Meet horse racing valet Rich Ramkhelawan, one of the unsung, passionate staff members that help ensure race days at Colonial Downs roll along seamlessly. A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Rich has worked at the New Kent track from day one, going back to September, 1997. In Rich’s world, the word ‘valet’ is pronounced with a hard “t” at the end — so the position is very different from someone who parks cars.
By definition, a racing ‘valet’ is a crucial member of the jockey’s support team and is responsible for preparing and maintaining the jockey’s gear and equipment and assisting them on race days.
“It entails a lot,” he said. “We’re like a caddy in a sense. Jockeys work out in the morning and they come in with dirty clothes. You need to wash their clothes, put out their racing silks and make sure the helmet cover matches the silks. The saddles are the biggest thing. You might have a horse that needs a small saddle and another that may use a medium or a large one. By getting that correct, it takes pressure off the riders. They don’t have to worry about that aspect. Same with goggles on their helmet,” he added. “Some ride with three all the time, some ride with four. On the turf it varies since they have turf goggles now. Then after the race, the goggles and boots are dirty. You clean them and send them back out so the riders can do their job.”
“It’s just like a locker room of a sports team,” he added. “In football or baseball, someone puts out the players uniforms, their cosmetics, water, energy drinks and things like that. I mark scratches on their programs and highlight them — like a baseball player reading about the pitcher’s form or a quarterback reading up on the defense. Jockeys are professional athletes. It’s one less thing they have to worry about. You have a lot to take seriously.”
Colonial Downs hires a dozen valets every race meet that tend to the rider’s needs. They rotate jockeys every race but for the most part, Ramkhelawan works for Mychel Sanchez, Sheldon Russell, Axel Concepcion and Jose Torrealba — and Carol Cedeno when she is on town.
“When some of the big-time jocks I work for in Maryland come to Virginia, I’ll work for them,” he said. “I have a little circle and they know I’m here. It really started with Mario Pino. He came here the first year and I got a chance to work for him because of his wife Christina, who I had known previously. He was very quiet. All he does is do his job. He gave me an opportunity to fine tune what I had to do to get riders lined up in the future. People watched me work for Mario. He would endorse me too. That same year, Ramon Dominguez came in from Delaware. I ended up getting him. Johnny Valesquez was given to me too on a recommendation from Sonny Moore. The rest is history,” he added. “I’ve worked for Mike Smith, Javier Castellano, Gary Stevens and many others. All riders are a credit to this sport and they’ve given so much back, every last one of them.”
Asked if it’s a job, passion, or lifestyle, Ramkhelawan replied, “It’s everything rolled into one. You have to like what you do. There’s passion because you want to do well. It’s really a job you look forward coming to. If you don’t, there’s no use being there. First and foremost, what we do affects jockeys out on the track. They trust us with their life. You have to be professional more than anything else. You don’t want to screw up. You need to make sure they have the right goggles and saddle. It’s on you. It can be stressful at times but it’s also great.”
“I’m a fan too,” he continued. “That way you enjoy it , We’re family. Castellano and I are tight. Mario and I are real tight. I call Mike Smith my big brother. I’ve been doing this for 34 or 35 years now. I’m glad Colonial Downs has given all the valets an opportunity to come back year after year.”
Ramkhelawan kept reiterating one phrase over and over — “It’s one less thing for them to worry about.” That short sentence may be the most accurate synopsis of what a good valet brings to their job.
Colonial Downs’ “Festival of Racing” card is slated for Saturday August 9 and features seven stakes including a Grade 1 (Arlington Million) and a pair of Grade 2’s (Beverly D & Secretariat). Asked if he treats big days any different than a regular race day, Ramkhelawan answered with one simple word. “No. I used to but an old valet once told me to just relax and not be uptight and to treat those days just like any other day. I’ve been doing that since.”
