By Francis LaBelle
On July 21, Kendrick Carmouche and his family will walk through the door at the Principessa Elena Society in Saratoga Springs, NY and, in the words of another famous Cajun, Jerry Lee Lewis, they will “get out to that kitchen and rattle them pots and pans’’ for the benefit of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF).
This will be the Fifth Annual “Gumbo with Kendrick for TRF’’ and the 41-year-old jockey and his family have won over the hearts and stomachs of members and guests of the Principessa Elena Society, a 125-year-old Italian American club that sits in the middle of the city’s West Side neighborhood. “The horses have been so good to me and my family,” Kendrick said. “And the TRF has been good to the horses. We love doing this every year because it helps horses and people. We’re all about that!”
His wife, Whitney, Head Coach for 60 members of the University of Delaware’s Equestrian Team, feels the same about the TRF, the Saratoga Springs-based non-profit that has provided dignified lifetime care for retired racehorses for more than 40 years.
“We all know that, if it wasn’t for the horses,’’ Whitney said, “a lot of people would not be in good places.”
Half of the TRF’s horses live on Second Chances farms at correctional facilities in eight different states. In exchange for daily, supervised care and a permanent home, these animals provide the incarcerated individuals with the opportunity to learn how to properly care for horses and their environment through hands-on training. Since 1984, the TRF has seen its Second Chances graduates find successful careers such as assistant trainers, farm managers, veterinary technicians and farriers. Even those who found employment outside of the equine industry have succeeded by applying the lessons of respect, dignity, and responsibility to their lives.
“We love cooking gumbo for the TRF,” Whitney added. “Kendrick really got into cooking a few years ago when he broke his leg and was sitting around the house being bored. He loves a good time, loves to cook, and loves horses. We love those people at the club, too, because they bring joy and they love what we love – being with their friends and helping horses.’’
The Carmouches have spent a good part of this year showing their appreciation for not only the support of family and friends, but for how far the horses, particularly Thoroughbreds, have taken them. On April 5, Kendrick became the 69th jockey in history to reach the 4,000-career victory mark. On June 8, Deterministic carried him to his first Grade 1 win at Saratoga Race Course with a head victory in the Manhattan Stakes. Kendrick also received the 2025 George Woolf Award, which is given by Santa Anita Park to riders “whose career and personal character earn esteem for the individual and for Thoroughbred racing.’’ This prestigious award may only be won once and is determined by a vote of the nation’s jockeys.
“I am so blessed,’’ Kendrick said. “I have been getting so much respect from my peers around the country, and to have been voted for the George Woolf Award two weeks after my 4,000th victory is amazing. I’m a Cajun from Southwest Louisiana and I never thought about anything like this. I might have only dreamed about it.”
Kendrick grew up on Louisiana’s ankle in Vinton, the self-proclaimed “Gateway to Cajun Country.’’ In a town that barely covers five square miles, residents learned how to make the most of what they had by hunting and fishing and always shared with family and friends. The first time he cooked for the TRF, Kendrick even sent his mother and grandmother a photo to make sure that he got the roux right.
“I followed my Mom in the kitchen,” Kendrick said, “and I followed my Dad to the racetrack.”
That path to the track was blazed by his grandfather, father, and brother, all of whom were jockeys.
“Growing up where I did, there were horses all around,’’ Kendrick said. “If you grew up down there, you were going to ride quarter-horses, racehorses, saddle horses and the bush tracks.”
Kendrick was 16 when he got his jockey’s license and rode his first winner, Earl n Erin, at Evangeline Downs on April 27, 2000. He moved his tack to Parx Racing outside of Philadelphia, and seven riding titles and 15 years after his first victory, he was inducted into the Parx Hall of Fame. That success provided the impetus for Kendrick to try racing on the New York circuit of Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga. He has since been leading rider at Aqueduct four times, including the 2025 Spring Meet, and currently ranks 84th on the all-time jockey win list with 4,047 victories.
Kendrick is quick to credit his family, who have always been in his corner. Among his few regrets is that his father, Sylvester, and his maternal grandmother, Claudette, were not around to see his latest accomplishments.
“They were the two rocks,” Kendrick said. “They were different. My father was softer and if you did something wrong, he would show you what you did wrong and tell you not to do it anymore. My grandmother was harder because she grew up in a different time. You did what you were told. She was tough and she passed that on to us.’’
Kendrick’s toughness has served the TRF these past several years. The first year he cooked his Gumbo for TRF, he was wearing a walking cast that he acquired after breaking his right ankle in the last race on Belmont Stakes Day at Belmont Park one month earlier.
Last summer, Kendrick cooked while privately dealing with sadness. His father suffered a neck injury, and while recuperating, he suffered an aneurysm. That led to a stroke, and on August 25, “Sly’’ died at the age of 65. Not long after, Kendrick’s grandmother, Claudette, passed away.
As always, Kendrick leaned on Whitney and their children, Olivia, and Kendrick Grayson, to cope. Born on the same day but three years apart, the kids have also endeared themselves to the Principessa Elena Society. Bright and energetic, they not only help Mom and Dad serve up the Gumbo for TRF, but last summer, they enlisted the help of Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano’s children and the son of jockey Junior Alvarado, the eventual 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner aboard Sovereignty.
“He will do anything to help the horses,” Whitney said. “That’s why we love doing the gumbo for the TRF. It’s a lot of fun and this is a chance for us to give back to the horses. They have sustained our family for a long time.”
There are a limited number of tickets available at the door for the Fifth Annual Gumbo with Kendrick for TRF on Monday, July 21, from 6 – 9 p.m. at the Principessa Elena Society, 13 Oak Street, Saratoga Springs, NY, please visit Fifth Annual Gumbo with Kendrick – Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation