Jamie
Theriot said he would drop everything and travel to Florida to explain
his regrets, share his feelings and offer his hand -- if only Rene
Douglas would speak to him. The jockeys haven't spoken to each other
since it happened, 19 months ago at Arlington Park near Chicago: That
horrific spill that left Douglas in a wheelchair and Theriot in a swale.
Six
weeks ago, Theriot rode two Breeders' Cup winners, taking his career to
higher ground. That low of 19 months ago drained him of his desire; the
high filled him with appreciation. Horse racing's extremes -- Theriot
stood before them as if they were showers he was taking.
These
past two years and especially these extremes have changed him, cleansed
him of indifference, altered and widened his perspective. And at 31,
Theriot is ready to take his rightful place among the nation's top
jockeys.
"He's a complete rider," trainer Bret Calhoun said about
Theriot. "He can ride any kind of horse in any kind of race. And he
doesn't give anybody a free pass."