Horse Racing Fantasy Community

Mike Smith. I like his style and tenacity as a rider. He always puts the horse first. Among his accomplishments are:
He was elected into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2003. He won Eclipse Awards as leading rider in 1993 and 1994, the year in which he won 20 grade I stakes and a record 68 stakes, eclipsing the previous record of 62 stakes he had set in 2003. He was leading rider in New York in 1991, 1992, and 1993. Additional honors include the Mike Venezia Award – 1991, 1992, 1993 – and the George Woolf Award in 2000.
Among the top horses ridden regularly by Smith have been Azeri, Skip Away, Lure, Cherokee Run, Unbridled’s Song, Stardom Bound, Tiago, Prairie Bayou, Holy Bull, Thunder Gulch, Sky Beauty, Ajina, and Coronado’s Quest. In 1991, he became the first U.S.-based jockey to win a European Classic when Fourstars Alltar won the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I). And, let's not forget he piloted the Great Zenyatta to 19 straight victories!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"And down the stretch they come!..."

There was nobody better than Laffit Pincay Jr.,he would literally carry horses to the finish line with his strength and determination and of course retired as the winningest jockey of all time. He also was voted by his fellow jockeys and by the national writers as the greatest rider ever, so if i say it and his peers say it then it must be true!!

A true gentleman. He will always be my favorite.

money rider - Chris McCarron

all-time best - Isaac Murphy
George Woolf
Eddie Arcaro
or the Shoe

Angel Cordero and Gary Stevens

hi yes i love mike smiths riding he is a hall of famer with out a doubt and just to think he sat on zenyattas back. WOW god bless

Past -
Pincay - The best
Cordero - win at all costs
Jorge Velazquez - always a good honest ride
Current-
John Velasquez - steady, smart
Paco Lopez - especially in sprints
Kent Desormeaux - great timing, excellent 2 turn rider

Best ever: Laffit Pincay Jr.

Sentimental favorite: George Martens

Chris McCarron and Eddie Delahoussaye

just say, I followed a lot of great jockeys over decades of racing, so I'd be aware of many that most wouldn't be. For me, it started way back in the late 1940's, with, Willy (Bill) Shoemaker. I was at Golden Gate Fields the day he won his first race as an apprentice. I followed his entire career from beginning to end. I don't like to say which horse, which jockey is the best. But, he (the Shoe)was certainly one of the best. In recent years, Worlds winningest jockey, Russell Baze is my favorite. He's a real gentleman too. I've followed his career too and have witness thousands of his rides at Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Fields. I was at Bay Meadows the day he broke Laffit Pincay's record. Have dozens of up close pictures of the ceremony. The neat thing about that day, is that, Laffit Pincay was there too, to congratulate, Russell. A real first class gentleman. The funny thing is, it took Baze a few days to win a race to get that record. We all had to come back day after day until he finally did it. Pincay too. Plus the media and everybody else. LOL . Laffit joked alot with Baze about this.
Anyway, Pincay's name has been mentionend by a few as being the best. I'd like to say to those folks, you've got it right. Now, go out and buy that great DVD about his career. Well worth the money. Five stars.

Being a follower of California racing for years it's a shame that we have to say Baze is the all time winningest jockey over Pincay. Baze was a big fish in a little pond up in the No. Cal circuit and he tried to make it in the So. Cal circuit a couple of times but all of those attempts ended with him packing his bags back up north to the "minor leagues". Don't get me wrong, Baze is an excellent rider but i wouldnt consider him in the top 10 of all time since he raced in the "minor leagues" for pretty much all of his career , maybe there should be an asterisk* next to his name in the record books...

Baze is a favorite rider of mine, like I said. However, I'd never say he should be among the top ten. I would never say that and I didn't say that. Actually, because of the short odds and short fields, I seldom bet on Russell Baze, except possibly incuding him in exotics. Often, while at Golden Gate Fields, I don't even bet that track.

The greatest that i got to see was Steve Cauthen at River Downs when i was a kid. We were lucky enough to have him start riding there. My favorites aren't all elite riders, but hers a few Gary Stevens, Willie Martinez, Rafael Bejarano who also rode at River downs here in Cincinnati before hitting it big, Patty Cooksey, and my all time fav is a local that has been riding here since i was born and still going strong Perry Ouzts. He is one of the hardest working jocks i've ever seen, rides to the finish in every race. I love having him in exotics on prices, because he will ride for 3rd or 4th like its a win. He just posted his 5800th win a couple weeks ago at Turfway.

i liked the brittish jockey willie carson,pat eddrie. were good jockey.

Manny Yacaza the man was not only fearless but he was also crazy
he would try and fit his horse through a 12 inch hole if he thought he could win the race lol
the other had to be for me Bobby Ussery

Mike Smith

I've been lucky enough to see some great jockeys in my time. Back in the day, the Maryland circuit was the hotbed of apprentice jockeys. Chris McCarron, Chris Antley, Edgar Prado, Mike Luzzi, Julie Krone and Garret Gomez just to name a few.

My all time favorite was a jockey name Vince Bracciale Jr.
This guy was tough as nails and just had a knack for finding a way to win. He was terrific on the dirt, but was almost unbeatable on the grass. His best advantage was knowing when to hit a horse left handed. Most horses are always hit right handed because most exercise riders and to be honest most jockeys, can't go to the left hand effectively. The horse get used to that and after a while being hit right handed doesn't have much of an effect. But hit them left handed and the horse responds because it was something different.
He finally had to hang up his tack after his knees got so bad he couldn't ride anymore. He is now a trainer on the MD=WV circuit and is doing very well.