Jerry Bailey facts for kids

Jerry D. Bailey (born August 29, 1957) is a retired American Hall of Fame jockey. He is now a horse racing analyst for NBC Sports. Many people think he is one of the best jockeys ever.

Jerry Bailey's Early Life and Start in Racing

Jerry Bailey was born in Dallas, Texas. He grew up in El Paso. When he was a child, he had a pony. He became interested in horse racing at age 11. His father, James, bought some horses at Sunland Park Racetrack.

Jerry started riding Quarter horses when he was 12. He began riding Thoroughbreds in races at 17 in 1974. His first job at a racetrack was at Sunland Park. He worked as a groom for trainer J.J. Pletcher. He even babysat Pletcher's son, Todd, who later became a very successful horse trainer.

Jerry Bailey's First Races and Early Success

Jerry Bailey's first official race was on November 2, 1974. He rode a horse named Pegged Rate at Sunland. That horse did not win. The very next day, Jerry won with both horses he rode. His first career win was on a horse named Fetch. At first, he did not plan to leave New Mexico.

In 1975, Jerry was the top apprentice jockey at Sunland and Ak-Sar-Ben. He won his first big race, called a stakes race, on May 24, 1975. He rode a horse named Bye Bye Battle. After a short time in college, Jerry returned to racing. He was the top apprentice jockey at Oaklawn Park in 1976.

Later in 1976, Jerry moved to Florida to race. He also raced in California and New Jersey. In 1982, he started riding regularly at the main New York tracks. These included Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, and Saratoga. He continued to ride in Florida during the winters.

Jerry Bailey's Amazing Racing Career

Jerry Bailey is known as one of the greatest jockeys in the world. During his 31-year career, his horses won 5,894 races. They earned over $296 million in prize money. When he retired in 2006, he was second only to jockey Pat Day in career earnings. He is still ranked third today.

Winning the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup

Jerry won each of the three Triple Crown races twice. These races are the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. His wins in the Kentucky Derby on Sea Hero (1993) and Grindstone (1996) are considered some of the best rides ever.

He also won a record five times in the Breeders' Cup Classic. This is the richest race in the U.S. In total, he won 15 Breeders' Cup races. This record is shared with Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron.

Jerry also won the Dubai World Cup four times. This is the world's richest horse race. He is the only jockey to win America's Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey seven times. This includes winning it four years in a row from 2000 to 2003.

Riding the Famous Horse Cigar

Jerry Bailey rode many famous horses. He is best known for being the regular jockey for Cigar. Cigar tied the record for 16 wins in a row in North America. In 1995, Cigar was named American Horse of the Year after an undefeated season. That year ended with a win in the Breeders Cup Classic.

The next spring, Jerry and Cigar won the first-ever Dubai World Cup. After Cigar retired, Jerry visited him often in Kentucky until Cigar passed away in 2014. Jerry said Cigar was a "cool horse" who loved people.

Awards and Hall of Fame

Jerry Bailey was inducted into the American Racing Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1992, other jockeys chose him for the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. This award honors riders who show great character and earn respect for racing.

In 1993, he received the Mike Venezia Memorial Award. This award is for jockeys who show amazing sportsmanship. Jerry also won the All-Star Jockey Championship in 2001 and 2004.

Jerry Bailey's Memorable Races

The Shocking 1993 Breeders' Cup Classic Win

Jerry Bailey's win in the 1993 Classic was a huge surprise. He rode a French horse named Arcangues. The race was held at Santa Anita Derby. Arcangues was a very long shot, meaning few expected him to win.

Jerry had never ridden Arcangues before. He was only given the chance to ride him nine days before the race. The horse's groom tried to give Jerry instructions in French. Jerry could only speak briefly with the trainer, André Fabre, before the race. He had to figure out his own plan.

Jerry saw the odds board and decided to stay close to the rail. He hoped to finish in the top five. But Arcangues surprised everyone. He charged past the favorite, Bertrando, to win easily. Arcangues won at 133-to-1 odds. A $2 bet on Arcangues paid $269.20. The odds were so high that the board at Santa Anita Park could only show 99-to-1.

Jerry later described the race. He said he had "no idea what to expect" and his "expectations were very, very low." He was pleased when he saw his horse was not going to "embarrass" him. Then he realized he had a chance to win. He said Arcangues went past Bertrando "as easy as you can go by a horse."

This win is considered one of the biggest upsets in horse racing history. It is often compared to Secretariat's Belmont Stakes win.

Jerry Bailey's Best Statistical Season in 2003

From a numbers point of view, Jerry Bailey's best year was 2003. This was largely because he worked closely with trainer Robert Frankel. Frankel's stable was one of the strongest in racing history at that time.

In 2003, Jerry won a career-high $23,354,960 in prize money. This was a North American record until 2012. He also won 26 Grade 1 stakes races that year, which is still a record. Fourteen of those Grade 1 wins were on horses trained by Frankel. These horses included Empire Maker, Medaglia d'Oro, Sightseek, and Aldebaran.

Jerry Bailey's Success at Saratoga Race Course

Jerry Bailey loved riding in the summers at Saratoga Race Course. This is America's most famous race meeting. He once said he would "pace myself all year to get ready for that one meet."

He won seven Saratoga riding championships. This is second only to Ángel Cordero Jr.'s 14 titles. Jerry's championships came in an eight-year period between 1994 and 2001. On August 6, 2004, Jerry rode Taittinger Rose to his 641st Saratoga victory. This broke Cordero's career record. Jerry's total of 693 Saratoga wins lasted until 2013.

Jerry won 109 stakes races at Saratoga. This included 35 Grade 1 wins.

Working with Hall of Fame Trainers and Owners

Jerry Bailey had strong relationships with Hall of Fame trainers. These included MacKenzie Miller, Bill Mott, and Frankel. He also worked closely with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. Sheikh Mohammed is the ruler of Dubai and runs a huge racing and breeding operation.

Working with Trainer Bill Mott

Trainer Bill Mott started to notice Jerry Bailey in the early 1990s. Their partnership really took off in late 1994. Mott chose Jerry to ride his horse Cigar in the NYRA Mile. Another jockey, Mike Smith, chose to ride a different horse.

Cigar, at 8-to-1 odds, won by seven lengths. This was the second of his 16 wins in a row. Jerry went on to win 96 graded stakes races for Mott. This included 11 Grade 1 wins with Cigar.

Working with Trainer Bobby Frankel

Jerry Bailey began riding regularly for trainer Bobby Frankel in 2000. Jerry's agent, Ron Anderson, had a friendship with Frankel. This helped Jerry get mounts with Frankel's horses.

In July, Jerry watched a race where Frankel's horse, Chester House, lost a race he should have won. Jerry asked his agent to contact Frankel to get the ride on Chester House. Three weeks later, Jerry gave what he called one of his best rides ever. He won the Arlington Million with Chester House.

Frankel's stable became one of the strongest in racing history. Jerry was a key part of their success. Together, they won 32 Grade 1s in five years. These wins included the Belmont Stakes with Empire Maker and the Kentucky Oaks with Flute. Frankel said Jerry was "very well-prepared going into every race."

Working with Sheikh Mohammed

After winning the first Dubai World Cup on Cigar, Jerry returned to ride for Dubai's team. He won the second Dubai World Cup in 1997 on Singspiel. This horse was running on dirt for the first time.

In 2000, Sheikh Mohammed flew Jerry to England. He wanted Jerry to ride Godolphin Racing superstar Dubai Millennium in the Prince of Wales's Stakes. The regular jockey, Frankie Dettori, was injured. Jerry talked with Dettori about the horse. He then rode Dubai Millennium to an impressive victory. In the winner's circle, Jerry copied Dettori's famous flying dismount.

Jerry teamed with Sheikh Mohammed's team to win the $6 million World Cup again in 2002. He rode Street Cry. Jerry's retirement was coming soon. He rode Bernardini for Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stable in January 2006. Bernardini finished fourth that day. Jerry retired as planned. Bernardini then won six races in a row, including the Preakness Stakes.

Jerry Bailey's Retirement and Later Career

Jerry Bailey announced his retirement on January 19, 2006. His last planned race was on January 28 at Gulfstream Park. He rode Silver Tree for trainer Bill Mott. Silver Tree finished second.

In the summer of 2006, Jerry started a new career. He became a horse racing analyst for ESPN. When ESPN stopped covering horse racing in 2012, Jerry moved to NBC.

Jerry's final ride as a jockey actually happened on October 18, 2008. It was at Santa Anita in the "Living Legends Race." He joined seven other retired Hall of Fame riders. This race celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Breeders' Cup. Jerry rode Dee Dee's Legacy to a second-place finish.

Accolades and Personal Life

Trainer Bill Mott said Jerry "trains hard" and "thinks about it." He called Jerry a "dedicated athlete." Trainer Bobby Frankel said Jerry was "very well-prepared" for every race. He knew everything about the horses he was riding and their competitors. Trainer Fred Danley said Jerry knew how to handle horses perfectly. He could understand their speed and abilities.

Jerry Bailey met his wife, Suzee Chulick, in 1984. She was a reporter who interviewed him after a race. They married in 1985 and have a son, Justin Daniel, born in 1992.

Jerry has said that he did not truly love horses until he met the champion Cigar. He became a jockey because he loved the thrill of competition. Horses were a way for him to compete.

Jerry was known for being very focused. He often studied race tactics and analyses. This meant he did not socialize much before races. He also chose not to go out with other jockeys after races.

He once said he does not bet on races. He believes jockeys are "the worst handicappers in the world."

Jerry donated money to the Jockeys' Guild Disabled Fund after winning big races. He was also President of the Jockeys' Guild from 1989 to 1996. In this role, he worked to improve health and safety for jockeys. He supported the use of flak jackets, which are protective vests for jockeys.