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INEZ KARLSSON GIRL, JOCKEY, CHAMPION 1 Chicago has always had a big heart for horseracing. Today the city is home to two major racetracks. 2 THURSDAY, JULY 10 2008. The flow of incoming jets to Chicago’s O’Hare airport is endless. Every minute several aircraft from all over the world touch down. Their route passing straight over Arlington Park Racetrack. Built during Chicago’s violent 20’s. And 1981 home to the first million- dollar race in the world. The Arlington Million. THE THOROUGHBREDS AT Arlington Park don’t worry about airplanes. They’re used to them. The incoming summer storm is a bigger concern. Jockey Inez Karlsson doesn’t think about either planes or storms. She’s totally focused on today’s rides. Just as focused as a few years before when she stared out an opponent in the boxing ring in her native Gothenburg, Sweden. She’s been riding in Chicago for almost a year. The only female jockey in the city. Chicago’s biggest race track – Arlington Park – was built during the city’s violent 20’s. 3 Alone in her locker room. Had she been in tion they will fight for. Sweden there would have been more female than OK? No response. male jockeys. But Inez has never ridden in her He lowers his hand and the front doors fly home country. The first time she ever sat on a open with a metal bang. 13 horses accelerate racehorse was in Canada. Two years before. from 0-60 km/h in a few strides. Today she’s got six horses to ride. Several of Mr Cooley is hit by Mine For Gold in the start, those she has never seen before. Lose a few lengths. The horses in the outer tracks In race three her mount is Mr Cooley. On his try to get close to the front to find a spot close to way to the starting gates he, like all the other the rail. racehorses, is accompanied by a lead pony. At the end of the back stretch Mr Cooley is A cool Quarter Horse. That’s the way it’s done dead last. At the end of the last turn he’s 8th. The in the USA. winner is given. That’s when Inez pulls her horse Mr Cooley stands at 30 to 1. His chances of out in 5th track. The horse has everything left. winning are slim. But Inez doesn’t think about 300 meters to go. 200. His afterburner has a full that. She thinks about her planning of the race. tank of gas! The opponents. She thinks about how the other 100 meters. The acceleration and the cheering jockeys have planned the less than 75 seconds won’t end as he crosses the finish line a length the 1200 metre race lasts. before 2nd. The horses are loaded in the starting stalls. The rear doors shut. The man who led Mr Cooley IN THE NEXT RACE INEZ RIDES Death Valley. The jumps up on the dividing wall to the next stall. horse she won her first ever race on - September 52 hoofs with razor sharp aluminum horse shoes 12 the year before. It’s an outer track again but step around in anticipation. Inez takes her horse to the lead after only 100 The starter’s eyes sweep over the stalls. He meters. And he stays there until the end. Win sees jockeys with their eyes locked like target number two of the day is a fact, seekers on aiming points on the track. The posi- 4 Death Valley gave Inez her first career win on September 12, 2007. It was only the beginning… 5 Mr Cooley Death Valley Stanley G Sweet Darlene On July 10, 2008 Inez Karlsson became the first woman ever to win four races in a day at Arlington Park. The horses were: Mr Cooley, Death Valley, Stanley G and Sweet Darlene. 6 In the sixth race Inez rides for trainer Frank Kirby. races in a day at Arlington. An 80 year old track A horse named Stanley G. Eight runners. Stanley with several race days per week during the G takes the lead but Inez brings him down a little, season. That’s big! A few weeks later Arlington gives him a breather. Settles third, fourth - close to Parks website wrote: the rail. 200 meters to go he gets locked in behind By Gollie Mr Ollie with Brunzer on the outside. ”What’s better than But Inez steers out and finds a hole between the becoming the first female two. Stanley G doesn’t hesitate. When he passes rider to win four winners on the finish line he’s got a three length margin and a single racing program at Inez has a triple! The ninth and last race of the day is for fillies. Arlington Park? Doing it The distance is 1200 meters. Once again Inez rides twice in the same summer!” one of Frank Kirby’s horses – Sweet Darlene. Draw 9. But it was only the beginning. Inez goes head on out of the gates and finds the rail before anyone else. She draws away from the field and keeps the others at a few lengths distance all the way to the stretch where she is challenged by Shes Got It All and Florence Hotel. But when the two start working, Inez and Sweet Darlene keep the distance and even draw away. The last 50 meters Shes Got It All puts in that extra gear. Closer. Closer. But at the wire Inez is half a length in front. And she’s made history. Inez is the first female rider ever to win four Arlington Parks main grandstand seats 50.000. 7 Inez was the 2nd best light flyweight boxer in Sweden 8 From boxing to racing Inez Karlsson is a typical Swedish ”girl next door”. Living in a small town outside Gothenburg. Mum, dad, two sisters and two brothers. As so many other girls in Sweden, Inez started riding before she was old enough for school. Mum drove to riding school. Inez rode ponies. BUT INEZ NEVER STARTED COMPETING . She never got stuck in the classic european ”jumping or dressage” issue. But she started doing other sports. Hard. Determined. Ten years of handball. And eventually boxing. But the longing for horses was always present. 13 years old she started helping an amateur trot- ting trainer. Working afternoons and weekends. Mucking, driving, saddle exercising. Far away from the snobbery of riding schools Majornas BK is a classic boxing club in the home town of World Heavyweight Champion Ingemar Johansson - Gothenburg. 9 and private stables. An ”un-girly” setting. The myself an honest chance to fulfill those dreams, trainer moved his horses to a new yard and Inez or I wont be fair on myself. So when I’ve made a followed. She began to help another trainer as decision I go all in. I make a plan and I follow it. well. Inez boxing career followed such a plan. She Later on she started to take boxing more started at 19 and was soon considered a good seriously. Her free time was divided between the fighter. One of the best light flyweights in the boxing club in Gothenburg and the yard. Two set- country. But one day she was knocked out flat. tings far away from any kind of glamour. Where Big time. you’re judged by what you do and how hard you – I was unconcious for six seconds and it fight. It doesn’t matter what car your parents scared me. Several weeks afterwards I had pro- drive or what brand of clothes you wear. It’s what blems shaping words and controlling my speach. you do that matters. – At the time I was studying psychology and Train hard. Work hard. knew pretty well what happens to your brain Inez never had a horse of her own. But she saw when you get hit like that. I felt it was time to more competitions and horse boxes than most stop. other girls her age. Trotting is huge in Sweden and Inez travelled to races all over the country ONE DAY IN GOTHENBURG Inez felt that the time grooming ”her” horses. Long days and cold nights had come. It was time to move on, see the world, in horse trucks. learn to speak better english. Another girl with She worked harder than most. In the ring, on another background might have backpacked her the handball court and in the stable. way to Australia. – That’s how I am. Ambitious. If I devote my- But Inez heard about a job in Canada. Working self to something it’s because I think it can give as a groom in a trotting yard outside Toronto. me a certain kind of experience. She bought a ticket. – What’s it like to win a fight? To ride a And travelled light, racehorse? To become a champion? I have to give Coming with seven years of experience from one 10 Inez was prepared to ride trotters - but met pacers... Unheard of in Sweden! 11 of the most respected trotting countries in the started at six. Train five horses and take care of world Inez was convinced that things would run the stables. Ready at 11. Then a few hours rest smoothly. She wasn’t afraid of work. She was before driving of to the night’s races. Five days a strong. And she knew trotters. week. –The horses raced every week! We’d come But there was a slight problem.

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