Jerry Bailey, Pat Day, and Russell Baze maintain their positions atop Thoroughbred Times rankings

Consistency is a hallmark of all great athletes, and the jockeys atop Thoroughbred Times's list of the continent's leading riders certainly have been consistent, especially so at the top.

For the third consecutive year, Thoroughbred Times has utilized standards that measure the entirety of a rider's season: percentage of winners from mounts, total victories, and average earnings per mount. The statistics cover a 12-month period from April 1, 1999, through March 31, 2000.

For the third straight year, Racing Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey is atop the Thoroughbred Times standings. Pat Day, another Racing Hall of Fame member, is second-for the third straight year. And Russell Baze, inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame last year, is third for a third consecutive time. That is consistency.

Making a big move up the ladder was Jorge Chavez, winner of the 1999 Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey. He ranked fourth in the period covered, after ranking 12th and 14th, respectively, in the preceding two years.

Each year the list enrages some fans whose favorite jockeys do not make the top of the list. To be sure, the parameters may work to the disadvantage of great riders who have chosen to limit their mounts. Chris McCarron, for instance, won with a highly respectable 14.2% of his mounts, but that added up to 90 wins-less than a third of Edgar Prado's industry-leading total.

Still, despite some criticisms, the parameters have proved as consistent as the jockeys who reach the top of the list each year.
-Don Clippinger

Jerry D. Bailey

It is hardly surprising that Jerry Bailey stands atop Thoroughbred Times's annual list of leading jockeys for the third straight year. Although narrowly deprived of a fourth consecutive Eclipse Award by Jorge Chavez, Bailey had another stellar season over the last 12 months. After Cigar and Skip Away, the only upset was that Bailey was not the regular rider of the Horse of the Year for the third time in four years.

Bailey did ride Charismatic to victory in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2) but gave up the future champion's saddle to ride Worldly Manner in the Kentucky Derby (G1). The eventual Horse of the Year was one of 36 individual stakes winners ridden by Bailey over the last year, and he was the regular rider of champion three-year-old filly Silverbulletday and champion older male Victory Gallop.

Bailey also picked up the ride late in the year on Breeders' Cup winners Cash Run and Soaring Softly (also an Eclipse winner), pushing his total of Breeders' Cup wins to nine, second only to Pat Day. Bailey also partnered Grade 1 winners Banshee Breeze, Catinca, High Yield, Real Quiet, Royal Anthem, Three Ring, Yagli, and Yes It's True.

He also ranked second behind Day by money won in 1999, and second among leading jockeys (to Russell Baze's amazing 21.9%) by percentage of winners from mounts (18.3%), and second (to Gary Stevens) by average earnings per mount, $17,971. For Bailey, finishing second in two categories added up to a win.

At 42, Bailey has become something of an elder statesman among leading jockeys and recognizes the changes in outlook that age brings.

"I've always tried to concentrate on quality rather than quantity, so I don't think my attitude has changed there. But I'm more conscious now of putting something back in the game. When you first come up, you're just scrambling to make a name for yourself. When you get older you try to do something in the business to give back a bit."
-John P. Sparkman

Jerry D. Bailey
Birthdate: August 29, 1957
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Main circuit: New York, Florida
1999-2000 stakes winners: African Dancer, Air Rocket, Banshee Breeze, Beckon the King, Cash Run, Catinca, Charismatic, Dancing Guy, Dat You Miz Blue, Dominique's Joy, Forestry, Formal Tango, Garbu, Gaviola, High Yield, Idle Rich, Jena Jena, King Cugat, Marquette, Midnight Line, On a Soapbox, Outrigger, Pleasant Temper, Positive Gal, Real Quiet, Rock and Roll, Royal Anthem, Sahara Gold, Silverbulletday, Soaring Softly, Three Ring, Trippi, Victory Gallop, Wolf Alert, Yagli, Yes It's True

Pat Day

Ask Pat Day what happened in a race, and he will give you a stride-by-stride analysis of how the race unfolded for him in easy-to-understand language. It will not be a short discussion. Day can analyze a race as well as anyone in the sport, and one can envision him moving into color commentary for TV when his riding days are over.

This gift that Day has-the ability to easily analyze a race-has helped make him one of the best riders in the nation. The fact that he has 28 years of experience does not hurt, either. More importantly, horses run for him. He is patient, has a light touch, a steady seat, a knack for getting horses to relax, and he always saves something for the stretch run.

Traits like those add up to wins. Lots of them. Day has more than 7,000 career wins-one of just five jockeys to reach that milestone.

Day is the winningest rider at both Churchill Downs and Keeneland Race Course. On April 19, he won his 717th race at Keeneland, surpassing long-time fixture and Kentucky native Don Brumfield.

A native of Colorado, Day rides on the Kentucky circuit most of the year, starting with Keeneland in April, and then goes to Saratoga Race Course for the summer months. He is back in Kentucky in the fall, through the Churchill Downs meeting, before heading to Florida for the winter. A regular rider for trainers such as D. Wayne Lukas and Neil Howard, Day usually finds himself in a major stakes race or two every weekend.

Day culminated 1999 with an upset win with Cat Thief in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). He also won graded stakes on High Yield, Menifee, Surfside, Comic Strip, and Sister Act, to name a few.

He began riding in 1973 at Prescott Downs in Arizona, winning with his first mount. Day has won eight Triple Crown races, three Breeders' Cup Classics, and the Eclipse Award four times as outstanding jockey, and he was elected to the Racing Hall of Fame in 1991.
-Mark Simon

Pat Day
Birthdate: October 13, 1953
Birthplace: Brush, Colorado
Main circuit: Kentucky, Florida
1999-2000 stakes winners: Anguilla, Cat Thief, Comic Strip, Could Be, Dreamy Maiden, Gander, Gateman (GB), Golden Missile, High Yield, Hurricane Bertie, Jazz Club, Jokerman, L. B. On Tour, Lydia Jane, Magicalmysterycat, Menifee, Middlesex Drive, Millencolin, My Sweet Westly, Mycatcandance, Outrigger, Perfect Sting, Pleasant Temper, Rock and Roll, Royal Strand (Ire), Run Johnny, Sapphire n' Silk, Secret Status, Sister Act, Solvig, St Clair Ridge (Ire), Surfside, Swept Away, Tap to Music

Russell Baze

Big news-Russell Baze did not win 400 or more races in 1999.

Not surprisingly, it was probably only a late-season injury that prevented Baze from reaching the 400-winner milestone for the eighth consecutive year. Baze still kept another streak alive, winning the Isaac Murphy Award for highest winning percentage among jockeys in the United States for the fifth consecutive year. He is the only jockey ever to win the National Turf Writers Association award.

But Baze can no longer claim to be Northern California's best-kept secret. The 41-year-old rider's consistency was rewarded in August when he was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. Pohla Smith, the Turf Writers president who presented Baze with his plaque during the Racing Hall of Fame ceremony noted: "Russell Baze is the $2 bettor's best friend, the jockey who gets to the winner's circle most consistently."

Indeed, he won 21.9% of his starts from April 1, 1999, to March 31, 2000.

Despite not reaching the 400-win plateau, the last 12 months have been typical for Baze. The son of former jockey Joe Baze, Russell Baze rode 21 individual stakes winners over the last year, mostly on the Northern California circuit he dominates. Among them were Globalize, Remember Sheikh, Isle de France, and Worldly Ways (GB).

A native of British Columbia, Baze tried the Southern California circuit from 1988-'91 but returned to Northern California in 1992 and has won every riding title available in the region every year since. Remaining in his comfort zone in Northern California, however, means that Baze usually does not rank among the top ten riders by money earned, the category that most often translates into Eclipse Awards. Baze was awarded a special Eclipse in 1995, however.

Fully recovered from his 1999 injury, Baze has returned to form in 2000. He currently leads the list of leading riders at Golden Gate Fields with 24 winners and a sparkling 27% strike rate.-John P. Sparkman

Russell Baze
Birthdate: August 7, 1958
Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia
Main circuit: Northern California
1999-2000 stakes winners: Alert and Ready, Cocktails Anyone, Del Mar Gray, Final Connection, Full Moon Madness, Gambling Champ, Gibson County, Globalize, Hurricane Carter, Isle de France, Lite Twilight, Queen Douna (Fr), Red Sky's, Remember Sheikh, Sergeant Morrison, Smooth, Smooth Player, Time to Meet, Weekend Squall, Wegotohaveharte, Worldly Ways (GB)

Jorge F. Chavez

Prominent owner Ernie Paragallo is well-known for his outspoken opinions, and he offered a no-holds-barred assessment of Jorge Chavez after the jockey's stellar 1999 season.

"Jorge Chavez is the best jockey in America," Paragallo said shortly after he accepted an Eclipse Award for Artax as 1999's champion sprinter earlier this year.

With a pair of Breeders' Cup victories that eventually paved the way to an Eclipse Award of his own, Chavez rose to national prominence from being noted as just a good New York rider. Chavez, affectionately nicknamed "Chop-Chop" for his aggressive riding and occasional gratuitous use of the whip, was one of the country's top riders last year.

"It was the greatest year I've ever had," said Chavez, who won his first race in Peru in 1982. "One of my dreams came true when I won two Breeders' Cup races, then a second dream came true when I won the Eclipse Award. It was unbelievable."

While plenty of Chavez's success last year can be traced to three horses-champions Beautiful Pleasure and Artax and multiple Grade 1 winner Behrens-he enjoyed many other highlights. Chavez was third on the list of leading North American jockeys in 1999 with 319 victories, and his mounts earned $17,013,337.

Chavez was the leading rider at Belmont Park's fall meeting and was third in the standings behind Jerry Bailey and Edgar Prado at Saratoga Race Course. Earlier this year, Chavez won a second straight riding title at Gulfstream Park.

Over the last 12 months, Chavez has collected nine Grade 1 wins, including the 1999 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on Beautiful Pleasure, '99 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) on Artax, and this year's Gulfstream Park Handicap (G1) on Behrens. Chavez has also rode Val's Prince, Affirmed Success, Adonis, Pleasant Breeze, and Richter Scale to stakes wins over the last year.

"Winning the first Breeders' Cup was the most exciting thing to happen in my life," Chavez said. "Then I win another one an hour later, and I'm like ÔOhhh, I must be dreaming.' "-Tom Law

Jorge F. Chavez
Birthdate: November 25, 1961
Birthplace: Callao, Peru
Main circuit: New York, Florida
1999-2000 stakes winners: Adonis, Affirmed Success, Antoniette, Artax, Beautiful Pleasure, Behrens, Bursting Forth, Cozy Blues, Digitalize, Early Warning, Elite Mercedes, Forty One Carats, Image Maker, Lily's Affair, Lord Comet, Mythical Gem, Pico Teneriffe, Pleasant Breeze, Plenty of Light, Rich in Glory, Richter Scale, Rob Ôn Gin, Shawnee Country, Stalwart Member, Tour the Hive, Tres Coronas, Unite's Big Red, Val's Prince, Valid Trefaire, Wild Heart Dancing

Edgar S. Prado

A riding stint in New York is not unprecedented for Edgar Prado, who has been one of the nation's leading riders by victories over the past five years. The 32-year-old rider had ventured out of Maryland and ridden sporadically at New York Racing Association tracks at times, mainly an extended stint during Aqueduct's winter meeting in 1993.

Prado permanently switched to New York midway through 1999, after Richard Migliore was injured and trainer John Kimmel pledged Prado several mounts. The only difference this time was that it was not Aqueduct where Prado landed but Saratoga Race Course. Often one of the country's most competitive meetings for a jockey-even though Jerry Bailey has claimed five of the last six titles-Saratoga posed a tough test for Prado, who handled himself well.

Prado finished the 1999 Saratoga meeting second to Bailey in the standings with 36 wins from 212 mounts. Prado finished ahead of Jorge Chavez, Shane Sellers, Pat Day, and Mike Smith, and he collected several stakes wins at the meeting, including the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) aboard Bevo, Adirondack Stakes (G2) on Regally Appealing, and Amsterdam Stakes (G3) aboard Successful Appeal.

"Last year was great, I stayed out of injury and out of suspensions," Prado said. "Being the second-leading rider at Saratoga was outstanding for me, and from then on things kept going well. It helped a lot to do well up there because it's such a tough meet. I met a lot of people there, too. Not only people from New York but all over the country."

The success comes as no surprise because Prado has proved his skills on more than one occasion. He led the nation with 536 winners in 1997 and then booted home 420 in '98. Despite the switch in midseason last year, Prado led all jockeys in 1999 with 402 victories from 1,902 mounts. A more telling indicator of Prado's jump to the next level was his 1999 purse earnings, which increased to $10,581,436 from $9,921,241 the previous year.

"Moving to New York has given me more opportunities to ride more quality horses," Prado said.-Tom Law

Edgar S. Prado
Birthdate: June 12, 1967
Birthplace: Lima, Peru
Main circuit: Maryland, New York, Florida
1999-2000 stakes winners: Bayonet, Bevo, Black Cash, Bobby's Buckaroo, Buck's Boy, Bursting Forth, Cassidy, Cetewayo, Circus Charmer, Crab Grass, Diamond, Extended Applause, Gadir, Inside Affair, Intrigued, Leave No Prints, Lipstick, Mop Squeezer, Perfect Score, Premier Mark, Regally Appealing, Shamrock City, Snit, Successful Appeal, Tampico, Tookin Down, Tubrok, Winfama

Alex O. Solis

When Alex Solis was growing up in Panama, becoming a jockey was the furthest thing from his mind. In fact, he said he did not know anything about the sport of horse racing because he lived in a rural area far from any racetrack.

All that changed one day when his father, Ovidio Solis, told him, "You should be a jockey" because of his small stature. At the age of 13, Alex Solis journeyed with his father to a racetrack to see what racing was all about-and found more than a career.

Solis then enrolled in a Panamanian jockey school. By the time he was 18, he had moved to Florida to finish his apprenticeship and begin a new life in which he has made himself one of the best in the game.

"I feel very fortunate to have the life I have," Solis said. "You only live once, and I try to live to the fullest. I really enjoy what I do, and I'm proud of how hard I have worked to get to where I am."

Competing on the ultra-tough Southern California circuit, Solis in 1999 rode horses that won total purses of $12,884,862, ranking him fifth among all riders. His mounts included Malek (Chi), second in the 1999 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), and Big Jag, winner of the $1-million Dubai Golden Shaheen on the 2000 World Cup undercard on March 25. The international exposure in Dubai has fueled his career, he said.

Solis won six consecutive Southern California riding titles in the mid-1990s, with the highlight of that period being his upset win on Dare and Go in the 1996 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), which broke Cigar's 16-race winning streak.

A soft-spoken family man, Solis and his wife, Sheila, who is the daughter of trainer J. B. Sonnier, are the parents of three boys and a girl. On January 28, 1994, he donated his earnings from four wins at Santa Anita Park to victims of an earthquake.

Solis does not seek, nor does he receive, much media attention, which he said is fine with him. "I'm just going to try to accomplish my dreams of winning Breeders' Cup races and the Kentucky Derby (G1)," he said.
-Michele MacDonald

Alex O. Solis
Birthdate: March 25, 1964
Birthplace: Panama City, Panama
Main circuit: Southern California
1999-2000 stakes winners: Big Jag, Brave Act (GB), Classic Olympio, Del Mar Gray, Dixie Union, Ecton Park, Five Star Day, Guillermo, Hula Queen, Kits Peak, Kona Gold, Malek (Chi), Minor Details, Mula Gula, Poteen, Prairie Princess, Public Purse, Red Bullet, River Bay, Son of a Pistol, Super Quercus (Fr), Sweet Life, Vyatka (Brz), Wired to Fly

Joe Bravo

Can a native of New Jersey find fame and fortune in Southern California? Certainly, many native New Jerseyans have made their mark in the land of sunshine, among them Frank Sinatra, the late crooner and film idol who hailed from Hoboken.

Joe Bravo, a 28-year-old native of Long Branch-a community not far from Monmouth Park-now has shifted his tack to California and is trying to find a place in a star-studded but aging jockey colony there. Dominant in his home state, Bravo made the move in the middle of the recently concluded Santa Anita Park meet and had some success despite his late arrival.

"Things are going well," said Nick Cosato, Bravo's agent. "We were looking for the Santa Anita meet to be a springboard to the Hollywood Park meet. He's doing well, and he loves it out here."

New Jersey horsemen and horseplayers had many reasons to love Bravo when he dominated the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park meets in the 1990s. Each year from 1991 through 1996, he was the leading jockey at both New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority tracks, and he is the only rider ever to accomplish that feat. He also was the leading rider at Garden State Park in 1991 and was the leading rider at Atlantic City Race Course in the late 1980s.

The past 12 months were in many ways typical for him. He won the Monmouth Park meeting with 64 victories, a 20% strike rate, and a ten-win advantage over his closest challenger. His Meadowlands meeting was a runaway; he took his seventh title at the East Rutherford track while doubling the victory total of the track's second-leading jockey, who was more than 30 races behind him.

Although the Southern California sojourn will hurt his numbers-Bravo was winning with about 8% of his mounts there-he reached the seventh position in the Thoroughbred Times rankings with his consistency. From April 1, 1999, through March 31, 2000, Bravo won with 15.7% of his mounts and had 195 victories.

Bravo was all but born into the sport. His grandfather, Bartolo Bravo, was a top rider in Cuba and Canada in the 1940s and 1950s, and his father, George, rode before becoming a trainer.-Don Clippinger

Joe Bravo
Birthdate: September 10, 1971
Birthplace: Long Branch, New Jersey
Main circuits: Southern California and New Jersey
1999-2000 stakes winners: Bevo, Falkenburg, Fetch Dinner, Heavenly Sunshine, Imaginary Sword, Jazz Club, Lorie Darlin, Mi Narrow, Monarch's Maze, Natalie Too, Office Miss, Pete's Charade, Quick 'n Smart, Selective, Shut Out Time, Sister Fiona, Tap to Music, Truluck, Who Did It and Run, and Wind Tunnel

Corey S. Nakatani

After having one of the finest years of his career in 1998, jockey Corey Nakatani sang the blues during the first part of 1999.

But after enduring an ordinary, by his standards, Santa Anita Park winter-spring meeting and suffering the pain of watching his father-in-law, trainer Wallace Dollase, part company with The Thoroughbred Corp., Nakatani responded with toughness and maturity.

And the 29-year-old rider, whose athleticism and instincts have elevated him to the top echelon of American riders, has bounced back from his mini-slump and has returned to his best form.

"Last year was a good year," Nakatani said. "It didn't start off too well, but it picked up near the end."

Nakatani began gathering momentum last April, winning five stakes after registering just four stakes victories through the end of March. His confidence rising and his form improving, Nakatani won graded stakes in Southern California aboard Silic (Fr), Sweet Ludy (Ire), Val Royal (Fr), and Christmas Boy in the summer and early fall. He then teamed up again with Silic to win the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), the fourth consecutive year that he has won a Breeders' Cup race.

And he said he could have done even better on Breeders' Cup day, finishing fourth in the Filly and Mare Turf (G1) and Classic (G1) aboard Caffe Latte (Ire) and Chester House, respectively, after troubled trips.

"If Chester House had had a little luck we would have won the Classic," Nakatani said. "When he broke he fell to his head. I thought ÔWell, we'll just settle down, make a run, and take a shot.' And he almost got up there."

Nakatani carried his momentum into the Santa Anita 1999-2000 winter-spring meeting and locked up the riding title when he won six races there on April 23.

"Racing out here is so tough," he said. "There's no way you can say these aren't the best riders in the country. It's just a matter of getting the opportunities."-John Harrell

Corey S. Nakatani
Birthdate: October 21, 1970
Birthplace: Covina, California
Main circuit: Southern California
1999-2000 stakes winners: Accomplice (Aus), Cali, Christmas Boy, Cliquot, Dake, Desert Lady (Ire), Exchange Rate, General Challenge, Honest Lady, Kaibo (GB), Lazy Lode (Arg), Manistique, Mary Kies, Patience Game, Reciclada (Chi), Reraise, Riboletta (Brz), Royal Shyness (GB), Scholars Studio, Silic (Fr), Sweet Ludy (Ire), Tuzla (Fr), Val Royal (Fr)

Michael J. McCarthy

Riding principally at Delaware Park, a historic venue of East Coast racing, Michael McCarthy does not get a lot of respect nationally. To be sure, he has been a dominating figure at a track whose purses are well supplemented by coin-spitting slot machines. But he does not make too many trips out of town, nor does he need to travel much.

The New York native has had a lock on the Wilmington-area track's jockey standings since slots money started boosting the quality of racing at Delaware Park in 1995. McCarthy has four straight Delaware Park riding titles and already is hard at work on a fifth.

He set a record with 218 Delaware Park victories in 1997. He also had more than 200 victories there in 1998, but an injury last October most likely kept him from 200 Delaware wins last year. He already is advancing toward his fifth title, with a 23% strike rate through the current meet's first ten days.

From April 1, 1999, through March 31, 2000, McCarthy won with 17% of his mounts, putting him third in the top 25 in that category, behind Russell Baze (21.9%) and Jerry Bailey (18.3%).

Still, McCarthy will always carry the stigma that he is riding against less than world-class competition until he breaks away from Delaware Park. Any thought of mounting a bigger stage ended on October 19 when a horse rolled over on him in Delaware Park's paddock. Although nothing was broken, McCarthy sustained damage to both ankles. He did not resume riding until mid-February at Gulfstream Park.

"The injury came at an opportune time, which was toward the end of the season last year," McCarthy said. "Coming back to race again after the injury, I think it solidifies the fact that I am durable and can handle anything that comes my way."

Still, he concedes that he has had few injuries through his career, in which he has accumulated nearly 2,400 victories.

"I have been very fortunate that I have not been injured more. This was the worst," he said. "When you look at a lot of jockeys, they have had a lot of broken bones and some serious mishaps. I have been fortunate because for the most part I have been able to dodge that bullet so far."-Don Clippinger

Michael J. McCarthy
Birthdate: September 24, 1963
Birthplace: East Meadow, New York
Main circuit: Delaware Park
1999-2000 stakes winners: Aristotle, Catienus, Majestic Jove, Memory Tap, My Heart Sez Yes, Skipping Around, Stellar Brush, Tropical Punch, Valarone

Robby Albarado

"Hard work and determination" form Robby Albarado's creed.

The 26-year-old has relied on those principles-and skills he has honed since he first was hoisted aboard a horse 14 years ago for a match race in his native Louisiana-to propel him into the elite ranks of jockeys.

For the first time in his career, Albarado jumped onto Thoroughbred Times's list of top North American jockeys for his performance during the period from April 1, 1999, to March 31, 2000. He also is the youngest member of this year's group.

"I'm ahead of myself from where I wanted to be," Albarado said recently in the walking ring at Keeneland Race Course soon after riding his 2,000th career winner. "I thought I wouldn't be where I am now until I reached my 30s.

"I set pretty high expectations for myself," he added in a soft-spoken voice that gives no hint of his aggressive riding style during stretch duels.

He also candidly noted that his youth has been an advantage to him on many occasions, particularly when dealing with injuries. "It helps with recovery-I can bounce back quicker-and that's important."

Albarado was able to overcome two skull fractures in a 17-month period during 1998 and '99, one of which required cranioplasty-the replacement of a damaged portion of his skull with titanium mesh and polymer.

During those years, Albarado claimed the crown as king of jockeys at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, and he repeated as leading rider for the third consecutive time at the 1999-2000 meeting that ended in March. He also has won titles at Arlington International Racecourse and Oaklawn Park.

For the future, he said he would like to "win the Kentucky Derby (G1), of course," and may have a shot this year with the Bob Baffert-trained Captain Steve.

After seeing Pat Day break Don Brumfield's 28-year-old record for most career wins at Keeneland on April 19, Albarado said he aims to one day shatter Day's record at the historic Lexington track. "I saw Pat Day here with Don Brumfield, and one day I'd like to be there with Pat Day since I saw him set this record," Albarado said. "I'd love to get that record since this is a very special place."
-Michele MacDonald

Robby Albarado
Birthdate: September 11, 1973
Birthplace: Lafayette, Louisiana
Main circuits: Kentucky, Saratoga Race Course, Fair Grounds
1999-2000 stakes winners: Abajo, Banshee Breeze, Captain Steve, Chilukki, Coach Rags, Crown of Crimson, Dreams Gallore, Hoh Dear (Ire), Joe Who (Brz), Knight Woman, Miz United States, National Saint, Nite Dreamer, Phil the Grip, Rod and Staff, Sarah Lane's Oates, Snuck In, Solar Bound, Some Actor, Steal a Heart, Swingin On Ice, Take Note of Me

Eibar Coa

Eibar Coa burst on the Florida scene in 1993, a skilled rider from Venezuela seemingly polished beyond his years. Riding with an apprentice allowance for seven months, he won more than 160 races at Calder Race Course that summer. Then stewards in Kentucky discovered a problem with his papers when he applied to ride in that state. Coa and six other jockeys had misrepresented the number of wins they had in their native country, which would have affected their apprentice status. Coa was suspended for one year.

In 1995, Coa returned to South Florida and went about putting that episode behind him and making a name-a good one-for himself.

According to Thoroughbred Times, Coa is ranked as the 11th-leading rider by our formula and cracked the top dozen for the first time. While Coa's average earnings per mount are low compared with other riders in the top echelon, he has the tenth-best winning percentage, 16.3%, of any rider in the top 100, and he recorded 215 wins between April 1, 1999, and March 31, 2000.

Coa did not start riding until he was 18, when a family friend introduced him to the sport, and he did not begin his professional riding career until 20. After his one-year suspension, he became leading rider in 1996 at Calder, the Tropical-at-Calder meeting, and the Hialeah Park meeting. After another year of strong performances at South Florida tracks in 1997, Coa rode in Kentucky and New York in 1998 before returning to Florida in September. He quickly made his presence known, riding six winners at Calder on September 7, 1998, tying the track record for most wins in one day. He notched his 1,000th career victory at Calder that same month. He has maintained South Florida as his base of operations ever since.

Coa won stakes races with 16 different horses during the 12-month period ended March 31. On April 22, Coa won the Lone Star Derby aboard Tahkodha Hills and the Texas Mile Stakes (G3) with Sir Bear, both trained by Florida-based Ralph Ziadie.-Mark Simon

Eibar Coa
Birthdate: February 15, 1971
Birthplace: Monagas, Venezuela
Main circuit: Florida
1999-2000 stakes winners: Band Is Passing, Best of the Rest, Conquestality, Hurrahy, Johnny Dollar, Noble Robyn, Robyns Tune, Sabre Dance, Scratch Pad, Silver Bandana, Silver Season, Swept Away, Tactical Move, Tahkodha Hills, Wicapi, Zammie

Shane J. Sellers

The sentence "I have no goals" could get a teenager sent to military school, condemn a young adult to a lifetime stocking shelves at the local convenience store, or gain an older adult admission to a Phish concert.

So what does it mean when that sentence rolls from the lips of one of the country's leading jockeys? In the case of Shane Sellers, it simply means he is happy with his current station in racing and wants to focus all his energies toward keeping himself at this level.

"I have no goals, just to be the best person I can be and represent myself well as a rider and be a role model for a lot of the younger riders out there," Sellers said recently in the Churchill Downs stable area.

You have to be on a fairly high plateau to happily accept the status quo, and that is where Shane Sellers currently resides. Last year brought a career high in earnings of $13,439,291, ranking him fourth nationally. It marked the fourth consecutive year that Sellers's mounts earned more than $12-million. And that came without benefit of a Breeders' Cup winner, unlike 1998 (Buck's Boy in the Turf [G1]) and '97 (Countess Diana in the Juvenile Fillies [G1]).

Instead, Sellers last year hooked up with multiple graded stakes winners, starting in the spring with Vicar (Florida Derby [G1] and Fountain of Youth Stakes [G1]) and Good and Tough (four stakes, including two graded stakes) and extending into the summer and fall with Running Stag (Brooklyn [G2] and Saratoga Breeders' Cup [G2] Handicaps) and Middlesex Drive (Bernard Baruch [G2] and Kelso [G2] Handicaps).

For several years, the 33-year-old native of Erath, Louisiana, has conducted a personal search for maturity and peace of mind as the key to his riding success. The journey, he said, led to a satisfying 1999.

"I needed to learn how to play the game, and I've done that," Sellers said. "I've grown up, and I don't sweat the small stuff anymore. Last year was a great year for me, but again it was a building year as a person and a rider."
-John Harrell

Shane J. Sellers
Birthdate: September 24, 1966
Birthplace: Erath, Louisiana
Main circuit: Florida, Kentucky, New York
1999-2000 stakes winners: Bella Chiarra, Coach Rags, Double Affair, Fahris (Ire), Golden Temper, Good and Tough, Good Night, Heritage of Gold, Histoire Sainte, Middlesex Drive, Mighty, Mil Kilates, Moments of Magic, Mr. Livingston, Nani Rose, Nite Dreamer, Prankster, Running Stag, Smart Sunny, Stephen Got Even, Summer Note, West's Secret, Wild Event, Zuppardo Ardo