Mocklin is Back, But He Never Really Went Away

By Joe Kristufek —-
Rick Mocklin; Hodges Photography

Mocklin is Back, But He Never Really Went Away

40-plus years away from training, Mocklin returns to win with Oncoming Train

New Orleans, La (February 2, 2026) – Even though it’s celebrated today, Sunday, January 25, when Rick Mocklin won his first race as a trainer in 41 years, may have felt more like Groundhog Day to longtime racetrackers at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

A lifetime racetracker himself, Mocklin, now 69, trained racehorses from 1981 to 1986, amassing 53 wins along the way. He was the original trainer of Monique Rene, who would go on to win 29 of 45 races and earn $456,260, which at the time was tops among Louisiana-breds.

In handicapping Oncoming Train in the final race of the day two Sundays ago, one couldn’t help but notice the name of the trainer with zeros across the board – Richard Mocklin, Jr.

Was that THE Rick Mocklin? The jockey agent, racecaller, publicist and lead singer of a popular local band? Maybe it was his son, or just a completely different Richard Mocklin?

The running of the race would provide us with a resounding answer. Oncoming Train lived up to his name, rolling from off the pace in the slop to get up by a neck, and there he was, THE Rick Mocklin, all smiles in the winner’s circle.

“I had the itch to get back in the game,” Mocklin said. “(Corale) “Bunky” Richards has been one of my best friends on a racetrack for a long time. He’s scaling down his training operation a little bit so I bought Oncoming Train and one other horse from him. It’s not like I moved this horse up on Bunky. He was coming into the race in good form and Bunky did a good job getting him to this point. I didn’t mess him up, let me put it that way.”

That “other horse” is Whiskey and Easy, who is entered to run in the second race at Delta Downs on Wednesday.

Mocklin began his journey at the age of 17 as the announcer at Jefferson Downs while learning horsemanship on the backstretch at the same time. When the gregarious Mocklin landed some owners who were in the oil industry, he stepped away from announcing to train horse full time, but when the oil business went bad “everybody scattered”.

“So I went into management,” Mocklin explained. “I became the director of publicity at Fair Grounds and the back-up announcer to Tony Bentley. Then I decided to try my hand at being a jockey agent. I booked mounts for some great riders over the years, like Randy Romero, Corney Lanerie and Richard Eramia.”

Mocklin’s other passion is music, and in 2015 he started and fronted The Southern Voice Band. As the band became more popular, juggling gigs and jockey engagements just became too much. He stepped away from the rigors of racing a handful of years ago to focus on music and other aspects of his life”

“I’m still playing but I’ve scaled back,” Mocklin said. “It’s a tough go right now. There’s so many bands out there that are willing to play for less money than we are worth. I understand that people need to make a living.”

Mocklin craved somewhere to re-focus his energies. “When I stepped away from racing, I had time to reflect,” Mocklin explained. “I felt refreshed. I wanted to do this. Man, I feel like I’m reborn. I’m enjoying this like you would not believe. Well, when you win your first race back like that, it makes it easier to enjoy it too!”

So where does Mocklin go from here?

“I’ve got some people that want to claim horses so why not give it a shot,” Mocklin said when it comes to building his stable. “I’m in a different and better place in my life. I’m retired with no financial stress. I also feel like I’m a better horseman than I used to be. I’ve been around and observed some good ones over the years and I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned.”

Wherever he’s gone, whatever he’s done, Mocklin has always made his presence felt, so it really should have been no surprise that he won off the long training layoff.

“I’m a better person than I ever was,” Mocklin said. I feel like I’ve been reborn into the business and I’m loving it. I’m going to give the horses 100% of my time and energy. Taking it one step at a time and having a blast.”

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 154th Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 113th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 20, 2025 through March 22, 2026. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.