The Inside Track by Tim Keithley: New Rider Tanner Fincher Getting Better with Every Mount

The last name Fincher is used regularly in the winner’s circle at Ruidoso Downs Race Track for a winning trainer, but it’s been a while since that same family name has been used to announce the name of a winning jockey.

“I’m very proud of my son,” trainer Todd Fincher said about his 18-year-old prodigy Tanner who has already won three races this season as an apprentice rider. “He’s already showing improvement in just the first three weeks, and we think that as long as he keeps working at his craft he’s only going to get better.”

Todd also started his racing career as a 16-year-old jockey before turning to training horses. His father was a trainer before him. Tanner said he’s been working with his dad on the backside of race tracks for as long as he can remember.

“Sure I had butterflies,” Tanner said about the first time he started in an official race. “It’s a matter of building your confidence that you know what you’re doing. It should come natural to you eventually, but you have to obtain experience by doing it while being put into different situations.”

Tanner received his racing license from the New Mexico Racing Commission. He will be allowed a five-pound weight advantage on his mounts for approximately one year. That means his horses will be carrying five-pounds less in most races—which is an incentive for trainers to use an apprentice jockey.

“That should really help me continue to get some horses to ride,” Tanner said, who rode his first winner on Aug 2nd aboard Cool and Quick for trainer Jose Gonzales Jr. “That was an awesome experience,” he said. “I was out front, and I looked behind me and there was no one coming to catch me so it was a surreal feeling to win my first race. Then the other jockeys came after me and gave me plenty of traditional showers both inside and outside the jock’s room.”

Tanner said the veteran riders take the time to review videos of previous races with him to offer helpful critics of his race riding. He admits that there is much to learn after the only three weeks. “I do need to work on being comfortable between horses on the inside,” Tanner said. “This is what I want to do for a career, so I’m willing to put the work in and get better with every experience.”