Eddie Arcaro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eddie Arcaro |
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Arcaro in 1957
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| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | February 19, 1916 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Died | November 14, 1997 (aged 81) Miami, Florida, United States |
| Resting place | Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery, Miami, Florida, United States |
| Career wins | 4,779 |
| Major racing wins | |
| Jockey Club Gold Cup (10) Juvenile Stakes (7) National Stallion Stakes (7) Wood Memorial Stakes (9) Suburban Handicap (8) Withers Stakes (6) Kentucky Oaks (4) U.S. Triple Crown series: |
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| Racing awards | |
| United States Triple Crown (1941, 1948) United States Champion Jockey by earnings (1940, 1942, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1958) George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award (1953) Big Sport of Turfdom Award (1974) |
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| Honours | |
| United States Racing Hall of Fame (1958) Eddie Arcaro Stakes at Hialeah Park |
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| Significant horses | |
| Whirlaway, Citation, Ponder, Hoop Jr., Challedon, Kelso, Nashua, Mark-Ye-Well, Hill Prince, Bold Ruler, Sword Dancer, Real Delight | |
George Edward Arcaro (born February 19, 1916 – died November 14, 1997), known as Eddie Arcaro, was a famous American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He is considered one of the greatest jockeys in horse racing history. Eddie won more major American horse races than anyone else. He is also the only jockey to win the U.S. Triple Crown twice.
Eddie was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. His parents were Italian immigrants. He was born very tiny, weighing only three pounds. Because of this, he was smaller than other kids his age. He grew to be five feet, two inches tall. Friends sometimes called him "Banana Nose." Eddie won his first race in 1932 at the Agua Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico. He was just 16 years old.
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Winning the Triple Crown
Eddie Arcaro is famous for winning the U.S. Triple Crown twice. This is a very rare achievement in horse racing. The Triple Crown includes three big races:
He won his first Triple Crown in 1941 riding a horse named Whirlaway. He won his second Triple Crown in 1948 with the horse Citation. This makes him the only jockey to ever win it twice!
More Big Race Wins
Eddie won his first Kentucky Derby in 1938 with the horse Lawrin. He won the Derby five times in total, which ties him for the most wins with another jockey, Bill Hartack. He also won the Preakness six times and the Belmont Stakes six times.
Other famous horses Eddie rode to victory include Hoop Jr. (1945) and Hill Gail (1952).
Other Important Victories
Besides the Triple Crown races, Eddie Arcaro won many other important races. He won the Suburban Handicap eight times. He also won the Wood Memorial Stakes nine times. The Jockey Club Gold Cup was another favorite, which he won ten times!
International Races
Eddie also competed in races outside the United States. In 1953, he won the Queen's Plate at the old Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. This is Canada's most important horse race. In 1954, he won the Washington, D.C. International race. He beat top horses and riders from Europe in this race.
Awards and Retirement
In 1953, Eddie Arcaro received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. This award honors jockeys who show great character. In 1958, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. This means he is recognized as one of the best in the sport.
Eddie was also very active in helping other jockeys. He played a big part in creating the Jockeys' Guild, an organization that supports jockeys.
He retired from racing in 1962 because of an arm injury. During his career, Eddie Arcaro rode in 24,092 races. He won 4,779 of them! He earned over $30 million in prize money, which was a record at the time.
After retiring from racing, Eddie worked as a television commentator for CBS and ABC. He also worked in public relations for the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas. He was a spokesperson for Buick cars, saying the famous line, "If you price a Buick, you'll buy a Buick."
Eddie Arcaro passed away in 1997. He is remembered as "the Master" because of his amazing riding skills. He was known for his good sense of pace and his ability to switch his whip easily during a race.
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Arcaro para niños
