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| Mike Smith |
Stats Updated Through: 11/19/2009
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| 2009 Stats: | | Starts | | 553 | | 1st-2nd-3rd | | 90-68-76 | | Earnings (Rank) | | $9,744,463 (11) | | Win % (In-The-Money %) | | 16% (42%) |
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Top Associated Horses:
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Zenyatta,
Stardom Bound,
Thorn Song,
Free Flying Soul,
M One Rifle,
Strawberry Tart |
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Biography, Highlights and Media:
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- Height: 5'4"
- Weight: 114
- Born: Aug. 10, 1965, Roswell, N.M.
- Residence: Pasadena, Calif.
- Family: Single ... Father George was a jockey.
- Through Oct. 25, 2009, was ranked among the top 20 riders in North America with earnings of $6,777,058. He had won 85 races from 513 mounts.
- Following two Breeders' Cup victories in 2008 aboard Stardom Bound in the Juvenile Fillies and Zenyatta in the Ladies Classic, Smith is now ranked 6th among all riders and second among active riders in Breeders' Cup purses earned with $13,545,760 and is tied with Pat Day for total wins at 12. Only Jerry Bailey has more wins with 15.
- Top victories in 2009 included Zenyatta (G1 Lady's Secret Stakes, G1 Vanity Handicap, G2 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap, G2 Milady Handicap), Stardom Bound (G1 Las Virgenes S., G1 Santa Anita Oaks); Richard's Kid (G1 Pacific Classic), Thorn Song (G1 Shoemaker Mile) and Kelly Leak (Sunland Derby) ... Rode Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird to close second behind Rachael Alexandra in the G1 Preakness Stakes.
- In 2005, rode Giacomo to an upset victory in the Kentucky Derby, resulting in a $102.60 payoff on a $2 bet. They went on to finish third in the Preakness and seventh in the Belmont ... In three Derby rides prior to his triumph aboard Giacomo, finished third in 1999 with Cat Thief and second with both Proud Citizen in 2002 and Lion Heartin 2004. Finished seventh aboard Tiago in 2007.
- Won the 1993 Preakness Stakes on Prairie Bayou.
- After spending a bulk of his career in New York, 1989 - 2000, moved his tack to California.
- Inducted into Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2003.
- Was presented with the 2000 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, the highest honor provided by his peers. Other major awards include ESPN’s 1993 ESPY Award for outstanding jockey, and the 1994 Mike Venezia Award, given by the New York Racing Association for outstanding citizenship and sportsmanship.
- Suffered major injuries in two separate spills in 1998. In March he was out for two months with a broken shoulder, and a spill in August resulted in a broken back; Smith wore a body cast for months, but made it back to riding during the 1999 Gulfstream meet.
- In 1994 he set a record for stakes wins in a year with 68 – including 20 grade 1 victories, five of which came aboard Horse of the Year Holy Bull. That record was broken in 2003 by Jerry Bailey, then passed again in 2007 by Garrett Gomez.
- Eclipse Award winner as outstanding jockey in 1993 and 1994. Also was national leader by money won in both years.
- In 1991, became the first U.S.-based jockey to win a European classic, taking the Irish Two Thousand Guineas with Fourstars Allstar.
- Rode in Arkansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Kentucky, and Minnesota in 1983, shortly after launching his licensed career in 1982 at age 16 (he won his first race that year with Forever Man at Santa Fe in New Mexico).
- Began riding races in New Mexico at age 11.
- Was a regular during the two seasons of the popular Animal Planet series "Jockeys."
Breeders' Cup Record| Starts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Earnings | | 61 | 12 | 6 | 4 | $13,545,760 |
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NOTE: Stats include North American and selected international races. Click here to view selected international race list.
Biographies on jockeys, trainers and owners are from the Breeders' Cup World Championships events from 2001 through 2009, and are intended as informational resources. Biographies will be updated if an individual is again a participant in the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Biographies are available for most horses appearing in the top 100 money earnings list, and/or for those who are frequently making headlines in the news starting with the 2006 Triple Crown season.
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