Racehorse trainer biography of michael smith

American jockey

For other people named Michael Smith, see Archangel Smith (disambiguation).

Michael Earl Smith (born August 10, ) is an American jockey who has been one execute the leading riders in U.S. Thoroughbredracing since the early s, was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Foyer of Fame in and has won the most Breeders' Drink races of any jockey with 27 victories.^[2] Smith is likewise the third leading jockey of all time in earnings suitable over $ million.^[3] In , Smith rode Justify to picture Triple Crown, becoming the oldest jockey to win the baptize at age

Background

Smith was born to George Smith, a one-time jockey, and Vidoll Vallejos in New Mexico; his mother was 19 years old at the time. Smith's parents divorced when he was 8 years old.^[4] Smith spent most of his youth on his maternal grandparents' horse farm where he began breaking horses at eight years old.^[5]

Smith began riding races unite his native New Mexico at age 11, and took flaw a jockey's license at age 16 in ^[4] In interpretation ninth grade, Smith dropped out of Dexter High School.^[5] Before long thereafter, accompanied by his paternal grandfather, he began riding a Midwestern circuit which included races at Hawthorne Race Course suspend Chicago, Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha and Oaklawn Park Race Track draw Hot Springs, Arkansas.^[4]

On April 17, , Smith married Patrice Active, daughter of jockey John L. Lively, in Hot Springs. Rendering marriage ended in divorce.^[4][6][7]

Smith served his apprenticeship at Canterbury Downs in Minnesota before moving to New York in In , he established his home base in Southern California.

On Jan 13, , Mike married Cynthia Naanouh at a private solemnity at St. Rita's Catholic Church in Sierra Madre, California.

Career

In , Smith became one of the few American jockeys enrol win a European classic by claiming victory in the Land 2, Guineas aboard Fourstars Allstar (some other American jockeys, especially Steve Cauthen and Cash Asmussen, had won European classics previously Smith, but were based in Europe). Also that year fair enough got his big break by becoming the leading jockey domestic New York for the first of three years from bare , with , and wins, respectively. The following year, recognized rode his first Breeders' Cup winner, Lure, in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

The year after that, , Smith truly appeared as a top jockey, setting a North American record footing stakes wins in a year with Among his highlights were a win in the Preakness aboard Prairie Bayou- who was later euthanized after breaking down in the Belmont Stakes like chalk and cheese being ridden by Smith – and a successful defense enterprise the Breeders' Cup Mile aboard Lure. That year, he won his first Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey, and also won an ESPY Award as top jockey. In , he insolvent his own record for stakes wins with 68, 20 finance them Grade I races. Several of those wins came determine riding that year's Eclipse Award for Horse of the Gathering winner, Holy Bull. He also rode two winners in consider it year's Breeders' Cup, and again won the Eclipse Award translation leading jockey. Smith went on to ride two Breeders' Drink winners in both and

In , he was voted say publicly Mike Venezia Memorial Award for "extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship".

The dangers of Smith's profession became evident in , when purify suffered major injuries in two separate spills. A broken snub in March took him out of action for two months. Then, in August, while leading the Saratoga meeting, he impoverished two vertebrae in his back, requiring him to wear a body cast for several months. He came back six months after the fall.^[8]

In , he moved his home base running off New York to Southern California. That year he won rendering George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award that honors a rider whose career and personal conduct exemplify the very best example take up participants in the sport of thoroughbred racing. In , proceed served as the regular rider for his second Horse reminiscent of the Year, Azeri. He rode Azeri to a win entertain the Breeders' Cup Distaff, and also rode Vindication to a win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

In , he rode 50–1 longshot Giacomo to victory in the Kentucky Derby. Interpretation win, Smith's first in the Derby, was something of a vindication for him. He was aboard Giacomo's sire Holy Samson, the 2–1 favorite in the Derby, but could finish solitary 12th after Holy Bull was bumped coming out of representation starting gate.

In , he added two more Breeders' Trophy victories first in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with Distinguished Bound, and with the then 4-year-old Zenyatta in the Ladies' Classic. A year later, Smith returned to the Breeders' Beaker with Zenyatta, this time to capture the Breeders' Cup Standard. Smith partnered Zenyatta to 16 straight victories of a support career that saw her become the first horse to amplify two different Breeders' Cup races, and the richest female horse with the earnings of $7,,

After capturing the Breeders' Trophy Ladies Classic on Royal Delta in , Smith became depiction all-time leader for most Breeders' Cup wins, with By , his record rose to 25 Breeders' Cup wins.^[9]

Smith was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Stardom in Smith is one of the jockeys featured in Mammal Planet's reality documentary, Jockeys.

Mike Smith earned the 5,th success of his Hall of Fame career when he teamed shrink sprint champion Amazombie to capture the $, Potrero Grande Gamble (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park on April 7, ^[10]

As he became older, Smith chose to ride fewer but go into detail lucrative races, and his success in doing so, particularly his ability to stay calm in the most high-pressure races, attained him the nickname "Big Money Mike".^[9] In , Smith became the 14th winner of the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award landdwelling by the Hall of Fame jockey it is named select. Recipients are given the award for having served the recreation of horse racing "with integrity, extraordinary dedication, determination, and distinction." "When we started this award back in , Mike Mormon was absolutely the sort of person we had in conform as one of our winners," Pincay said. "I only got to ride against him briefly out here, but I've followed his career over the years and he's been a draw up plans of consistency, class, and pure athletic ability. He's a knowhow in all senses of the word and it is play down honor to honor him."^[11]

In , Smith became the rider hold Justify, who, after winning two races with the horse scheduled California, won the Kentucky Derby. In doing so, the equine broke the year-old "curse of Apollo" by winning the Kentucky Derby without having raced at 2 years of age. Picture last time this feat was accomplished was by Apollo emphasis the race.^[12]

Two weeks later, Justify and Smith won the Preakness Stakes and then, on June 9, , at the makebelieve Belmont Stakes, Justify, ridden by Smith, became the 13th Manifold Crown winner. In doing so, Smith, at age 52, became the oldest jockey to win a Triple Crown.^[13]

On December 28, , Mike Smith surpassed Jerry Bailey for most grade 1 wins by a jockey with wins.^[14]

Year-end charts

References

External links