Veteran jockey Shane Sellers, a two-time winner of the Ohio Derby, is chasing another crown this afternoon at Thistledown aboard Dixie Band. It's another major step on Sellers' comeback from injuries and controversy.
View full sizeShane SellersNORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — Veteran jockey Shane Sellers, a two-time winner of the Ohio Derby, is chasing another crown this afternoon at Thistledown aboard Dixie Band.
It might seem small potatoes for a jockey who owns a couple of Breeders' Cup wins, has made 14 straight Kentucky Derby appearances and has won more than 4,000 races, but it's another major step on his comeback trail.
"That big win last weekend? That was my Breeders' Cup," said Sellers of his victory aboard Never Retreat at the $100,000 Lady Canterbury at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn. "It was the biggest day of my comeback."
Sellers' two Ohio Derby victories were with Classic Cat (1998) and Wicked Cat (2003), matching five jockeys for most wins. He is optimistic about nailing today's $100,000 Ohio Derby with Dixie Band.
"I looked at the form, and Dixie Band looks good," said Sellers. "And [trainer Wayne] Catalano always has his horses prepared."
It's been quite a comeback for Sellers, 43, who missed almost five years at the races. It was a time of injuries and controversy.
A severe knee injury in December 2000 put him on the sidelines. When he returned in 2002, he upset the racing industry by campaigning for jockey reform. He was an often-abrasive advocate for better pay and health insurance, and he spoke out about jockey weight issues, including binge eating. Sellers was one of five top jockeys who began wearing advertising on his silks.
He upset many in the industry by appearing in the award-winning HBO documentary "Jockey" in 2004.
In the closing weeks of 2004, Sellers walked away from the sport. He said controversy killed his desire to race. He focused his efforts on becoming a country music singer, co-wrote an autobiography, "Freedom's Rein," and trained thoroughbreds on his Louisiana farm.
"I didn't think I'd ever ride again," Sellers said. "I didn't feel a part of the industry anymore from a rider's standpoint, with all the controversy. In the mirror, I saw a man who wasn't himself anymore and was lost."
Friends finally stepped in and worked with Sellers to get him back on track. Sellers entered a rehab facility for drug and alcohol problems, and sought therapy for mental issues.
"I don't hide nothing, and I'm not embarrassed," Sellers said. "I'm very fortunate I was able to turn my life around.
"I began to take care of myself and turned to the Lord," he said. "I built myself up spiritually and got my family back. Things were going so well last year that I felt like a different person.
"I wanted to give riding a shot again."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: degan@plaind.com, 216-999-5158