The Jockey

[Calzone Lord]

The story of Ron Franklin, the 19-year-old who rode Spectacular Bid through the '79 Triple Crown series - might make for an interesting movie.

Some interesting quotes from '79 Beyer columns:

After the Florida Derby:

Spectacular Bid proved Tuesday that he could overcome the worst sort of adversity. He overcame his jockey Ron Franklin.

Franklin's dreadful ride was not unprecedented. Last year, as an apprentice, he contributed heavily to Spectacular Bid's only two defeats.

After Ron Franklin was busted for doing cocaine in the parking lot of Disney Land nine days after he lost the Belmont:

Ron Franklin's job as the rider of Spectacular Bid brought him a year of fame and success which he never earned. Suddenly, fate has turned the tables

Franklin had displayed little ability and aptitude when he started riding for Delp last year. But the trainer liked him, took him into his home, and reffered to Franlin as his "third son." So, even though he was barely competent to ride in run-of-the-mill races at Pimlico, Franklin found himself placed under the extreme pressure of the triple crown

Franklin's misadventures in just the five week window after his Kentucky Derby win through his Belmont defeat:

Fined for kicking a horse at Pimlico after losing a race

Fined for cursing a Pimlico security guard who asked to see his ID badge

Fined after he got into a fight with Angel Cordero in the Belmont Park jockeys room the week of the Belmont Stakes

One day before the Belmont, he was named in a paternity suit by a waitress who said he fathered her 5-month old child

Finishes 3rd in the Belmont. One of the most bizarre rides I've ever seen in a big race. Franklin guns Spectacular Bid into a speed duel with a 90/1 hard ridden longshot over a dull racetrack. The opening fractions that Bid and Gallant Best battled through in the Belmont were 23 2/5 and 47 3/5th around a turn - earlier on in the day - in a one-turn mile race - that seasons champion sprinter Star De Naskra (he wired the 7f Carter last out) battled with Darby Creek Road (DCR still holds the 7f track record at Saratoga to this day - and was stretching out off of a 6f race) .. through fractions of 23 4/5 and 46 3/5 running a straight line in a one-turn mile.

Nine days later, Franklin gets busted for snorting coke in the Disney parking lot.

Pretty wild six week stretch for a teenager I would say.

Things didn't get much better for Franklin later on in life. At an age when most jockeys are in the prime of their career - Franklin was struggling to get by while riding at Fairmount Park. (Is Fairmount in Missouri or Illonois?) Franklin got busted "for trying to buy cocaine in the mail" and eventually lost his jocks license in '92. Looking through the Champions book - I didn't notice his name at any point - on any other champion.

It's kind of like Mickey Ward's story from The Fighter ... except - in reverse. Only other difference is that Franklin seems more like Micky Ward's brother. Obviously - it would also make a cool story because such a great horse would be involved - and because Delp is often portrayed as a beer drinking big-mouth who racked up some cool fines for bad behavior in the same five week span in '79 (including one for beating up an excersize rider and another for threatening a security guard)