Louisiana Jockeys Dominate Triple Crown Races
Cajun Riders Have Won 18 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Races
Jun 9, 2009
Louisiana jockeys, most of them from small Cajun towns, have won 20 Triple Crown races since World War II, including the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Kentucky Derbys and all three legs of the 2009 Triple Crown. Two of them are already in the Racing Hall of Fame and others may be headed that way.
Six Louisiana jockeys have won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, including three in a row (2004-06). The award is presented annually to a North American jockey "who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack."
Calvin Borel Won 2007 & 2009 Kentucky Derbys
Calvin Borel of Catahoula, Louisiana won the 2007 and 2009 Kentucky Derbys, as well as the 2009 Preakness. He came close to winning a personal Triple Crown, riding Mine That Bird, a 50-to-1 shot to victory in the Derby. Then he won the Preakness aboard the filly, Rachel Alexandra. That was the first time a jockey had won both the Derby and the Preakness with different horses. He also won the 2009 Kentucky Oaks with Rachel Alexandra, another rare double.
When the filly was not entered in the Belmont Stakes, Borel switched back to Mine That Bird and finished third.
Borel won the 2007 Derby and finished second in the Preakness that year with Street Sense.
Kent Desormeaux Just Missed Two Triple CrownsKent Desormeaux of Maurice, Louisiana won the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness aboard Big Brown and was favored to win the Belmont and the Triple Crown. However, he pulled up on Big Brown in the Belmont, believing the horse was hurt. They finished last.
Desormeaux missed another Triple Crown in 1998, riding Real Quiet to victory in both the Derby and the Preakness, but losing by a nose to Victory Gallop in the Belmont. He won the 2000 Derby with Fusaichi Pegasus.
Eric Guerin In Racing Hall of FameEric Guerin of Maringouin, Louisiana, was the first of the Louisiana bush track jockeys to win a Triple Crown race, riding Jet Pilot to victory on his first Kentucky Derby mount in 1947. He beat Phalanx and Eddie Arcaro by a length.
Guerin finished second in 1953 aboard the heavily favored Native Dancer and many blamed him for the loss even though the horse was bumped twice in that Derby. Guerin and Native Dancer came back to win both the Preakness and Belmont that year. He also won the 1954 Belmont aboard High Gun and was elected to the Racing Hall of Fame in 1972.
Eddie Delahoussaye Won 5 Triple Crown Races
Eddie Delahoussaye of New Iberia was the next Cajun jockey to win Triple Crown races. After finishing second in the 1981 Kentucky Derby, he won the 1982 Derby aboard Gato del Sol and the 1983 Derby aboard Sunny's Halo.
He also rode Louisiana-owned Risen Star to victory in the 1988 Preakness and Belmont stakes and A. P. Indy to a win in the 1992 Belmont Stakes. Delahoussaye won seven Breeders' Cup races, was awarded the Woolf memorial Jockey Award in 1981 and was elected to the Racing Hall of Fame in 1993.
Craig Perrett of New Orleans won the 1990 Kentucky Derby aboard Unbridled and the 1987 Belmont on Bet Twice. He received the Woolf award in 1998.
Louisiana Jockeys Won Consecutive Woolf Awards
Ronnie Albarado of Lafayette won the 2007 Preakness aboard Curlin and received the Woolf award in 2004.
Ray Sabille of Sunset, Louisiana received the 2005 Woolf Award, and Mark Guidry of Lafayette received it in 2006, but neither won any Triple Crown races.
Sources:
National Thoroughbred Racing Association
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