You know what they say – behind every great horse stands a jockey that shed blood, sweat, and tears on the racetrack. That’s right ─ horse racing is no field trip, and Hall of Fame horse jockeys have undergone training to become the ultimate horse whisperer.
That is because every successful race jockey must ensure the horse runs steadily and watches its every move like a hawk. And while the job of a race jockey is no walk in the park, many young horse lovers have gone on to become some of the best horse racing jockeys of their time.
The horse racing jockeys with the highest winning percentage have won the Triple Crown and notable Breeders’ Cup races races multiple times – sometimes in a row. Of course, these enthused equestrians are always awarded for their stride, securing themselves a spot at the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame forefront and receiving honors.
It is always interesting to delve into the history of the most famous jockeys in the world and discover how they garnered such great success.
So, whether you’re a fellow equestrian fan or are looking for a lucrative betting solution in the form of racing, we’ll name-drop the most famous horseback riders in horse racing’s history for your reading pleasure. Who knows, by the end, you may fall in love with horseback riding yourself!
The Hall of Fame ─ The Best Horse Racing Jockeys Ranked
Before we dive into ranking the best jockeys, we’ve rounded them up based on their home country, the number of wins, and how much they’ve made so far in their career.
Mind you, the retired horse racing jockeys won’t have a plus sign next to their number of wins. The others, feel free to check out some of their future races!
| Jockey | Country | Total Number of Wins | Career Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Shoemaker | USA | 8,833 | $3.7 million |
| Russell Baze | Canada | 12,844 | $198 million |
| Irad Ortiz Jr. | USA | 2,889+ | $21 million |
| Hayley Turner | England | 900+ | / |
| Laffit Alejandro Pincay Jr. | Panama | 9,530 | $237,120,625 |
| John R. Velazquez | USA | 6,000+ | $415,609,389 |
| Pat Day | Colorado | 8,803 | $297,914,839 |
The Top Jockeys of All Time ─ A Rundown
Most likely, your favorite equestrian isn’t only in it for the prize money ─ jockeys like the experience of getting on the back of a colt and galloping over the racecourse. The thrill of the crowd cheering on as dust covers the racetrack and the mounts get lost in the distance ─ it is what all horse jockeys live for.
Of course, horse jockeys possess a specific set of skills that sets them apart from regular horseback fans. Horse racing jockeys must have an intrinsic capacity to lead, a calm temperament, good physical form, and unwavering commitment. And there are, oh, so many talented riders that have marked history.
Thus, creating this list wasn’t easy with legends like Bill Shoemaker and Pat Day that dominated the racecourse. Nevertheless, we created a compilation of horse jockeys that have carried fillies to victories and brought professional riding popularity.
Bill Shoemaker
Bill Shoemaker proudly continues to carry the title of the most successful jockey years after his death. Namely, the mount racing wizard had been winning races back to back, owing to his meticulous attention to detail and undying devotion to the sport.
Bill Shoemaker was an American jockey with years of unmatched success. He was the record holder for the most horse racing wins for 29 years. He has visited many racetracks and stolen the show in the Kentucky Derby four times. The equestrian has had multiple wins in each Breeders’ Cup race, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1987.
In his lifetime, Shoemaker has had 8,833 wins and became a race jockey at just shy of eighteen. The legend managed to turn horse racing into a full-time job at only 19 when he was already raking in up to $2,500 weekly. The teenager had a bright future ahead, so he was appointed a guardian, specifically Horace Hahn.
Shoemaker has won eleven Triple Crown races and led the path of many iconic horses. Some names that may ring a bell are Swaps, Northern Dancer, Ack Ack, Cicada, etc.
Russell Baze
Not even Russell Baze’s retirement will close the mouths of horse racing fanatics everywhere. Thanks to his skyrocketing number of wins (12,844) and his pure talent, Baze quickly made a name for himself within the industry, knocking other jockeys down a peg and taking the crown of a globally renowned equestrian.
Baze has secured his spot in the United States Racing Hall of Fame and the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame. The all-time champion has been part of the major horse racing events, such as his first significant win in the Gottstein Futurity. Furthermore, he won the Churchill Downs Handicap in 2006 and notable Breeders’ Cup races.
On December 1, 2006, Baze broke the global record for most career victories. He surpassed a lot of other fantastic horse jockeys, such as Laffit Pincay Jr., by winning career race 9,531 riding Butterfly Belle at Bay Meadows. The mount was owned by Jim Pitzer Sr. of Washington.
Baze even won 11 races in two days back in 2007, on October 17 and October 18, respectively. The achievements we just mentioned only scratch the surface with Baze.
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Irad Ortiz Jr. is a rather peculiar case. Many horse racing enthusiasts probably wouldn’t place him among all-time career winners like Shoemaker. However, the jockey shows promising potential, despite only being a jockey for a decade. So far, he has had 2,889 wins and is ongoing and carries the title of a New York Thoroughbred horse racing champion.
The rider admired jockeys and always dreamed of becoming one himself as a child. His biggest idol was Angel Cordero Jr. , the first Puerto Rican Jockey to become part of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Thus, he decided to plant his roots in the equestrian sport and become a championship and a possible Hall of Fame member.
At the 2019 Breeders’ Cup, he had four winners, including victories in the $4 million Turf and the $6 million Classic. Ortiz won the Eclipse Award for the second year in a row in 2019 while setting a single-year earnings record for North American horse racing of $34,109,019.
Hayley Turner
While it stands true that male jockeys predominantly lead mount races, many believe that Hayley Turner could take on Ortiz Jr. any day in her prime! Turner is an English Jockey with two significant wins: the July Cup in 2011 and the Nunthorpe Stakes, also in 2011. She is a top flat jockey and one of the best female jockeys in 2021.
Turner made history when she became the first woman to ride 100 winners in a calendar year in the United Kingdom. She won her first Group race with Lady Deauville in Germany in 2008. Since then, she has garnered much media attention and a devout crowd that watches her with a frolic expression.
At the 2011 July Cup at Newmarket, Turner had her first Group 1 winner, Dream Ahead. After that, she went on to win the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes with Margot Did. Following these events, she was proclaimed as the Most Inspirational Sportswoman for 2011 at the Jaguar Academy of Sport Annual Awards.
Turner marked history in 2012 when she became the first female jockey to participate in the Dubai World Cup. Subsequently, she had her second-best season in 2012, when she carried 92 winners on the racetrack.
Laffit Alejandro Pincay Jr.
Laffit Alejandro Pincay Jr. is a multiple flat racing winner from native Panama, still in third place even after retiring. He has had 9,530 wins and was a champion in 8 of his first 11 races. The incredible horseback rider has even had a movie made about him.
His most significant win was in 1973, when he rode Sham and won the Santa Anita Derby, beating Secretariat, a mount race betting favorite.
Sham was regarded as the most remarkable mount in the west at the time. They finished second behind Secretariat in the Kentucky Derby. Secretariat won the race, however, Sham came in right behind him, only 2/5 of a second behind. Sham was very close to winning at the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico before, unfortunately, losing by two lengths to Secretariat.
Trainers were telling Pincay to keep Sham as close to Secretariat during the Belmont Stakes as possible. As the race started to conclude, it seemed as if the sun had finally shone upon Pincay and Sham. However, it so happened that Sham got wounded and had to settle with fifth place. Secretariat, on the other hand, went on to carry another win by 31 lengths.
John R. Velazquez
John R. Velazquez is a Puerto Rican jockey primarily competing in the Breeders’ Cup races. So far, he is a four-time Kentucky Derby winner and has led two winning horses in the Belmont Stakes. In 2012, Velazquez was honored by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, after which he went on to become a leading jockey based on career earnings.
Velazquez has won multiple international races, including the Woodbine Mile, the E. P. Taylor Stakes, the Dubai World Cup, and the King’s Stand Stakes. In 2009, he was awarded the George Woold Memorial Jockey award for his outstanding performance in the races and his personal development throughout his thoroughbred racing career.
He took a short break during 2014 after he was thrown from the back of his filly in a Juvenile Fillies race. However, months later, he returned to the racetrack and became the highest-earning jockey winner with earnings above $300 million.
Velazquez had one of his best years in 2017 when he won the Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming, followed by Distaff with Forever Unbridled and Mile with World Approval. He’s now in second place for the most wins in the Breeders’ Cup. In 2020, he won his third Kentucky Derby with Authentic.
Pat Day
Patrick Alan Day is a retired American jockey with 8,803 career wins. He has ridden winning fillies in several American Classics races, such as the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Pat Day secured a place in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991, followed by a statue at Churchill Downs.
Most filly fans like Day as a rider because he’s always had a soft spot for his fillies. On the other hand, this behavior has also garnered him much negative attention, with spectators claiming that he takes too long to make his move.
Still, no one can deny that Day’s talent for riding surpasses every critique and insult thrown at him. After all, his humble beginnings positioned him back in his townhouse, back to back with his father – at the time an excellent colt owner. He knew the ins and outs of horsemanship, which he then translated onto his son.
Once Day gained a better sense of the sport, he decided to plant his roots in the industry and start competing for money. His first big-shot win occurred in 1976 when he won the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Following this win, he managed to place himself as a winning jockey in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, and 1991.
FAQs
Who is the first jockey to win all Triple Crown races?
The first equestrian among horse jockeys to win all Triple Crown races was Johnny Loftus in 1919, with Sir Barton.
Who are the most famous North American jockeys?
Some notable names among North American horse racing jockeys are Chris McCarron, Perry Ouzts, Pat Day, and Russell Baze.
Have any of the best jockeys ever won over a hundred races in a couple of consecutive years?
Russell Baze, a North American equestrian, has won over 400 races in the span of 4 years. He is one of the highest-winning horse jockeys of his time.
What are the best events for a race jockey to lead a victory in?
The events with the biggest purses are Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Jockeys can rake in the millions at these races.