Although today is being marked as a celebration, Sunday, January 25, when Rick Mocklin secured his first training victory in 41 years, may have felt like a d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu moment for longtime horse racing enthusiasts at Fairgrounds and Slots.<\/p>\n
Mocklin, now 69, has been deeply connected to horse racing throughout his life. He initially trained racehorses between 1981 and 1986, achieving 53 wins during that period. Among his trainees was Monique Rene, who distinguished herself by winning 29 out of 45 races and earning a then-record $456,260 for a Louisiana-bred horse.<\/p>\n
When the final race took place two Sundays ago and the name Richard Mocklin Jr. appeared on the program with no prior wins to his credit, many wondered if it was the same Rick Mocklin\u2014the jockey\u2019s agent, race caller, publicist, and lead singer of a popular local band\u2014or perhaps his son or another individual entirely.<\/p>\n
The outcome of the race answered the question. The horse named Oncoming Train truly did live up to its name, coming from behind in the stretch to win by a neck, placing Rick Mocklin back in the winner\u2019s circle with a wide smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was eager to return to the sport,\u201d Mocklin shared. He credited his longtime friend, ‘Bunky’ Richards, for maintaining Oncoming Train\u2019s fitness and explained that he had purchased this horse and another from Richards as Richards began scaling back his own training operations. <\/p>\n
That other horse, Whiskey and Easy, is set to race in the second event at Delta Downs this Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Mocklin\u2019s journey began early at 17 when he worked as an announcer at Jefferson Downs University and learned horse care working behind the scenes. Initially gaining attention among horse owners in the oil industry, he shifted away from full-time training when that sector declined, leaving many owners to disperse.<\/p>\n
\u201cI moved into management roles,\u201d he recalled, \u201cserving as the Fairgrounds publicity manager and backup announcer for Tony Bentley. Later, I tried being a jockey agent, arranging rides for top jockeys like Randy Romero, Corny Llanelli, and Richard Ellamia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alongside racing, Mocklin nurtured a passion for music, forming and leading the band Southern Voices in 2015. As the group\u2019s popularity soared, balancing gigs and race duties became increasingly challenging, prompting him to step back from the racing world for several years to focus on music and other parts of his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still playing, but I\u2019ve cut back,\u201d he said. \u201cThe scene is tough with many bands accepting less pay than they deserve, but we understand the need to make a living.\u201d<\/p>\n
Craving a renewed focus, Mocklin found racing to be a natural draw back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I took time off, it gave me space to reflect,\u201d he noted. \u201cI feel reborn and refreshed, like this is really what I was meant to do. Winning that first race again just makes the experience even sweeter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Mocklin is ready for what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a few people interested in bringing horses on board, so I\u2019m eager to give it a shot,\u201d he said of growing his stable. \u201cI\u2019m in a better place personally, without the financial pressure of retirement. I\u2019ve learned a lot from watching great horses over the years and I\u2019m excited to apply that knowledge now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wherever his path leads, Mocklin\u2019s presence has always been notable, so his long hiatus came as no surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like this business is in my blood,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m dedicating myself fully to the horses, taking things one step at a time and enjoying every moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
This article first appeared in the Paulick Report\u2019s News section on February 2, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n Fan Take:<\/strong> Rick Mocklin\u2019s return after four decades highlights the deep-rooted passion that sustains horse racing\u2019s enduring spirit. For fans, his story is a reminder that dedication and love for the sport can reignite even after years away, promising exciting, heartfelt chapters ahead in racing\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Although today is being marked as a celebration, Sunday, January 25, when Rick Mocklin secured his first training victory in 41 years, may have felt like a d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu moment for longtime horse racing enthusiasts at Fairgrounds and Slots. Mocklin, now 69, has been deeply connected to horse racing throughout his life. He initially trained […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2443],"tags":[2955],"class_list":{"0":"post-40960","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fighting","8":"tag-horse-racing"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40960\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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