Ron Franklin (jockey) facts for kids

Ronald Franklin (December 20, 1959 – March 8, 2018) was an American jockey who won an Eclipse Award. When he was only nineteen years old, he rode the famous racehorse Spectacular Bid. Together, they won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

Early Life and Horse Racing

Ronald Franklin was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in a nearby town called Dundalk. He was the youngest of six children in his family.

Ronald went to Patapsco High School. He played baseball for a short time. He was very small, only 4 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 72 pounds. His coach would put him in the game hoping he would get a base on balls. Ronald learned to be tough because of his size.

When he was 16, Ronald left high school. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Then, his neighbor Hank Tiburzi saw him wrestling. Hank thought Ronald had the strength to be a jockey. In 1976, Hank took Ronald to the Pimlico Race Course. Ronald loved it right away.

He asked about getting a job at the stables. Soon, the public address system announced that a young man was looking for a "hot walker's" job. Ronald didn't even know what a hot walker did! A hot walker helps cool down horses after they exercise.

The trainer Bud Delp heard the announcement and hired Ronald. Ronald earned $75 a week. He learned everything about the racing business from Bud Delp. He cleaned stables, walked horses, and did many other jobs. Later, Ronald became an exercise rider. This meant he rode horses to help them train. He also learned to ride young horses called yearlings.

Ronald Franklin's Racing Career

Ronald Franklin won his very first race on February 4, 1978. He was riding a horse named Pioneer Patty at Bowie Race Track in Maryland. His second win was on a horse called Deficit. In his first year of racing, Ronald won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. This award is given to the best new jockey.

In 1979, Ronald was 19 years old. He rode the amazing horse Spectacular Bid. They won the Kentucky Derby, which was Spectacular Bid's eleventh win in a row! Two weeks later, Ronald and Spectacular Bid also won the Preakness Stakes. They were then the top favorites to win the Triple Crown.

However, Ronald faced some challenges. After a race at Pimlico, he was fined for whipping a horse named Big Vision. Ronald later said, "I'm sorry I hit him with the whip. I know I did wrong." He truly loved horses, so this was unusual for him.

Two weeks after the Preakness Stakes, Ronald and Spectacular Bid went to the Belmont Stakes in New York. If they won this race, they would achieve the Triple Crown. This would have been the third Triple Crown winner in a row. But Spectacular Bid finished third, behind Coastal and Golden Act.

In the long mile-and-a-half race, Spectacular Bid started his final sprint too early. He became tired near the end. At first, many people blamed Ronald for the loss. But it was later discovered that Spectacular Bid had stepped on a safety pin before the race. This hurt his hoof and was the real reason he didn't win.

After the Belmont Stakes, Ronald was replaced by the famous jockey Bill Shoemaker on Spectacular Bid. Ronald's career faced some challenges after this. He continued to race, but he didn't have as many big wins.

Ronald Franklin won 1,403 of his 9,242 races between 1978 and 1992. He earned more than $14 million in prize money. He also won the J. Edgar Hoover Handicap five times, which is a record.

Later Life and Death

Ronald Franklin was diagnosed with lung cancer. In 2017, he moved to Baltimore to get more treatment for his cancer. He also retired from riding horses in races.

Ronald Franklin passed away from lung cancer in Baltimore on March 8, 2018. He was 58 years old.