Archives > Jockeys

High Praise for Sutherland: Chantal Sutherland, Queen of the Longshots: "She could become the best female jockey since Julie Krone" (LAT)....; [Posted March 21, 2008 12:00 PM]; ---

10,00 Wins for Ricardo: Jorge Ricardo becomes the first jockey to get 10,000 wins....; [Posted January 10, 2008 11:00 PM]; ---

On the Verge: - Jockey Garrett Gomez, on the verge of setting a new record for most stakes wins in a year (DRF), had five mounts at Hollywood this afternoon and won two races, but neither was a stakes. In the War Chant Stakes, Gomez's ride, the uninspiring favorite Karazi, finished sixth. The victory instead went to Jose Valdivia, aboard 3-1 Warning Zone. Gomez will get his next shot at tying the record, currently held by retired rider Jerry Bailey, on Saturday in the Audrey Skirbal-Kennis Stakes, where he's named to ride Hucking Hot, a promising filly with a troubled past (ESPN). -...; [Posted November 7, 2007 9:00 PM]; ---

Beginnings of a Legend: "He got hooked ... There were a lot of little people making a fast buck" (Lowell Sun)....; [Posted October 5, 2007 6:00 PM]; ---

Ricardo vs. Baze: When jockey Russell Baze became the winningest rider of all time last December, Brazilian superstar rider Jorge Ricardo was only 27 victories behind. Four weeks later, he surpassed Baze, and the two riders have been in a "ding-dong battle" since to reach 10,000 wins first (Racing Post). Follow along at Pagina de Turf, which is updating the riders' stats daily. [Thanks to Bill at Racing Figures for the links.]...; [Posted August 13, 2007 9:20 PM]; ---

Lakeman Benefit Scheduled: New York jockeys will take on top-ranked 5th grade basketball team Texas Titans in a benefit for rider Andrew Lakeman, paralyzed as a result of an accident at Belmont in May, next Thursday, 7 p.m., at the Saratoga Springs high school gym. All proceeds will go to Lakeman, now in rehabilitation. The event, organized by the Racetrack Chaplaincy, has already raised $5,000 apiece from such prominent owners as Lael Stables, Padua, Dogwood, and Darley. More details about this very worthy event can be found by clicking here....; [Posted August 3, 2007 8:55 AM]; ---

Queen's Plate First: Congratulations to Emma-Jayne Wilson, who became the first female jockey to win the Queen's Plate Stakes when she rode longshot Mike Fox to victory at Woodbine on Sunday (DRF). "As far as I was concerned I was very much on the best horse and he proved that today," said Wilson. "I'm just so happy that we can say that: 'First female rider. Girl power, go for it.' I'm just so glad it will be the last time it will be said" (CBC). Speaking of female jockeys, there was an interesting article in the Seattle Times a few days ago about...; [Posted June 25, 2007 9:10 AM]; ---

Gomez to Ride for Pletcher: - Jockey Garrett Gomez will replace injured rider John Valazquez as trainer Todd Pletcher's first call rider. "Garrett is coming in to kind of pick up the pieces," said Pletcher. "Mike Luzzi and Chris [DeCarlo] will also be riding for us. We're trying to keep things pulled together." Gomez's agent, Ron Anderson, said the jockey will fly to Kentucky on Monday and begin riding at Keeneland on Wednesday. Valazquez, injured in an accident at Keeneland last Friday, returns to New York on Monday to recover at home. "I'm feeling as best as can be expected considering what happened," said Velazquez....; [Posted April 23, 2006 11:10 PM]; ---

Velazquez Injured: Jockey John Velazquez suffered two broken ribs and a fractured shoulder on Thursday when his mount, Up An Octave, broke down just yards past the wire after winning the Forerunner Stakes over the turf course at Keeneland. The horse fell, throwing Velazquez to ground, and rolled over the rider. Velazquez was taken to the University of Kentucky hospital for evaluation and X-rays and remained there overnight. "He's pretty sore everywhere, but he's very lucky," said Angel Cordero, a retired Hall of Fame jockey and Velazquez's agent. "That is one of the ugliest spills I've ever seen." With his injuries, Velazquez...; [Posted April 21, 2006 4:00 PM]; ---

Napravnik Magic: Apprentice Rosie Napravnik, favorite of the Bug Boys, pulled off a big upset on Saturday at Laurel when she "guided an apparently hopeless 74-to-1 long shot named Our Peak past seven horses in the stretch to score a stunning victory by a neck in the $85,000 Private Terms Stakes."...; [Posted March 26, 2006 9:00 PM]; ---

Personnel Matters: Bill Finley doesn't let jockey Garrett Gomez off easy for his recent firing of agent Jim Pegram, who helped Gomez become one of the West Coast's hottest jockeys this year after he returned to riding following a two-year absence caused by drug addiction: Gomez ... shows no signs of relapsing into his old bad habits and is sure to be a major star for years to come. He's got a lot of attributes. Apparently, loyalty isn't one of them. Pegram is now working for Kent Desormeaux; Gomez has hired Ron Anderson as his new agent. --- Churchill Downs' fired starter...; [Posted February 22, 2006 6:15 PM]; ---

Bailey's Final Ride: For a couple of seconds in mid-stretch, it looked as though Jerry Bailey's career would have a perfect ending, that even-money favorite Silver Tree would win the Sunshine Millions Turf after an ground-saving expert ride. If only he hadn't been briefly blocked before squeezing daringly through a narrow hole along the rail, because on the outside, longshot Miesque's Approval was in the clear and charging to the lead. The 48-1 shot beat Silver Tree by three-quarters of a length. "You're either a hero or a goat. I guess I'll go eat hay tonight," Bailey said after. "I think Silver Tree...; [Posted January 28, 2006 10:45 PM]; ---

Thanks for the Memories: What New England racing fan doesn't remember Jerry Bailey and Cigar winning the Massachusetts Handicap in 1995 and 1996? And what about Bailey on Arcangues in the 1993 Breeders' Cup Classic? Lowell Sun racing correspondent Paul Daley writes about great moments from the retiring rider's career in this week's Sun column, reprinted with permission here. It's a tale often told that things happen in threes. With Jerry Bailey's announcement on Wednesday that he will end his riding career in the Sunshine Million races at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28, the three greatest riders of our generation -- Gary Stevens, Pat...; [Posted January 23, 2006 2:00 PM]; ---

Bailey Calls it Quits: "He rode the great Cigar to a record-equaling 16 consecutive victories, captured two Kentucky Derbys and won seven Eclipse Awards as the nation's most outstanding jockey, more than anyone else in history. But yesterday, Jerry Bailey called it quits despite remaining the most dominant jockey in America, if not the world." Saying he desired to spend more time with his family and lacked passion for riding on "routine" days, Bailey told reporters on Wednesday that his 32-year Hall of Fame career would end on January 28 at Gulfstream, where he plans to ride three or four races on the Sunshine...; [Posted January 19, 2006 10:00 AM]; ---

Bailey Preps for Retirement: So reports Bill Finley, who writes that jockey Jerry Bailey "is close to reaching an agreement with ESPN and ABC to work as an analyst on racing telecasts for both networks when he does retire." Bailey denied that he'd reached any deals and said that he would be riding at Gulfstream when it opens on January 4. "I'm going to start riding at Gulfstream," Bailey said. "I don't know how long it's going to last."...; [Posted December 13, 2005 9:40 PM]; ---

Stevens Ends Riding Career: It was hardly a Hollywood ending, but Gary Stevens' last ride wasn't a bad one. The jockey announced his retirement on Friday, citing injuries and difficulty making weight as reasons for ending his successful riding career, in which he won 5,005 races and more than $220 million in purses. On Saturday, he finished second in his final race, aboard the Patrick Biancone-trained Louve Royale. Despite the loss, Stevens told the thousands of fans that gave him a standing ovation at Churchill Downs that he was leaving as "the happiest guy in the world": "I've absolutely loved what I've done for...; [Posted November 27, 2005 9:30 PM]; ---

Michel Lapensee, 1947-2005: Talk to a jockey about the dangers of riding and they'll often point out that they're the only athletes followed by an ambulance. The statement is both fatalistic joke and stark acknowledgment of fact. No jockey gets through a career without injuries; an unfortunate few are permanently disabled or killed riding. Such was the fate of Michel Lapensee, who died last Friday from injuries he suffered in an accident at Suffolk Downs on October 24. Hundreds of mourners gathered in a Providence church this morning to remember and honor the 58-year-old rider as a husband, father, colleague, and friend. The...; [Posted November 3, 2005 7:00 PM]; ---

The Journeyman: Larry Lee Palmer profiles jockey Victor Mercado, injured on Labor Day in an accident at Emerald Downs (Post-Intelligencer): "Que pasa?" Victor would ask, "How's it going?" His heroes would nod, stop and joke. But Victor Mercado never hit the big time. Few do. Maybe his English wasn't very good. Maybe he never got the right agent, or found a trainer with faith and a long string of horses. So, like many in his trade, Victor Mercado became a journeyman. He worked anywhere he could get mounts. Soon he had a family. He had obligations. He worked bullrings and county fairs...; [Posted September 21, 2005 1:15 PM]; ---

Apprentice Paralyzed: Charles Town apprentice Shannon Campbell was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident on Saturday night (Daily Racing Form). It was an accident at another West Virginia track last year that left jockey Gary Birzer paralyzed and sparked the jockeys' insurance dispute last fall, which resulted in several tracks raising jockeys' insurance coverage to $1 million. Charles Town, amazingly, wasn't among that group. Its insurance remains capped at $100,000 $50,000. Campbell's colleagues will be meeting with Jockeys' Guild representatives to discuss setting up a fund to cover her medical bills....; [Posted July 13, 2005 9:30 PM]; ---

P Val's Pants Sell: With less than half an hour remaining in the auction, a bidder named myenemiescallmecollect swooped in to buy ad space on jockey Patrick Valenzuela's pants and collar. (eBay)...; [Posted March 25, 2005 10:45 AM]; ---

Sponsor P Val: Jockey Patrick Valenzuela is looking for an advertising sponsor. For $15,000+, he's offering ad space on his pants and collar. I'm thinking about this for Railbird -- I bet my site traffic would really increase with the URL splashed across P Val. As Valenzuela says, "My sport is nationally televised and I have received quite a bit of media coverage lately." Indeed, he has. Unfortunately, much of it has been for some personal issues, not his great riding. (eBay)...; [Posted March 23, 2005 7:00 AM]; ---

Elliott Held by Immigration: The US immigration bureaucracy is working hard to keep America safe -- from pesky Canadian jockeys. Stewart Elliott, who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness on Smarty Jones last year and is the rider of likely Derby contender Rockport Harbor, was arrested by the Customs and Border Protection office in New York and transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Elliott, a Canadian citizen, was detained in connection to a guilty plea in an assault case four years ago. He's to appear before a federal judge today. (Detroit Free Press) Related: Elliott talks with Dick Jerardi about...; [Posted March 3, 2005 9:40 AM]; ---

Guild Meeting Underway: "The Jockeys' Guild began its annual meeting Dec. 6 with a call for solidarity -- even in the face of the dismissal of member Eddie King, who had sued the organization -- and a call for members not to talk to the press." (Blood-Horse) Related: "Former jockeys associated with the Disabled Jockeys' Fund, which will be terminated at the end of the year, on Dec. 6 said they're comfortable with a plan by the Jockeys' Guild to make payments to disabled riders from the Guild's primary account." (Blood-Horse) Also: "Disabled jockey Gary Donahue, co-chairman of the Disabled Jockeys' Fund, said...; [Posted December 7, 2004 7:55 AM]; ---

Ladies' Night Ends in Tie: Hoosier Park's fourth annual Female Jockey Challenge ended in a tie between Francine Villeneuve and Jill Jellison, a first in the event's history. Villeneuve, with more than 800 career wins, is the leading female rider in Canada; Jellison, based at Suffolk Downs, is the fourth-leading American female rider with more than 1800 wins....; [Posted November 7, 2004 11:30 AM]; ---

Not Fallon's Year: Kieren Fallon has had his share of trouble this year. "The 39-year-old Irish-born rider is among the elite jockeys in England, where he and Frankie Dettori dominate top class racing. He's among the most talented jockeys in the world and has won hundreds of major stakes across the continent. But it's been his off-track problems that have dominated the headlines this year in Europe, and there's been a bit of everything. He was stung by undercover reporters from a British tabloid, was suspended 21 days for lack of effort in a race that was among the most controversial in Britain...; [Posted October 29, 2004 8:58 AM]; ---

Risky Rides: For jockey Gary Birzer, it was another day of work. "As the seventh race began July 20 at Mountaineer Park, Birzer's wife, Amy, 26, and their daughter, Robyn, stood at a track concession stand. Amy was eating a Popsicle. Another jockey's wife rushed up and said, 'Gary went down.'" The Baltimore Sun profiles the jockey whose accident sparked the national debate over jockeys' insurance....; [Posted October 27, 2004 9:08 AM]; ---

Aqueduct Honors "Wink": Aqueduct announced Friday that the track would hold the first Jimmy Winkfield Stakes, a six-furlong $75,000 race for three-year-olds, on Martin Luther King Day next January. The honor follows the release of "Wink: The Incredible Life and Epic Journey of Jimmy Winkfield," by Ed Hotaling. The late Winkfield was one of the great black jockeys of the early 20th century, winning the Kentucky Derby twice and more than 2600 races in the course of his career. He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame last August....; [Posted October 23, 2004 9:40 AM]; ---

Good Luck: Despite being 17 wins behind Frankie Dettori as of Thursday, Kieren Fallon vows to fight for the champion jockey's title. (BBC)...; [Posted October 15, 2004 8:10 AM]; ---

Fallon Off Track: "The frustration of seeing the jockeys' championship slipping from his grasp was almost too much for Kieren Fallon to bear at Leicester yesterday. First, he failed to pass a doctor's examination before taking six scheduled rides, following a heavy fall at the same track on Monday. Then, as he was leaving the course, he almost came to blows with a photographer as he tried to reach his car." (Guardian)...; [Posted October 13, 2004 7:36 AM]; ---

Coming Back: "The problem was that, after the plane crash, I kept telling myself there's more to life than being a jockey. I wanted to be this family man who did some nice safe work on the telly.... Maybe it took more out of me than I expected. I was moping around at home too much." Good thing Frankie Dettori's wife sat him down for a talk. Now the jockey is closing in on the championship title with 162 wins this season. (Guardian)...; [Posted September 29, 2004 8:10 AM]; ---

Take a Break or Burn Out: "The British Horseracing Board said yesterday that it is considering "a whole range of options" -- including the introduction of compulsory days off for jockeys -- as it attempts to reduce the spiralling workload that faces many of the country's riders." (The Guardian)...; [Posted September 22, 2004 7:35 AM]; ---

Ah, That Explains It: When it was reported that jockey Jerry Bailey broke his wrist in a fall while prepping his Florida home for Hurricane Frances, a lot of fans had one question: "Why wouldn't a guy whose mounts have earned more than $100 million over the past five years simply hire a local handyman to install storm shutters?" Because: "People don't know it, but this is the kind of stuff I do around the house all the time," Bailey tells Jay Hovdey. (Daily Racing Form)...; [Posted September 17, 2004 8:20 AM]; ---

Untouchable: "[Jockey Willie] Shoemaker's 1954 mastery of Del Mar is one of racing's more indestructible records, right up there with trainer Woody Stephens' five consecutive Belmont wins, trainer Wayne Lukas' six consecutive victories in Triple Crown races and jockey Kent Desormeaux's 598 wins in 1989." (LA Times)...; [Posted September 7, 2004 7:52 AM]; ---

Bye-Bye France: And hello, US! Jockey Gary Stevens is back: "Again -- after writing another chapter in his ever-fascinating career. And while there is no indication that he has signed a deal with Frommer's to endorse the upcoming line of travel guides, he is now fully qualified to conduct comprehensive tours of the racing scene in Hong Kong, France, and England, not to mention every corner of the North American universe." (Daily Racing Form)...; [Posted September 7, 2004 7:46 AM]; ---

Fallon: A Knack for Trouble: Jockey Kieren Fallon may be an inspired rider, but he's also reticent, willful, possessed of a temper, and has been treated for alcohol problems. Ok then, "So the man needs an image counsellor, but is he a criminal?" (The Guardian)...; [Posted September 6, 2004 4:20 PM]; ---

Velazquez Breaks Own Record; Bailey's Grip on Eclipse Shaky: "John Velazquez rode three winners Friday, including two for leading trainer Todd Pletcher, to break the single-season jockey victory total at Saratoga Race Course that he set last year." (Blood-Horse) "Even before jockey Jerry Bailey took a tumble off a ladder at his Florida home on Wednesday, his grip on an eighth Eclipse Award would have been harder to hang on to than an umbrella during Hurricane Frances. It's not that Bailey is having a bad year. He is simply having a season that doesn't rank with his record-setting 2003, and a couple of other riders are poised to take...; [Posted September 3, 2004 8:55 PM]; ---

Stevens Leaving France: Jockey Gary Stevens will return to California on September 2, and plans to ride the last few days of the Del Mar meet and "to pursue several entertainment projects," including a talk show and a possible movie role. (Thoroughbred Times)...; [Posted August 24, 2004 9:00 PM]; ---

Valenzuela Suspended for 2004: And possibly for life: "Del Mar stewards Ingrid Fermin, George Slender and Tom Ward suspended jockey Patrick Valenzuela for the rest of 2004 on Friday and recommended that the California Horse Racing Board not consider Valenzuela, 41, for future licensing." (LA Times)...; [Posted August 7, 2004 6:45 PM]; ---

Bailey Now Saratoga's Winningest Rider: With his second win of the day, jockey Jerry Bailey won his 641st race at Saratoga this afternoon, surpassing the previous record of 640 wins held by retired Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero. (ESPN) Related: "Bailey breaks record for career victories at Saratoga" (New York Times)...; [Posted August 6, 2004 3:30 PM]; ---

2,000 Ascot Wins for Dettori: Italian jockey and Godolphin star rider Frankie Dettori scored his 2,000th win in Britain at Ascot, the same course at which he rode seven wins on seven mounts in September 1996, on Sunday. "When the redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse is finished, they might as well go ahead and rename it Dettori Downs." (International Herald Tribune)...; [Posted July 25, 2004 7:30 PM]; ---

CA Jockey Weight May Increase: "The California Horse Racing Board could vote as soon as August on a proposal to raise the minimum for veteran riders in thoroughbred races to 118 pounds, and end the practice of including the saddle when a jockey is weighed. Those changes could allow a jockey to be four to eight pounds heavier, though there is disagreement about a precise figure." Jockeys and physicians support the measure, trainers and owners express concern about the effect of added weight on horses. (LA Times) Related: "Proposal to raise weights debated" (Daily Racing Form)...; [Posted July 23, 2004 3:15 PM]; ---

Jockey Investigated for Non-Triers: British jockey Gary Carter faces allegations that he rode "eight non-triers" last year (Racing Post)....; [Posted July 15, 2004 5:20 PM]; ---

Winkfield Joins Hall of Fame: He won the Kentucky Derby two years straight, was a champion rider in Russia until the revolution forced him to flee, and had won more than 2500 races when he retired at the age of 50. Now Jimmy Winkfield, "one of the most celebrated and accomplished African American jockeys of all time," is being inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame (Thoroughbred Times). Related: "Wink: The Incredible Life and Epic Journey of Jimmy Winkfield," by Ed Hotaling, due out Nov. 2004 (International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press) Also: "Two historic figures to join" (Daily Racing Form)...; [Posted July 15, 2004 8:40 AM]; ---

A Few Items: IMBY: Suffolk Downs' very own Jill Jellison is "now the leading active female jockey in terms of wins" (Daily Racing Form). All for a good cause: Female jockeys in New Zealand posed nude for a calendar to raise funds for the Hunterville Trust, which aids injured jockeys. "Still two weeks away from the official launch ... the 1000 copies on hand are as good as sold" (New Zealand Herald). Completely unrelated: Harness racing hangs on in Maryland (The Washington Times)....; [Posted July 9, 2004 5:00 PM]; ---

Tiptoeing to Retirement: Jockey Julie Krone, the only woman in the Racing Hall of Fame, announced Wednesday that she would not ride at Del Mar this summer and wasn't likely to ride anywhere again. "While stopping short of declaring an outright retirement, Krone tiptoed right up to that line" (Daily Racing Form). Related: Julie Krone (Salon)...; [Posted July 8, 2004 10:20 AM]; ---

"I've always shaved the rest of it": Saying he had completely shaved all the hair off his body, jockey Patrick Valenzuela was unable to provide a sample for a hair follicle drug test, as requested by the Hollywood Park stewards, and was suspended from riding only one day after returning from a June suspension of his license (ESPN)....; [Posted July 3, 2004 6:40 PM]; ---

Try, Try Again: California jockey Elliott Demesme took a nasty spill on Friday during a race at the San Joaquin County Fair in Stockton. "The injury was apparently minor but could have been a lot worse. The imprint of a horseshoe was clearly seen on Demesme's forehead, and he sported a big shiner." Taken to the hospital, he checked himself out and returned to the track that afternoon to ride the rest of his mounts. Track officials, quite sensibly, kept him from riding through the weekend (Daily Racing Form). Related: Saturday, July 3 is Jockeys Across America, an event being held at more...; [Posted June 29, 2004 9:04 AM]; ---

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