Who was your favorite jockey when you started playing?

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by horses4courses

Lester Piggott
Late 60s, 70s UK racing.

I used to read about The Great Piggott when I was young and was lucky enough to see him ride at Hialeah and Arlington Park on a Million day.

[horses4courses]

Originally Posted by olddaddy

I used to read about The Great Piggott when I was young and was lucky enough to see him ride at Hialeah and Arlington Park on a Million day.

The man is a legend over there.
I saw him live a fair few times on his occasional trips to Ireland.

One day, he came over to ride 4 horses at my local track at Leopardstown.
At least 3 of them were for Vincent O'Brien. All 4 won.
There were some really pissed off bookies at the track that day.

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by horses4courses

The man is a legend over there.
I saw him live a fair few times on his occasional trips to Ireland.

One day, he came over to ride 4 horses at my local track at Leopardstown.
At least 3 of them were for Vincent O'Brien. All 4 won.
There were some really pissed off bookies at the track that day.

I have a pic of him in the walking ring at Hialeah and was all over Madam Gay his mount in the inaugural Million.

[RunForTheRoses]

Probably Jacinto Vasqez or a bugboy like Robbie Davis. Was always more of a trainer guy, had to love HAJ use of no namers.

[Wickel]

Shoe was the man. Best of all time. Then later, Angel Cordero and Pat Valenzuela were incredible talents.

[RunForTheRoses]

Originally Posted by burnsy

I liked him too.....1981Travers Willow Hour score....great jock.

http://www.saratoga.com/much-ado/201...e-travers.html

But growing up in Saratoga its got to be Angel Cordero. I'll never forget when he won like 9 titles in a row up here and at the end of the meet they "crowned him, King of Saratoga"............Costume and all. I think he won 14 (Saratoga) titles total. The guy is a legend and I don't think he will be kept away from the race track or horses until his last day.

http://www.equestrianmag.com/news/sa...ordero-jr.html

I was never really a fan of Cordero but over time came to respect him as quite a talent. Remember the time at Toga he had several winners already and then had a horse who's reins broke, the horse still didn't win but I believe still placed. Sometime in the 80s.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Aki Kato

[horses4courses]

Originally Posted by olddaddy

I have a pic of him in the walking ring at Hialeah and was all over Madam Gay his mount in the inaugural Million.

Cot Campbell sums Lester up in this Blood Horse article very well.

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/cot-c...r-piggott.aspx

[olddaddy]

My two were bug boy Stevie Cauthen and Gerry Podlinski.

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by horses4courses

Cot Campbell sums Lester up in this Blood Horse article very well.

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/cot-c...r-piggott.aspx

Thank you

[horses4courses]

Originally Posted by olddaddy

My two were bug boy Stevie Cauthen and Gerry Podlinski.

Funny you should mention Steve Cauthen.
I have a clear memory of him from 1979 that most wouldn't.

Of course, I'd followed his great success in the US from afar.
I actually did watch Affirmed on tv win the Belmont here in '78
when I was over in the US on summer break from college.

In April, 1979, though, Cauthen came over to the UK on contract.
I remember the hype over there for his first ride.
At a small track at Salisbury he rode an average type horse
named Marquee Universal for trainer Barry Hills.
I think the horse went off around 2-1, and he hacked up.

Cauthen did very well over there, and was highly respected.
Years later, so did Gary Stevens.

[classhandicapper]

Cordero

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Wickel

Shoe was the man. Best of all time. Then later, Angel Cordero and Pat Valenzuela were incredible talents.

Unlike the masses the Shoe disgusts me, first he stayed at least 5 years too long, he was famous for going extremely wide many times to avoid tight spots during his last years. He was someone to avoid betting on unless he was on a lone front runner. Then he charged appearance fees during his farewell tour.

Worst of all getting in a solo drunk driving accident, never taking responsibility for it saying he only had two beers, suing the state for road design, Ford motor company, and worst of all every doctor and
medical worker that came in contact with him.

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by appistappis

hugo dittfach

In an earlier post I said Ken Coppernol.

Hugo Dittfach came from Germany as a teenager and displaced Coppernol as our B tracks leading rider.
Having done that he moved east to Woodbine, where he was very good as well.
Is he still training horses there?

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Unlike the masses the Shoe disgusts me.

Ironic that Willie was paralyzed off the track after riding all those horses.

He apparently wrote a couple of mystery novels and friends who read them say that they were very good.