HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The other morning at Gulfstream Park, jockey Roger Velez happened by the barn of trainer T.V. Smith. Velez, like Smith, is a veteran horseman known more for grinding out a good living than living large on a national scale.
Three years ago, Velez reached the high point of his career when he rode Hal's Hope to victory in the Florida Derby. Hal's Hope was named for his then 88-year-old trainer, Harold Rose.
"You see this horse," Smith said to Velez, pointing to a dark bay colt. "This is T.V.'s hope."