Winning Ponies

Patrick Alan Pat Day, born in Colorado, is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991. Day also received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1985, given annually to a North American jockey who demonstrates the highest standards of professional and personal conduct. In 1995, he was voted the Mike Venezia Memorial Award for extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. He officially retired from the saddle at age 51. The Colorado native started his career as a rodeo cowboy, but because of his height of 4'11 and weight of 100 lbs. was persuaded to become a jockey. This proved to be the perfect choice for him, as he will retire with 8,803 career victories, fourth on the all-time win list, and $297,941,912 in earnings, the most of any jockey ever so far. He also holds the record for earnings in Breeders' Cup races of $22,913,360 with 12 wins, second most of any jockey. He also has nine wins in Triple Crown races: