GUIDRY SHOOTS FOR THREE STRAIGHT

By Bill Mooney

Mark Guidry has announced he'll retire sometime this year. But before he does, the 47-year-old jockey will try for his third consecutive victory in the Grade 3, $750,000 West Virginia Derby, which will be run this Saturday at The Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort.

Guidry has been named to ride Moyer's Pond, who campaigns for Michael Makin's Lucky Seven Stable and is trained by Anthony Reinstedler. Moyer's Pond has proven ability -- he finished second in both the Grade 3 Lone Star Derby at Lone Star Park on May 12 and the Grade 2 Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 2.

The two horses who won those events, Slew's Tizzy and Delightful Kiss, are considered definite West Virginia Derby starters, as well. Guidry didn't ride Moyer's Pond at either Lone Star or Thistledown. Truth be known, this will be the first time he has ever climbed aboard the 3-year-old gelding for a race.

But Guidry knows something about riding - he is one of only 21 North American jockeys to have accumulated 5,000 career wins.

He reached that plateau on May 4 of this year at Churchill Downs with a horse named Chippewa Trail. Guidry's career totals include 73 victories in graded stakes. And two of those graded victories were achieved with Real Dandy and Bright One in the 2005-'06 renewals of the West Virginia Derby.

Real Dandy was trained by Steve Asmussen., and went postward in the West Virginia Derby at 7-1 odds. He was last in the field of 11 a half-mile into the race, but Guidry guided Real Dandy around horses and then closed powerfully in the stretch to gain a 1 ¼-length triumph.

Bright One was from the barn of trainer Dale Romans. He was the even-money in the field of ten, and performed accordingly. Upon exiting the starting gate, Guidry took Bright One immediately to the lead and stayed there, drawing off in the stretch for an authoritative 5 ¾-length score.

Guidry's peers respect him immensely. Last year, he received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award as the rider whose career and personal character reflect positively on themselves and racing.

"From a professional standpoint, the 'Woolf Award is the greatest thing that has ever come my way" Guidry said. "Lots of wonderful things have happened for me, but I view this as the highlight of my career."

And it has been a very lengthy career. Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, Guidry was riding races at bush tracks in his home state at the age of nine. By his mid-teenage years, he was riding in pari-mutuel races and recorded his first win at a sanctioned meet aboard a horse named Temperamental Tom at Delta Downs in 1974.

As the years went on, Chicago became Guidry's primary base. He was the leading jockey seven times at Hawthorne Race Course and nine times at Sportsman's Park, and has twice led the standings at Arlington Park meets.

During a meet at Sportsman's in 1992, Guidry thrice won six races on a card. His overall win total for that year was 296 -- impressive, for sure, but not his single season high. Guidry won 317 races in 1996. And he won 310 in 1997.

The abilities of jockeys - especially ones who are not based in New York or California - often don't catch the attention of prominent horsemen until the riders are well into their late 30's or even early 40's. It's interesting to note that most of Guidry's major stakes opportunities have come during the past seven years.

In 2000, he won the Grade 2 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland with She's a Devil Due. In 2001, Guidry was victorious in both the Grade 2 Turfway Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park and the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park with Balto Star. In 2002, he won the Grade 1 Humans Distaff Handicap at Churchill with Celtic Melody and the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland with Riskaverse.

Guidry further won the 2005 running of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby with Buzzards Bay. And in 2006, he guided Lemons Forever to victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill.

The '05 Santa Anita Derby had a $750,000 purse, the same as the two editions of the West Virginia Derby won by Guidry - the three constitute the most financially lucrative events he has captured to date.

The all-time record for consecutive West Virginia Derby wins is four, achieved by Floyd Green from 1963-'66. Mountaineer was known as Waterford Park in those days. Green, who was a locally-based jockey, swept the first four renewals of the race at the Hancock County track (the West Virginia Derby had previously been run at Tri-State Park near Huntington and at Wheeling Downs).

Green achieved his feat with horses named Etimota, Peter Le Grand, Pantuity and Kerensa. Another jockey, Mickey Solomone, won the West Virginia Derby three times - with Roman Partner in 1969, and with Family Table and Blue Chip Dan in the consecutive years 1972-'73. No other jockey had ever won the race twice, consecutively or otherwise, until Guidry came to Mountaineer.

Guidry and his wife, Tina, have three grown children, sons Marcus and Mecus, and daughter Fallon. Guidry's plan is to soon begin a new career as a racing official. But this week, he'll have Mountaineer on his mind.

Moyer's Pond will not be one of the favorites in this year's West Virginia Derby. But he won't be the longest shot on the board, either. Moyer's Pond is nicely bred. He's by the 2001 Kentucky Derby winner, Monarchos, and is out of a dam named Philadelphia Blues, who is a daughter of the 1984 Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Wild Again.

The career debut for Moyer's Pond didn't come until February 25 of this year, when he won at Oaklawn. His career record now includes five starts and three second-place finishes (including a pair in graded company). He's a maturing runner, and he'll have the crafty, proven Mark Guidry aboard this Saturday at Mountaineer.