Bill Shoemaker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Shoemaker |
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Shoemaker in 1986
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| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | August 19, 1931 Fabens, Texas, United States |
| Died | October 12, 2003 (aged 72) San Marino, California, United States |
| Career wins | 8,833 |
| Major racing wins | |
| Arlington Handicap (4) Bing Crosby Handicap (3) Blue Grass Stakes (6) Carleton F. Burke Handicap (7) Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (4) Del Mar Debutante Stakes (5) Del Mar Futurity (6) Del Mar Handicap (8) Del Mar Oaks (4) Hollywood Derby (8) Hollywood Gold Cup (8) Jockey Club Gold Cup (4) Oak Tree Invitational Stakes (8) Palomar Breeders' Cup Handicap (5) Ramona Handicap (5) San Diego Handicap (4) San Luis Obispo Handicap (8) Santa Anita Derby (8) Santa Anita Handicap (11) United Nations Handicap (3) American Classics / Breeders' Cup wins: Preakness Stakes (1963, 1967) Belmont Stakes (1957, 1959, 1962, 1967, 1975) Breeders' Cup Classic (1987) |
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| Racing awards | |
| United States Champion Jockey by earnings (10 years) United States Champion Jockey by wins (1950, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959) George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award (1951) Big Sport of Turfdom Award (1969) Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey (1981) Eclipse Award of Merit (1981) Mike Venezia Memorial Award (1990) |
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| Honors | |
| National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (1958) Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame (1971) Shoemaker Mile Stakes at Hollywood Park Lifesize bust at Santa Anita Park |
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| Significant horses | |
| Swaps, Round Table, Northern Dancer, Buckpasser, Ack Ack, Ferdinand, Cicada, Damascus, Gallant Man, Sword Dancer, Forego, Jaipur, John Henry, Spectacular Bid, Gamely, Silky Sullivan, Candy Spots, Tom Rolfe | |
William Lee Shoemaker (born August 19, 1931 – died October 12, 2003) was a very famous American jockey. For 29 years, he held the world record for the most wins by a professional jockey. Many people think he was one of the greatest jockeys of all time.
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Early Life of "The Shoe"
William Lee Shoemaker was born in Fabens, Texas. People called him "Bill," "Willie," or "The Shoe." When he was born, he was very tiny, weighing only 38 ounces (1.1 kg). Doctors weren't sure if he would survive. To keep him warm, he was placed in a shoebox on an oven. He survived and grew up to be 4 feet 10 inches (1.47 m) tall and weigh 91 pounds (41 kg). His small size was actually a big help in thoroughbred horse racing.
Bill Shoemaker's Jockey Career
Shoemaker started his career as a jockey when he was a teenager. His first professional race was on March 19, 1949. About a month later, on April 20, he won his first race on a horse named Shafter V at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California. He went on to win 8,833 races in total! In 1951, he received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.
By the age of 19, Bill was earning a lot of money. Because he was so young, a court appointed a lawyer to help manage his earnings.
Thirty years later, he won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. This award is given to the best jockey in the United States.
Triple Crown Races
Shoemaker won eleven Triple Crown races during his career. These wins happened over four different decades. The Triple Crown itself, which means winning all three races in one year, was something he never achieved with one horse. Here are his wins:
- Kentucky Derby: Swaps (1955), Tomy Lee (1959), Lucky Debonair (1965), and Ferdinand (1986)
- Preakness Stakes: Candy Spots (1963) and Damascus (1967)
- Belmont Stakes: Gallant Man (1957), Sword Dancer (1959), Jaipur (1962), Damascus (1967), and Avatar (1975)
Memorable Kentucky Derby Moments
Two of Bill Shoemaker's most famous races were at the Kentucky Derby. In 1957, he made a mistake while riding Gallant Man. He stood up too early, thinking he had reached the finish line. Because of this, Gallant Man finished second.
In 1986, Shoemaker made history again at the Kentucky Derby. He became the oldest jockey ever to win the race at age 54. He won on a horse named Ferdinand, who was not expected to win. The next year, he rode Ferdinand to victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Ferdinand was later named Horse of the Year.
Other Famous Horses
Shoemaker also rode a popular California horse named Silky Sullivan. He once said about Silky Sullivan: "You just had to let him run his race ... and if he decided to win it, you'd better hold on because you'd be moving faster than a train."
In September 1970, Shoemaker achieved his 6,033rd victory. This broke the record held by another famous jockey, Johnny Longden. Later, in 1999, Shoemaker's own record of 8,833 wins was broken by Laffit Pincay Jr..
Bill Shoemaker's last win, his 8,833rd, happened on January 20, 1990. He was riding a horse named Beau Genius at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida. Two weeks later, on February 3, Shoemaker rode his very last race on a horse called Patchy Groundfog at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. He finished fourth in front of a huge crowd. In total, Bill Shoemaker rode in a record 40,350 races! In 1990, he received the Mike Venezia Memorial Award for being a great sportsman.
Riding Forego and Spectacular Bid
The Marlboro Cup in 1976 was one of his greatest achievements. He rode a powerful horse named Forego. Forego started far behind, but made an amazing charge through the muddy track to win by a tiny bit. Shoemaker said that Forego was the best horse he had ever ridden.
Shoemaker also rode a three-time champion horse called Spectacular Bid in its last 13 races from 1979 to 1980. They only lost once during that time. This included Spectacular Bid's perfect 1980 season, where it won all nine races. In his book, Shoemaker said Spectacular Bid was the greatest horse he rode in his amazing career.
After Retiring as a Jockey
After retiring as a jockey in 1990, Bill Shoemaker became a horse trainer. He had some success, training horses for important clients. He continued to train racehorses until he retired from training on November 2, 1997. As a trainer, he had 90 wins from 714 starts.
Bill Shoemaker also wrote three mystery books. They were often compared to the popular horse mysteries written by another jockey, Dick Francis. Shoemaker's books were Stalking Horse (1994), Fire Horse (1995), and Dark Horse (1996). These books featured a character named Coley Killebrew, a jockey who became a detective.
Bill Shoemaker passed away on October 12, 2003, at his home in San Marino, California. He was 72 years old.
Honors and Legacy
Shoemaker was honored by being inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1958. His image was also captured in a series of portraits by the famous artist Andy Warhol in the mid-1970s.
Images for kids
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Shoemaker in 1986
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Jayne Mansfield with (left to right) jockeys Johnny Longden, Eddie Arcaro and Willie Shoemaker in 1957
See also
In Spanish: Bill Shoemaker para niños
