Trevor McCarthy

For most of the sport's history the mental well-being of jockeys was not something that anybody talked about or even thought about. But the problem could no longer be ignored when, in 2023, two jockeys, Alex Canchari and Avery Whisman, took their own lives. They were otherwise young and healthy, but the pressures of being a jockey was a burden both, apparently, could not handle. They were not alone. Jockeys' Guild President and CEO Terry Meyocks said that 230 jockeys were surveyed last year and asked about their mental health....

5th-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 1-28, 3yo, 1m, 1:40.42, sy, 8 1/4 lengths. CAPITAL IDEA (c, 3, Classic Empire--Rever de Vous {SP}, by Distorted Humor), a close-up third in his debut over this track and trip Dec. 31, went off the 2-1 second choice to take a step forward while getting Lasix for this soggy return. Settled in a stalking third by Trevor McCarthy as favored J D Factor (The Factor) led through :24.16 and :48.95 opening splits, the bay mounted his challenge three wide approaching the quarter pole, took over in...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Among the key rulings from the last seven days, it appears once again that the rules barring intra-articular injections within seven days of a timed or reported workout are tripping up trainers, with one such case resolved and another three introduced to the "pending rulings" list. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the HIWU's "pending" and "resolved" cases portals....

The Davis clan dominated Sunday's second race at Saratoga as members of the family swept the first four spots under the wire for a "Davis superfecta." Katie Davis rode the winner of thee $30,000 maiden claimer, Danny Gargan-trainee Bon Adieu (Ghostzapper), finishing seven lengths ahead of Mim (Practical Joke), ridden by her brother Dylan. Embraceable Gal (Midnight Lute) was next and was ridden by Trevor McCarthy, who is Katie Davis's husband. Sweet Liberty (Bellamy Road) was fourth and was ridden by Jackie Davis, the sister of Katie and Dylan. The...

Another eventful year for horse racing is about to come to an end, which makes this a good time to look back at the TDN stories that were the most widely read during the year. From the heroics of Flightline (Tapit) to the on-going saga of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) to the latest developments in the Jorge Navarro-Jason Servis scandal, there was no shortage of important stories. Unfortunately, there were a number of major stories that reflected poorly on the sport, but, our statistics show, those...

When Trevor McCarthy went down in a spill Friday at Aqueduct and broke his collar bone and his pelvis, retired rider Richard Migliore said he was upset but not surprised. Migliore, whose son Joe Migliore is McCarthy's jockey agent, said he had been growing increasingly concerned as New York riders continued to be more and more aggressive while the stewards seem to look the other way. Something like this, he figured, was bound to happen, he said. "People run into each other now with impunity," said Migliore, an analyst on...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week.California Track: Del Mar Date: 08/11/2022 Licensee:  Derrick Brown, owner Penalty: Suspension Violation:...

Sixteen months after a widely criticized rule forcing the pari-mutuel coupling of married jockeys cost an estimated $4.2 million in handle loss at Aqueduct Racetrack, the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) on Wednesday finally voted in a rule change that resolved a bureaucratic logjam by changing four words in a regulation that is about 50 years old. So after nearly a year and a half of the rule resulting in truncated field sizes, being widely bemoaned by the betting public, and being termed as sexist by critics because it...

With heavily favored champion Yibir totally missing the start, Saturday's GI Man o' War S. at Belmont was thrown into a state of flux, and longest shot on the board Highland Chief took advantage. Away well himself and with no real pace on, Highland Chief shared early front-running duties with Abaan (Will Take Charge) past the wire for the first time while kept well off the fence by pilot Trevor McCarthy. Content to sit second on the first bend and down the backside through splits of :25.35, :51.84 and 1:17.60,...

One year ago, a decades-old state requirement in New York that mandates that same-race mounts of married jockeys be coupled in pari-mutuel wagering cost the state an estimated $4.2 million in lost betting handle. That same rule also caused two well-respected, just-married riders--Katie Davis and Trevor McCarthy--to uproot their lives during the middle of a pandemic, necessitating them to move from New York to California to try and earn livings by riding where no such restrictions exist. In the midst of that upheaval, a New York lawmaker whose district includes...

Two months after costing New York an estimated $4.2 million in lost handle revenue during the first quarter of 2021, a bill to eliminate an antiquated state requirement that same-race mounts of married jockeys be coupled in pari-mutuel wagering has passed both the Assembly and Senate. The New York Senate unanimously passed Bill No. A7024 June 1 by a 63-0 margin. The Assembly had passed it 147-0 on May 5. The measure, if signed into law by the governor, would take effect immediately. It now charges racetrack operators with the...

Jockey Trevor McCarthy is moving his tack to California later this month. A leading rider in Maryland, McCarthy began riding in New York this winter, enjoying a successful Aqueduct winter meet. As of Sunday, he was fourth in the Belmont spring standings. McCarthy will be represented by Derek Lawson, former agent to Flavien Prat. "I needed a rider and was not going to take one away from another agent here," said Lawson. "I recruited him. I started looking at riders who might fit out here, called him up, he made...