices at several tracks, including most recently the New York Racing Association. He will work with Jerkens for six weeks before Jerkens assumes his new position.

“To have six weeks with David will be invaluable,” he said. “I was there a couple days a month ago, and in talking with racing people I could tell that David was well liked and had a good rapport with everyone.”

Tom Ludt, senior vice president for racing and gaming for the Stronach Group, which owns Golden Gate Fields, believes that the hiring of Mackey is the beginning of a long-term relationship.

“His experience level was excellent for a very young guy,” said Ludt. “He brought a skill set and energy that impressed us.”

Mackey jokes that he was a “racetrack brat.”

His grandfather, Oscar Mackey, was a trainer, starter, and steward. His late father, Mike, was general manager at several tracks, including Thistledown, Hialeah, Tampa Bay Downs, and Detroit Race Course.

Mackey’s father died in July 2012.

“He left me much of his knowledge, and it’s been invaluable,” Mackey said.

Mackey’s first job in racing was as a claims clerk at Hialeah in 1998, but even, then he said, “I always aspired to be a racing secretary.”
He served as an assistant racing secretary at Great Lake Downs in Michigan in 1999; Fair Meadows in Oklahoma (2000); Gulfstream Park near Miami (2007-09); Hawthorne and Arlington Park near Chicago (2009-10); and with the New York Racing Association from 2010-12.

There are trepidations that come with any new job, and, Mackey admits, “I’m going to a place where I don’t know anybody and have no relationships with any of the horsemen.”

Jerkens says that is something he’ll help Mackey with.

“I really look forward to working with Patrick and introducing him to the horsemen,” said Jerkens. “He’ll have six weeks to see how the office runs and better acclimate himself to everything and to familiarize himself with the horse inventory.”

Mackey doesn’t plan on making big changes but anticipates making little “tweaks” to the program.

Jerkens said one of the things he will stress with Mackey is that with 157 racing days a year at Golden Gate Fields, it will be important for him to keep a good attitude.

“It’s a grind sometimes,” he said. “Sometimes you just have to roll with it a little bit, but don’t let it get you down. Try to remain positive.”

Borg winning through losing

After losing 100 pounds, Ronnie Borg is getting back in the saddle.

Borg, a former jockey, agent, and exercise rider, has most recently been a mutuel clerk at Golden Gate Fields. But he is planning to get back in the saddle again as an exercise rider after losing 100 pounds.

“I have my license and just got a new helmet and safety vest,” he said.

He has been visiting with trainers and expects to be back exercising horses at Golden Gate Fields soon.

“Some are leery to put me on horses, but I can’t wait to do it,” said Borg. “I’d like to get on four or five a day. One of the problems is the number of horses is down and there aren’t many chances.”

Borg comes from a racing family. His dad, Joe Borg Jr., began training in 1950 and still breeds and owns horses and assists trainer Sherrie Monroe. His aunt Carmella Anderson and cousin John Anderson are trainers. Another cousin, Richard Lewis, is a former trainer and ran the Sonoma County Fair meet at Santa Rosa last summer.

Borg began riding as a 15-year-old in Portland in 1973 and rode his last race at Bay Meadows in 1977. In 1974, he was the leading apprentice at the Big Fresno Fair.

He was a jockey agent for 20 years, including for riders Karen Garcia and Ryan Morris, before retiring in 2003 and becoming an exercise rider, primarily for trainer Steve Miyadi, then a mutuel clerk.

Gonzalez an apprentice no longer

Ricardo Gonzalez rode two winners Sunday to wind up his career as an apprentice rider. He won with Dark Ocean ($5.40) in the first and Power of Ten ($14) in the third.

He is fourth in the Golden Gate Fields standings with 40 wins and ended his apprentice year with 99 wins.
He has his first two mounts as a journeyman Thursday, aboard Battle Jet in the fifth and Lookout Scout in the seventh.

◗ Jerry Hollendorfer and longtime client George Todaro teamed up as the winningest owners in California for the second year in a row, according to the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Hollendorfer and Todaro had 39 winners from 125 starters in California last year.