It's the time of year when the Red Smith Caretaker of the Year award winner is announced. This year there were almost double the nominees than in past years, but rather than trainers and owners nominating grooms, the majority this year were people nominating family members, spouses or loved ones. That's unusual, and made the choice harder. As always, the testimonials were heartfelt. In New Jersey there's a groom shortage, and not just because we had a particularly miserable winter.
Good help is apparently hard to find everywhere.
That seems extreme to me. If you are lucky enough to be a part of a Yankee Paco or a Moni Maker or another top horse, the thrill is reason enough. On the East Coast you can race in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland in one week, and that's just for overnight purses. A caretaker can rub four or five horses in the morning, ship several hours to race, come back to the barn, put them away, drive home, catch a nap and come back several hours later to do it all again. Some are alone for days at a time with horses worth millions.