Bill Shoemaker (August 19, 1931 – October 12, 2003) was an American thoroughbred jockey….who held the world record for total professional jockey victories for 29 years after his retirement….as Shoemaker’s career as a jockey began in his teenage years….with his first professional ride on March 19, 1949….while the first of his eventual 8,833 career victories came a month later, on April…
Ferdinand (March 12, 1983 – 2002) was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1986 Kentucky Derby and 1987 Breeders’ Cup Classic. He was voted the 1987 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year. He entered stud in 1989 and was later sold to a breeding farm in Japan in 1994. At the age of 19, Bill Shoemaker was making so much money….as much as $2,500 each…
DOG ASIDE: The 1986 Kentucky Derby was the 112th running of the race….which took place on May 3, 1986….as this ESPN Pre-Race Special was aired live at Churchill Downs the day before the race….featuring hosts Greg Gumbel and Sharon Smith in a program that is highlighted by Derby betting line expert, Mike Battaglia…. who provides the betting…
DOG ASIDE: Spectacular Bid was an American Thoroughbred race horse…..who outdistanced General Assembly in the 1979 Kentucky Derby. In a racing career which lasted from 1978 through 1980, Spectacular Bid won 26 of 30 races, set several track records and earned $2,781,607 USD….a then-record sum. He won Eclipse Awards in each of his three seasons. Slew was…