Archives > Jockeys' Insurance

Tuesday Hit-and-Run: - The Jockeys' Guild continues to recover from the frayed relationships and depleted coffers of the Wayne Gertmenian era. "It has been difficult," said jockey Jon Court, one of 27 jockeys elected to the Guild's Senate last week. "Some people like to hang on. But we were literally able to take that skeleton and throw it out." - At Woodbine, 35-year-old apprentice Dean Deverell wins four races in a week. - Happy Ticket will face top older distaffer Oonagh Maccool on Saturday in the Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs. "Obviously, the other mare is awfully good," said owner...; [Posted June 13, 2006 9:00 AM]; ---

Noted: March 22: - In today's Derby Watch: Corinthian is off the Derby Trail; weekend Beyer numbers are out. - Speed genes found? "A British scientist yesterday claimed to have made a 'historic breakthrough' in the study of thoroughbred genetics, after a six-year research project produced the first proof of a relationship between specific genes and the individual performances of racehorses." - Kentucky congressman Ed Whitfield, who led hearings into the the jockeys' insurance issue last fall, said that legislation amending the Interstate Horseracing Act to provide workers' compensation to jockeys and backstretch workers could be ready in four weeks. - Rockport Harbor's...; [Posted March 22, 2006 10:00 AM]; ---

Guild Sues Gertmenian: Jockeys' Guild officials opened the organization's annual assembly this Monday with a "painful" accounting of the Guild's state at the time president Wayne Gertmenian was fired: In reality, the Guild was stripped of most of its assets. "In fact, on the day [Gertmenian and former vice president Albert Fiss] were fired, they emptied out the bank accounts and wrote themselves $100,000 checks," said Broad. "We were nearly bankrupt." In an effort to recoup some of the losses, a plan to sue Gertmenian and the rest of the Guild's former management team was also discussed on Monday. Although Guild attorney Barry...; [Posted March 1, 2006 11:50 PM]; ---

Guild Missing More than Money: Yet another lawyer for Wayne Gertmenian claims that the checks the former Jockeys' Guild president cashed the day he was fired were for money owed to him, reports Liz Mullen in the Sports Business Journal: "It was back pay and it was owed to him under his contract," said attorney Mark Werksman. Guild lawyer Barry Broad alleges that not only did Gertmenian cash the checks without permission, but that he ran off with Guild memorabilia, including Bill Shoemaker's boots and a bust of Eddie Arcaro. "We would like our money back," Broad said. "We would also like Willie Shoemaker's boots...; [Posted December 13, 2005 9:30 PM]; ---

"Increasing Fiscal Neglect": The Jockeys' Guild released results of an internal investigation into the Guild's financial condition on Thursday, and the news, as might be expected, was ugly: According to interim president Darrell Haire, nearly $2.1 million was inappropriately spent by former management, most of the Guild accounts were depleted by November 15 (when then president Wayne Gertmenian and most of the Guild's management was fired), and a number of unpaid bills have been piling up for the past six months: "The investigation reveals an apparent pattern of increasing fiscal neglect extending for at least the past 18 months," said Haire. "While at...; [Posted December 9, 2005 11:00 PM]; ---

Guild Meets With Track Execs: The Jockeys' Guild met with racetrack executives in a five hour meeting at Churchill Downs on Thursday. "It was an opportunity to sit down with the new guild leadership and representatives and to get together face-to-face and talk about some things," said Churchill spokesman John Asher. No further details of the meeting were released. Another is planned for sometime in January 2006. The Guild almost moved offices this week, in an effort to cut any remaining ties to fired president Wayne Gertmenian's consulting company, Matrix Capital Associates. "Among the many self-serving things that Dr. Gertmenian did is negotiate an agreement...; [Posted December 2, 2005 10:35 AM]; ---

Guild Owes Jockeys $440K: Every bit of news that comes out about the state of the Jockeys' Guild post-Wayne Gertmenian points to an organization in a deepening crisis. This week, Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal reports that the Guild owes jockeys $440,000 because its former management used members' savings accounts to fund operating expenses. Guild attorney Barry Broad, who has accused Gertmenian of leaving the Guild in "financial shambles," said only $200,000 remains in the organization's operating account as of last week, which means the Guild is in the red $240,000 just in money owed to riders. (Never mind the unpaid office rent...; [Posted November 29, 2005 12:00 PM]; ---

A Less Than Graceful Exit: The Jockeys' Guild fired president Wayne Gertmenian following an emergency meeting of the Guild Senate on Tuesday, and the disgraced professor didn't take his dismissal well. It was reported earlier this week that Gertmenian and similarly ousted Guild vice president Albert Fiss scuffled with jockeys at the Guild's offices on Tuesday and now there are allegations that Gertmenian wrote checks totaling $217,000 to himself and other "employees" of his consulting company, Matrix Capital Associates, on the same day that he was fired, despite a hold that had been placed on checks larger than $200 drawn on the Guild account. No...; [Posted November 18, 2005 10:00 AM]; ---

Another Call for Dr. G's Removal: A group of permanently disabled Jockeys' Guild members, troubled by the disappearance of the disabled jockeys' fund and the unsatisfactory answers given by Guild officials to questions about the organization's management, have sent an open letter to the Guild's board of directors calling for the removal of president Wayne Gertmenian and the reinstatement of former manager John Giovanni in his stead: Dr. Gertmenian has ... failed to prove himself as a man who could be trusted to do what's best for the Guild ... We badly need a leader who understands and is familiar with the business of the Jockeys'...; [Posted November 11, 2005 4:45 PM]; ---

House Schedules Second Hearing: The congressional subcommittee investigating jockeys' insurance has scheduled a second hearing on the issue for November 17. The witness list has not been finalized yet. The first hearing was held on October 18 and included testimony from jockeys and Jockeys' Guild officials, who answered questions about the organization's finances and the 2002 lapse of a catastrophic insurance policy....; [Posted November 4, 2005 9:05 AM]; ---

Guild Senate Calls Meeting: Jockeys' Guild president Wayne Gertmenian may find himself out of a job soon. In response to last month's congressional hearing into the issue of catastrophic insurance for jockeys and the concerns raised then regarding the Guild's management, the Guild Senate has called an emergency meeting on November 15 to discuss possible leadership changes. "Our concern is with the entire Guild management, but foremost on our mind will be the president," said Guild senator and jockey Jon Court....; [Posted November 2, 2005 4:40 PM]; ---

Guild Investigates Gertmenian: The Daily Racing Form reports that the Jockeys' Guild has begun an investigation into the credentials of its president, Dr. Wayne Gertmenian, as well the payments made by the Guild to Gertmenian's consulting company, Matrix Capital Associates. "We want to make sure we can answer all the questions that our members have," said Guild treasurer Jeff Johnston. Related commentary from Ray Paulick: "Wayne Gertmenian, the president and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild, is a bully who finally met his match in the halls of Congress."...; [Posted October 27, 2005 6:55 AM]; ---

The Shame of It: In a sport as rich as racing, that a journeyman jockey like Gary Birzer can be paralyzed in an on-track accident and then find himself burdened with more than $500,000 in medical bills is a scandal. What's even more scandalous is that the Jockeys' Guild, the very organization charged with protecting and representing Birzer and his fellow riders, has betrayed its members for the enrichment of one man and his family and cronies -- at least, that's the conclusion I came to after reading the testimony given at Tuesday's congressional hearing on jockeys' insurance. Alan at Left at the Gate...; [Posted October 19, 2005 10:00 PM]; ---

Subpoenas Issued: The US House of Representatives issued two subpoenas to Jockeys' Guild president Wayne Gertmenian on Tuesday, demanding that management and financial documents from the Guild and Matrix Capital Associates, the consulting firm owned by Gertmenian that has managed the organization since 2001, be turned over to a congressional committee investigating the issue of jockeys' insurance (Blood-Horse). The documents sought by the committee, headed by Kentucky representative Ed Whitfield, are the same records that Whitfield requested in letters to the Guild and Gertmenian in April and then again in August. "It was pretty clear to us that they were not really...; [Posted September 22, 2005 2:00 PM]; ---

Thursday Eve Notes: I see via Left at the Gate that congressman Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, is most displeased with the response he's received from the Jockeys' Guild to his request for documents in an investigation into the matter of jockeys' insurance. It seems the Guild has dodged (Thoroughbred Times) providing documents relating to president Wayne Gertmenian's consulting company, Matrix, to which the organization has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in management and real estate fees. In a letter to the Guild, Representative Whitfield asks, among other things, that Gertmenian: Describe in detail the...; [Posted August 18, 2005 6:30 PM]; ---

Charles Town Insurance Max $50,000: Matt Hegarty reports in the Daily Racing Form today that Charles Town's jockey accident insurance is capped at $50,000, not the more standard $100,000 or $1 million found at most tracks. Apprentice rider Shannon Campbell was paralyzed in an accident at Charles Town last Saturday. A fundrasier is being planned to help with her medical bills. Jockeys' Guild vice-president Albert Fiss, reacting to the news that Campbell's coverage is limited to $50,000, said, "You would think that West Virginia of all places, with what happened last year and the money coming from slots, would do the morally right thing." The...; [Posted July 15, 2005 10:00 AM]; ---

House Committee Opens Inquiry: Jockeys' Guild officials have dodged questions since last fall over everything from the organization's finances to its insurance policies to Guild president Wayne Gertmenian's resume. Finally, some answers may be forthcoming: US Rep. Ed Whitfield, a congressman from Kentucky, has sent a letter to the Jockeys' Guild's executive director, Wayne Gertmenian, asking the Guild to comply with 23 different requests for records or explanations of the Guild's policies, financial documents, and Gertmenian's qualifications. (Daily Racing Form) Whitfield was named chairman of the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in January and is investigating the issue...; [Posted April 21, 2005 5:15 PM]; ---

A Job for Matt Hegarty: According to a report on Blood-Horse, the Jockeys' Guild paid Matrix Capital Associates, the consulting firm owned by Guild president Dr. L. Wayne Gertmenian, $412,000 in consulting fees in 2003, an increase of 12% over 2002 when Matrix was paid $375,903. Matrix took over management of the Guild in 2001, and the organization has been the subject of much criticism since last fall for letting its catastrophic insurance policy for members lapse. The question I keep coming back to when I read these articles about Guild finances and Matrix is this: What is Matrix Capital Associates? It's been a registered...; [Posted March 1, 2005 5:35 PM]; ---

The Other Scandal: All's been quiet on the jockeys' insurance front for a few weeks now. Whatever happened to the committee that was supposed to offer recommendations on resolving the situation by the end of the year? Related: The Jockeys' Guild has agreed to allow the California Horse Racing Board to conduct a limited audit and examine its books. (Daily Racing Form) Also: The Guild may have some competition in California. A group of jockeys, led by Ron Warren Jr., concerned about the Guild's management, have formed their own organization to represent riders in the state. (Sports Business Journal)...; [Posted February 1, 2005 2:45 PM]; ---

What Jockeys Want: "While the Thoroughbred Racing Associations awaits an answer from the Jockeys' Guild about how the $2.2-million in annual payments meant for catastrophic injury insurance has been spent, the Guild has issued a sweeping list of demands from the tracks ... $2-million a month from the TRA, and corresponding amounts from tracks that are not members of the organization, for media rights ... Provision by the tracks of medical insurance of at least $1-million per accident in states without workers' compensation ... Guaranteed riding fees of 1% of the average purse paid ... Educational programs at each track in English and...; [Posted December 21, 2004 8:25 AM]; ---

All Valid: Jockeys' Guild president L. Wayne Gertmenian publicly answered questions for the first time about his qualifications, sort of: "Gertmenian's resume says that he was chief detente negotiator in Moscow and an emissary to Tehran during the Nixon and Ford administrations. It also says that Gertmenian was a board member of the Far East Foundation and West Coast Bancorp. None of those claims could be substantiated by official archivists at the Nixon and Ford libraries or by the Far East Foundation and West Coast Bancorp. "When asked on Thursday to explain the discrepancies, Gertmenian said, 'It's all valid.' When asked why...; [Posted December 11, 2004 11:10 AM]; ---

Rider Lives Insurance Turmoil: "Horses were Remi Gunn's life, and they were almost her death." A mid-race accident at Ellis Park in 2003 not only left Gunn paralyzed, but destitute. (Lexington Herald-Leader)...; [Posted December 5, 2004 10:30 AM]; ---

Churchill Demands Guild Account for Funds: "Churchill Downs Inc. yesterday asked the national Jockeys' Guild to account for $1.25 million its racetracks have given the riders' organization over the past three years. In a letter to L. Wayne Gertmenian, the guild's president and chief executive since 2001, Churchill Downs racetrack President Steve Sexton requested that the guild's response be certified by an independent accountant and received by Tuesday." (Courier-Journal)...; [Posted December 3, 2004 8:42 AM]; ---

Jockeys' Fund Likely to Dissolve: "The Disabled Jockeys’ Fund, which in 2003 provided more than $371,000 in financial assistance to permanently and temporarily injured riders, is set to dissolve at the end of the year, leaving questions of how the Jockeys’ Guild will fulfill one of its core missions to support disabled riders." (Thoroughbred Times) Related: Jockeys' Guild president Dr. L. Wayne Gertmenian offers up a bizarre commentary on last month's incident at Churchill Downs -- or, as he dubs it, "Churchill Plantation" -- in which jockey Shane Sellers was escorted off the grounds. "I was in a time warp. It was Macon, Georgia and...; [Posted December 1, 2004 8:20 AM]; ---

Lawsuit Demands Audit: Ousted Jockeys' Guild treasurer Eddie King Jr. has filed a lawsuit demanding an audit of the organization's finances. Among other things, the suit gives some insight into Guild president Wayne Gertmenian's fundraising strategy: "Dr. Gertmenian, emphasizing the fact that he had a Ph.D., and that Mr. King had a limited educational background, informed Mr. King that he wished to divest the fund of $1-million to create the illusion that the fund was in financial trouble, thereby encouraging donations from wealthy benefactors of the fund." (Thoroughbred Times) Related: "Kent Desormeaux, a board member of the Jockeys' Guild, said Tuesday that he...; [Posted November 24, 2004 6:55 AM]; ---

This'll Be Resolved Soon: The panel formed by the NTRA in response to the jockeys' insurance crisis met for the first time on Monday and appointed a six-member committee to come up with recommendations for providing riders with "adequate and affordable" coverage. (Daily Racing Form) More: "Jockey-insurance meeting called productive" (Courier-Journal)...; [Posted November 23, 2004 6:05 AM]; ---

Questions, Questions: Jockey Guild president L. Wayne Gertmenian comes under scrutiny, and the findings don't look good for him or the Guild: "A background check by Daily Racing Form suggests there is little or no evidence that Gertmenian served in the important government posts he described. Claims of being a radio talk show host and author appear to be supported only by self-published work and purchased broadcast time. Descriptions of positions on some company boards in the resume appear to be inaccurate, according to company filings or representatives of the businesses themselves." Related: "A top official with the Jockeys' Guild has questioned...; [Posted November 20, 2004 10:50 AM]; ---

Jumping at the Chance: "Rodney Trader has ridden races for 20 of his 36 years. But when he came to Kentucky this spring, it was as an exercise rider -- someone who gets horses ready in the morning for someone else to ride in the afternoon. "Yet horse racing is a game based on twists and unexpected turns. And last week, with Churchill embroiled in a controversy over accident insurance for jockeys, Trader began doing something he'd never experienced before: He rode in races under the shadow of the fabled Twin Spires. "Trader can be called a replacement rider. And he sounds mystified that...; [Posted November 18, 2004 6:35 AM]; ---

More and More Evident: Frustrated and anxious over the issue of adequate insurance coverage, "Many jockeys are now venting their anger toward racetrack officials or the TRA," writes Ray Paulick. But their ire may be misdirected: "It's becoming more and more evident to me that the leadership of the Jockeys' Guild may have hung the organization's own members out to dry." (Blood-Horse) Related: "Questions about Guild cash" (Daily Racing Form)...; [Posted November 17, 2004 12:10 PM]; ---

Dispute Developments: The 32-member NTRA panel on jockey insurance has been named. (Thoroughbred Times) Also: "Eddie King, a rider based in New Jersey, said on Monday that he was removed as treasurer of the Jockeys' Guild and expelled from the organization on Nov. 7 after he persisted in asking questions about the Guild's finances." The Guild management, which allowed a $1 million catastrophic insurance policy purchased for jockeys to lapse in 2002, faces scrutiny and calls for audits from several quarters as the issue of jockey insurance roils on. (Daily Racing Form) Related: The insurance dispute is a "black eye" for the...; [Posted November 16, 2004 7:30 AM]; ---

And the Dispute Goes On: Steve Dilbeck is on the side of the jockeys in the insurance dispute: "Everyone at least claims to agree jockeys need accident insurance. After that, it's everyone for themselves. Particularly the jockeys. "Those would be the ones who put their lives in jeopardy with every mount. Who are guaranteed to be injured several times a year. Phenomenal athletes who risk serious head and neck injuries. "And without them, there's no show. "Track owners should send limos to get them every day. Should bathe them in luxury. Should boast about the lavish insurance they're provided. "Instead, they want jockeys to pay...; [Posted November 12, 2004 8:50 AM]; ---

More on Jockeys' Dispute: "Tensions in the jockey-insurance controversy at Churchill Downs were on display Wednesday when a group of about 10 banned riders walked onto track property to demand the return of their equipment and other personal effects on the first racing day that they were barred from competition. Churchill personnel ultimately complied, but not before several of the jockeys, led by Shane Sellers, squared off verbally with track security and Louisville Metro Police officers. There were no arrests in the incident,which lasted about 25 minutes." (Daily Racing Form) More: "No one really seemed to care too much about unfamiliar faces on the...; [Posted November 11, 2004 4:15 PM]; ---

Jockeys Found: "Jockeys have been named on all 247 of the horses that were entered today and Thursday at Churchill Downs, where track management dismissed 15 riders earlier this week after they said they wouldn't ride." (LA Times)...; [Posted November 10, 2004 8:30 AM]; ---

Insurance Issue Panel Formed: The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced on Monday plans to form a panel to study the jockeys' insurance issue, after the matter came to a crisis point at Churchill Downs this weekend. The track banned more than a dozen riders for the rest of the meet after the jockeys organized a boycott for this Wednesday in protest of inadequate insurance. (Courier-Journal) More: "Health insurance pits Churchill, jockeys" (Lexington Herald-Leader) and "The agent for Rafael Bejarano, the leading jockey in the country, said Monday that he had dropped his rider because of the way Bejarano protested what some jockeys consider inadequate...; [Posted November 9, 2004 7:46 AM]; ---

Boycott Planned: "Most of the top jockeys at Churchill Downs told their agents not to name them on horses for the Wednesday card, further inflaming a controversy that promises to have widespread ramifications over the national issue of sufficient insurance coverage for jockeys." (Daily Racing Form) More: The situation took an ugly turn Sunday afternoon. Jockey Shane Sellers, who left racing last month over insurance concerns, was handcuffed and escorted from the Churchill Downs' jockeys room, where he was visiting with riders. Churchill officials also ejected Rafael Bejarano, Robby Albarado, Calvin Borel, Mark Guidry and Willie Martinez. All are barred from racing...; [Posted November 7, 2004 3:25 PM]; ---

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