HP... I couldn't agree with you more. I work in a managerial position for the biggest defense contractor on the planet and I pay $5000/yr for my family's health plan.

According to a 2002 article in the Louisville Courier-Journal a jockey's income breaks down as follows:

$35-$50 per mount based on purse
6% of purse for winning
1% of purse for placing
1/2% of purse for showing

Agents receive 25-30% of the purse
Valets receive 5-10% of the purse

In 2001, the jockey with the highest commissions took in $1.75 million before payouts.

The average jock makes $40,000 before payouts leaving him with $25,000 to $30,000 before taxes.

Based on the pay per mount structure of $35-$50, I don't understand how the average yearly income is $40,000 unless you are taking into account bottom barrel guys who are getting 200 mounts/year. I went to the current Equibase leading riders list. There are guys on there I have never heard of (Rodney Prescott, JD Acosta, etc) who have or will have over 1,500 mounts by the end of the year. At a ballpark average $40/mount they've earned at least $60,000 without winning a race.

These guys are not poor, and if they are not getting the mounts and are not good at what they do, then they should get another job. Asking for a jock to pay $200/month to get supplemental insurance of several hundred thousand is really not much... it's no more than one day's worth of mounts without even coming in the money.