She’s done it all. This week’s The Player’s Edge guest, Paula Bacon went from the backside to a jockey, trainer and now a jockey’s agent. She’ll share her experiences and well as put her handicapping skills to work for Saturday’s late pick 4 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Kepp up with Paula on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paula.bacon.73
Q&A With Puala Bacon
HRT: You were born into horse racing, aside from mom, who has been the biggest influence on you and why?
Paula Bacon: My biggest influence besides my mother was Trainer Don Rice. I rode first call for him for years and he treated me like his own daughter. He gave me great advice. He told me to become a trainer, so I did!
HRT: You’ve been a jockey, jockeys’ agent, and a trainer. Fill us in on the timeline for each and how being a jockey helped you as a trainer and how both helped you as an agent?
Paula Bacon Afleet Angel
Paula Bacon: I was a jockey from 1994 to 2002. jockey agent from 2002 to 2004. trainer from 2004 to 2011. jockey agent from then to present. Being a jockey only really helped me as a trainer in the sense that I realized how important placing the horses in the right races is. Jockeys realize the significance of a horse being in the right company to win! Being Larry Edwards assistant trainer and exercise rider prepared me a lot more than being a jockey did for training horses. Being a jockey and trainer just made it very easy to be an agent. I already understood the condition book and I knew lots of people.
HRT: Your main client is jockey Pablo Morales – three questions:
Viewing it through your experience as a jockey, what makes Pablo such a good rider?
Paula Bacon: Pablo has extreme natural physical talent in everything he does especially riding horses. He is very naturally athletic. Pablo has the eye of the tiger all the time, he is never one to think this is good enough. He is driven and has self-discipline.
HRT: Considering it as a trainer, what kind of horse would you want Pablo to ride for you?
Paula Bacon: I would ride him on any type, but if I had to choose, I would say a speed horse because when he lands on the lead, he is a great saver of horse to make the last part count.
Paula Bacon and Pablo Morales
HRT: As an agent, what makes Pablo an easy sell to trainers/owners?
Paula Bacon: He speaks Spanish and English fluently. He is pleasant. He looks amazing finishing in the stretch, and he has good judgement. Also, trainers know he is dedicated to this business. He has no bad habits.
HRT: Our Swiss Army Shawn is contemplating the idea of being a jockeys’ agent, what advice do you have for him and others that want to practice the craft?
Paula Bacon: You are only as good as your product, so choose your jockey wisely!
HRT: How important is it to be a good handicapper as an agent?
Paula Bacon: Very! I have to choose correctly more than not, or we will go broke!!!
HRT: The Tampa Bay Downs’ jockey colony has some impressive young women. What do you see in them that reminds you of your days as a jockey? And what things have changed for women jockeys since you were a rider?
Paula Bacon in the Winners Circle
Paula Bacon: I see a lot of myself in Maddie Rowland. She believes in herself with her heart and soul and so did I. I think women have had good opportunities for many years, so I don’t think that much has changed since I was a jockey to now. The big changes came in the era right before I started.
HRT: From your perspective, fill us in on the differences, if there are any, between how female and male jockeys approach the race?
Paula Bacon: I do not believe there is a difference in how a female or male approaches a race. I do feel every jockey individually approaches a race differently. We all have different styles of riding and handicapping a race. We also all have different senses of timing in s race.
HRT: Tampa Bay Downs successfully navigated COVID. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith told us Tampa Bay Downs should be the model for the whip rules. Tampa Bay Downs is coming off its most successful weekend, ever! With so much talk of horse racing being in trouble, what is Tampa Bay Downs doing right that others should follow?
Paula Bacon: Tampa is not a casino racetrack, so they depend on the handle to keep making profits. Tampa has an excellent management team. They like to keep the fields as big as possible which bettors love. Tampa sends its signal out to a large number of outlets. Tampa cares about horse racing, not slot machines. Tampa treats the horseman with respect.
