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|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|10|13}} |
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|10|13}} |
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|death_date = |
|death_date = |
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|career wins = 8,803<ref name="EquibaseProfile">{{cite web |title=Equibase profile |url=http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=People&searchType=J&eID=475 |website=www.equibase.com |accessdate=16 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref> |
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|career wins = 8,803 |
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|race = [[Jockey Club Gold Cup]] (1976, 1985, 1989)<br>[[Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes]]<br>(1983, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2001)<br>[[Appalachian Stakes]]<br>(1991, 1993, 2000, 2002)<br>[[Apple Blossom Handicap]] (1985, 1991, 1995)<br>[[Arkansas Derby]] (1986, 1987, 1997)<br>[[Pimlico Special]] (1996)<br>[[Clark Handicap]] (1984, 1985, 1990, 2000)<br>[[Woodward Stakes]] (1989)<br>[[Blue Grass Stakes]] (1984, 1990, 1999, 2000)<br>[[Bourbonette Oaks]]<br> (1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2001, 2002)<br>[[Delaware Handicap]] (1999, 2000)<br>[[Derby Trial Stakes]]<br>(1987, 1991, 1993, 2000)<br>[[Washington, D.C. International Stakes|Washington, D.C. International]] (1994)<br>[[Dogwood Stakes]] (1998)<br>[[Churchill Downs Debutante Stakes|Debutante Stakes]]<br>(1996, 1997, 2002, 2004)<br>[[Falls City Handicap]] (2000, 2002)<br>[[Florida Derby]] (1990)<br>[[Hopemont Stakes|Bourbon Stakes]] (1991, 1998, 1999)<br>[[Haskell Invitational Stakes]] (1999)<br>[[Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap]] (1998, 2003)<br>[[Hollywood Gold Cup]] (1989)<br>[[Spiral Stakes|Jim Beam Stakes]]<br>(1984, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992)<br>[[Louisiana Derby]] (1986,1987, 1991, 1992, 1997)<br>[[John C. Mabee Handicap]] (1997)<br>[[La Troienne Stakes]] (1986, 1990)<br>[[Del Mar Handicap]] (1993)<br>[[United Nations Handicap]] (1989, 1992, 2002)<br>[[Canadian International Stakes]] (1991, 1995)<br>[[Kentucky Oaks]] (1988, 2000)<br>[[Pocahontas Stakes]]<br>(1984, 1987, 1994, 1995, 2004)<br>[[Raven Run Stakes]] (1999, 2001, 2003)<br>[[Rebel Stakes]] (1984, 1985, 1987)<br>[[Stephen Foster Handicap]] (1985, 1998, 2003)<br>[[Southwest Stakes]] (1985, 1987)<br>[[Super Derby]] (1988, 2003)<br>[[Turf Classic Stakes]] (1988, 1994, 1996)<p> |
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'''[[Breeders' Cup]] wins:'''<br>[[Breeders' Cup Classic]]<br>(1984, 1990, 1998, 1999)<br>[[Breeders' Cup Distaff]] (1986, 1991, 2001)<br>[[Breeders' Cup Juvenile]] (1994, 1997)<br>[[Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies]] (1987, 1994)<br>[[Breeders' Cup Turf]] (1987)<p> |
'''[[Breeders' Cup]] wins:'''<br>[[Breeders' Cup Classic]]<br>(1984, 1990, 1998, 1999)<br>[[Breeders' Cup Distaff]] (1986, 1991, 2001)<br>[[Breeders' Cup Juvenile]] (1994, 1997)<br>[[Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies]] (1987, 1994)<br>[[Breeders' Cup Turf]] (1987)<p> |
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{{collapsible list|title=Major Stakes Wins|hlist=true| |
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*[[Jockey Club Gold Cup]] (1976, 1985, 1989) |
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*[[Travers Stakes]] (1983, 1987, 1989, 2003) |
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*[[Spinster Stakes]] (1983, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2004) |
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*[[Blue Grass Stakes]] (1984, 1990, 1999, 2000) |
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*[[Clark Handicap]] (1984, 1985, 1990, 2000) |
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*[[Apple Blossom Handicap]] (1985, 1991, 1995) |
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*[[Stephen Foster Handicap]] (1985, 1998, 2003) |
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*[[Arkansas Derby]] (1986, 1987, 1997) |
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*[[Louisiana Derby]] (1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1997) |
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*[[Humana Distaff Stakes]] (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2001, 2004) |
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*[[Kentucky Oaks]] (1988, 2000) |
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*[[Super Derby]] (1988, 2003) |
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*[[Turf Classic Stakes]] (1988, 1994, 1996) |
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*[[Hollywood Gold Cup]] (1989) |
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*[[United Nations Handicap]] (1989, 1992, 2002) |
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*[[Pimlico Special]] (1989, 1996) |
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*[[Woodward Stakes]] (1989) |
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*[[Florida Derby]] (1990) |
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*[[Washington, D.C. International Stakes|Washington, D.C. International]] (1994) |
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*[[Gazelle Handicap]] (1997, 1998, 2003) |
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*[[Haskell Invitational Stakes]] (1999) |
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*[[Garden City Handicap]] (2001, 2004) |
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}} |
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'''International race wins:'''<br>[[Dominion Day Stakes]] (1987)<br>[[Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|Canadian Triple Crown]] (1991)<br>[[Canadian International Stakes]] (1991, 1995) |
'''International race wins:'''<br>[[Dominion Day Stakes]] (1987)<br>[[Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|Canadian Triple Crown]] (1991)<br>[[Canadian International Stakes]] (1991, 1995) |
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|awards = [[Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey]]<br>(1984, 1986, 1987, 1991)<br>[[United States Champion Jockey by wins|U.S. Champion Jockey by wins]]<br>(1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991)<br>[[United States Champion Jockey by earnings|U.S. Champion Jockey by earnings]]<br>(1999, 2000)<br>[[George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award]] (1985)<br>[[Mike Venezia Memorial Award]] (1995)<br>[[Big Sport of Turfdom Award]] (2005) |
|awards = [[Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey]]<br>(1984, 1986, 1987, 1991)<br>[[United States Champion Jockey by wins|U.S. Champion Jockey by wins]]<br>(1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991)<br>[[United States Champion Jockey by earnings|U.S. Champion Jockey by earnings]]<br>(1999, 2000)<br>[[George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award]] (1985)<br>[[Mike Venezia Memorial Award]] (1995)<br>[[Big Sport of Turfdom Award]] (2005) |
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|honours = [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame]] (1991)<br>[[Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame]] (1999)<br>[[Pat Day Mile Stakes]] at [[Churchill Downs]] |
|honours = [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame]] (1991)<br>[[Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame]] (1999)<br>[[Pat Day Mile Stakes]] at [[Churchill Downs]] |
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|horses = [[Easy Goer]], [[ |
|horses = [[Easy Goer]], [[Awesome Again]], [[Azeri (horse)|Azeri]], [[Cat Thief]], [[Dance Smartly]], [[Favorite Trick]], [[Heavenly Prize]], [[Lil E. Tee]], [[Java Gold]], [[Lady's Secret]], [[Louis Quatorze (horse)|Louis Quatorze]], [[Paradise Creek (horse)|Paradise Creek]], [[Seeking the Gold]], [[Sky Classic]], [[Summer Squall]], [[Tabasco Cat]], [[Tank's Prospect]], [[Theatrical (horse)|Theatrical]], [[Timber Country]], [[Unbridled]], [[Wild Again]] |
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|updated = |
|updated = May 16, 2020 |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Patrick Alan Day''' (born October 13, 1953 in [[Brush, Colorado]]) is |
'''Patrick Alan Day''' (born October 13, 1953 in [[Brush, Colorado]]) is a retired [[United States|American]] [[jockey]]. He is a four-time winner of the [[Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey]] and was inducted into the [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame]] in 1991 and the [[Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame]] in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/e10bd5_0338255837524ce791281b65f8cfc584.pdf |title=ASHOF Inductees |publisher=Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame |date=2018-01-01 |accessdate=2018-10-17}}</ref> Day also received the [[George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award]] in 1985, given annually to a North American jockey who demonstrates the highest standards of professional and personal conduct. In 1995, he was voted the [[Mike Venezia Memorial Award]] for "extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship". Day won nine Triple Crown races and 12 Breeders' Cup races. He and Hall of Fame rider [[Eddie Arcaro]] are the only riders to have at least three [[Belmont Stakes]] wins and five [[Preakness]] wins. In 2000, he was the active leader for career Breeders' Cup wins though he was later surpassed as the events were expanded after he retired. |
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Pat Day retired in 2005 with 8,803 wins (ranked fourth all-time) and as the all-time leading jockey in money earned.<ref name="DayRetires">{{cite web |title=Hall of Famer Day Retires; To Assist With Racetrack Chaplaincy Program |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/169343/hall-of-famer-day-retires-to-assist-with-racetrack-chaplaincy-program |website=BloodHorse.com |accessdate=16 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref> He was a dominant rider on the Kentucky riding circuit and holds all of the career riding records at [[Churchill Downs]] and [[Keeneland]].<ref name="ChurchillSalutes">{{cite web |title=Churchill Downs To Salute Pat Day Nov. 12 |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/168484/churchill-downs-to-salute-pat-day-nov-12 |website=BloodHorse.com |accessdate=16 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="KeenelandSalute">{{cite web |title=Keeneland to Salute Hall of Fame Jockey Pat Day |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/168563/keeneland-to-salute-hall-of-fame-jockey-pat-day |website=BloodHorse.com |accessdate=16 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0aceBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA125&dq=jockey+pat+wait+all+day&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjegqSGsfvTAhUBZSYKHdnrBjwQ6AEINzAD#v=onepage&q=jockey%20pat%20wait%20all%20day&f=false | work=John Eisenberg | first=John | last=Eisenberg | title=The Longest Shot |accessdate=May 19, 2017 | date=1996}}</ref> Day's signature wins include winning the inaugural $3 million [[Breeders' Cup Classic]] in 1984 aboard [[Wild Again]]<ref> url=http://classic.drf.com/news/day-shares-decades-memories | work=Daily Racing Form| first=Marty | last=McGee | title=Day shares decades of memories | date=August 4, 2005 |accessdate=March 23, 2020}}</ref> and his partnership with [[Easy Goer]] in a rivalry with Sunday Silence.<ref name=Rivalries>{{cite web |title=Racing’s Unforgettable Rivalries: Sunday Silence and Easy Goer |url=https://www.americasbestracing.net/the-sport/2016-racings-unforgettable-rivalries-sunday-silence-and-easy-goer |website=www.americasbestracing.net |accessdate=16 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref> |
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==Technique== |
==Technique== |
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Pat Day was known for being a patient rider with gentle hands and for not using a horse more than he had to, but was sometimes criticized for waiting too long to make his move. |
Pat Day was known for being a patient rider with gentle hands and for not using a horse more than he had to, but was sometimes criticized for waiting too long to make his move.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1996/05/27/night-and-day-pat-day-turned-a-trainers-snub-into-his-fifth-preakness-victory-aboard-louis-quatorze | work=Sports Illustrated| first=William | last=Reed | title=NIGHT AND DAY | date=May 27, 1996 |accessdate=March 23, 2020}}</ref> Because Day often came with late runs in big spots and had a reputation for saving horse for the stretch<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Dollar-Bill-has-a-tough-time-despite-Day-2053120.php | newspaper=Houston Chronicle | first=Fred | last=Faour | title=Dollar Bill has a tough time despite Day Even with Day aboard, talented Dollar Bill has a tough time | date=June 7, 2001}}</ref> he was given the nickname Patient Pat.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://articles.latimes.com/1992-05-03/sports/sp-1834_1_kentucky-derby | newspaper=The Los Angeles Times | first=Jay | last=Privman | title=Kentucky Derby: Day Makes the Right Choice : Jockey: The man who passed up rides on Alysheba and Unbridled gets first Derby victory in 10 tries | date=May 3, 1992}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/25/sports/horse-racing-racing-analysis-trainers-wisely-decide-success-is-worth-the-wait.html| newspaper=The New York Times | first=Joe | last=Drape | title=Horse Racing: Racing Analysis | date=August 25, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/09/sports/horse-racing-jockey-earnings-record-is-within-day-s-reach.html| newspaper=The New York Times | first=Jason | last=Diamos | title=HORSE RACING | date=August 9, 2002}}</ref> As Pat Forde, a reporter for the ''Louisville Courier-Journal'', wrote in 1995, "He is so patient he could watch a faucet drip for days".<ref name=bloodhorse>{{cite news | url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/features/day-by-day-605 | work=Bloodhorse | first=Tom | last=LaMarra | title=Day by Day | date=April 23, 2014 |accessdate=May 19, 2017}}</ref> Day was also strong at taking horses to the lead as he did on Louis Quatorze in his 1996 Preakness victory and on Commendable in his 2000 Belmont Stakes win.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://articles.latimes.com/1989-11-08/sports/sp-1011_1_easy-goer | newspaper=The Los Angeles Times | first=Bill | last=Christine | title=Horse Racing: Maybe It's Time Easy Goer Gets a Different Rider | date=November 8, 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://articles.latimes.com/1989-09-19/sports/sp-159_1_easy-goer | newspaper=The Los Angeles Times | first=Paul | last=Moran | title=Easy Goer Shows He Won't Easily Be Beaten | date=September 19, 1989}}</ref> |
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Day's riding style attracted considerable controversy over the years. Barry Irwin wrote in 2016 that he "drove many a captain of industry, hard-boot trainer and horseplayer to the brink of rage."<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Z_fCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT155 | title=Derby Innovator: The Making of Animal Kingdom | first=Barry | last=Irwin |year=2016}}</ref> [[D. Wayne Lukas]], who won several Triple Crown races with Pat Day, once said "I'm only as good as Pat Day's rides."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1995-05-19-9505190067-story.html | newspaper=Orlando Sentinel | first=Jerry | last=Greene | title=DERBY NO YARDSTICK THIS TIME | date=May 19, 1995}}</ref> He is still criticized for costing Easy Goer a potential victory in the Preakness Stakes. Day later said, "As I re-run that race in my mind, I chastise myself pretty good because I feel I didn’t ride the best race of my career... Still, it was a great, great race. People still rave to me about the Preakness. They say it was the race of the century. I agree, except for the official order of finish."<ref name=Rivalries /> |
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Day learned to ride from his father, a rancher in [[Brush, Colorado]]. "He taught me basic horsemanship that has been my foundation," Day said in a 1991 interview. "That has helped me tremendously in a roundabout way – being able to understand the temperament of the horse, and adjusting to get along with that." Day participated in [[rodeo]] events before beginning his jockey career in 1973 at Prescott Downs, a small racetrack in Arizona. He became the leading jockey at [[Turf Paradise]] before relocating to Chicago, where he became the leading jockey at [[Hawthorne Race Course|Hawthorne]] and [[Sportsman's Park]]. In 1976, he moved to the New York riding circuit.<ref name=Milbert /> He recorded his first major victory that year in the [[Jockey Club Gold Cup]] aboard longshot Great Contractor.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cady |first1=Steve |title=Great Contractor First in Gold Cup |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/24/archives/great-contractor-first-in-gold-cup-great-contractor-1680-wins-gold.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=16 May 2020 |date=24 October 1976}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In 2013 Day said that "[[Easy Goer]] was the best horse I ever rode."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.horsenation.com/2013/10/21/a-blessed-life-pat-day-on-making-peace-with-his-sport-his-faith/ | work=Horse Nation | first=Grace | last=Van Dyke | title=A Blessed Life: Pat Day on making peace with his sport & his faith | date=October 21, 2013}}</ref> Day has ridden winners of [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|U.S. Triple Crown]] races nine times, ranking him behind [[Eddie Arcaro]]'s 17 wins in Triple Crown races as well as [[Bill Shoemaker]]'s 11, while tied with [[Gary Stevens (jockey)|Gary Stevens]], [[Bill Hartack]] and [[Earl Sande]]'s 9 each. However, Day had a comparatively poor Kentucky Derby record with only one win in twenty two tries.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/horseracing/pat-day-s-career-was-complete-when-he-finally-won-kentucky-derby-1.13562122 | work=Newsday | first=Ed | last=McNamara | title=Pat Day’s career was complete when he finally won Kentucky Derby | date=May 3, 2017 |accessdate=May 22, 2017}}</ref> Some of Day's losses on top horses in the Kentucky Derby included [[Easy Goer]], [[Forty Niner (horse)|Forty Niner]], [[Summer Squall]], Demon's Begone, Rampage, [[Corporate Report]], [[Tabasco Cat]], [[Timber Country]], Prince of Thieves, [[Favorite Trick]], Ten Most Wanted and in 1999 he rode [[Menifee]], who finished second behind [[Charismatic (horse)|Charismatic]] in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jnZpBlsXgJgC&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=jockey+pat+day+history+of+race+riding+and+the+jockey%27s+guild&source=bl&ots=f5FZKH3e56&sig=HLoPUtarjsPuMN1MOsHImkPLWno&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjVqfTmkYXUAhVr44MKHfX4AGEQ6AEINjAD#v=onepage&q=jockey%20pat%20day%20history%20of%20race%20riding%20and%20the%20jockey%27s%20guild&f=false | work=Turner Publishing Company - The Jockeys' Guild | first=The Jockeys' | last=Guild | title=The History of Race Riding and the Jockeys' Guild |accessdate=May 23, 2017 | date=1999}}</ref> He had been the regular rider of 1990 Derby winner Unbridled but chose to ride Summer Squall in that race instead.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Crist |first1=Steven |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |title=HORSE RACING; Unbridled Wins the Derby in an Upset |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/06/sports/horse-racing-unbridled-wins-the-derby-in-an-upset.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=16 May 2020 |date=6 May 1990}}</ref> Pat Day's first and only Kentucky Derby victory was in 1992 aboard longshot [[Lil E. Tee]]. On the day of that race, future [[Belmont Stakes]] and [[Breeders' Cup Classic]] winner [[A.P. Indy]] was forced to scratch from the race due to a foot injury. The heavy favorite was [[American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt]] and [[Breeders' Cup Juvenile]] winner [[Arazi (horse)|Arazi]]. Day rated behind Arazi in tenth place, hoping to follow his move and take second place. But when asked for run, Lil E. Tee responded by sweeping past Arazi for the win. "To say the least, it was very satisfying," said Day.<ref>{{cite web |title=LOOKING BACK: Pat Day's unlikely Kentucky Derby win turns 25 |url=https://www.si.com/horse-racing/2017/05/02/ap-rac-kentucky-derby-day |website=Sports Illustrated |accessdate=16 May 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In 1991, Pat Day won the [[Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|Canadian Triple Crown]] and the [[Breeders' Cup Distaff]] aboard the future Hall of Fame filly [[Dance Smartly]]. He is the only jockey to have ridden at least one mount in each of the first 20 [[Breeders' Cup]]s, and at one point was the all-time leader in Breeders' Cup winners, with 12.<ref>{{cite web |title=Day, Bailey Elbow for BC Riding Records |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/185394/day-bailey-elbow-for-bc-riding-records |website=BloodHorse.com |accessdate=16 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://stats.breederscup.com/bcosJockeysByMoneyPDF.cfm?jockeyRace=ALL&jockeyYear=ALL&jockeyID= | work=Breeders' Cup | title=Leading Breeders' Cup Jockey Stats | date=October 21, 2013 |accessdate=May 23, 2017}}</ref> |
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⚫ | Day |
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Day was the leading jockey by money earned in 2000 in a close battle with Jerry Bailey. Day finished the year with $17,479,838 earned from 1,219 mounts, 267 of them winners. Bailey finished with $17,468,690 in earnings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Day Edges Bailey For Jockeys' Title |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/194922/day-edges-bailey-for-jockeys-title |website=BloodHorse.com |accessdate=16 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Day was the leading jockey by number of wins in 1982, 1983 and 1984.<ref name=Milbert /> |
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⚫ | In 1991, Pat Day won the [[Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|Canadian Triple Crown]] and the [[Breeders' Cup Distaff]] aboard the future Hall of Fame filly [[Dance Smartly]]. He is the only jockey to have ridden at least one mount in each of the first 20 [[Breeders' Cup]]s, and |
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==Records== |
==Records== |
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Day is |
Day is the all-time leading rider at [[Churchill Downs]] and [[Keeneland|Keeneland Race Course]], the two largest tracks in his adopted home state of [[Kentucky]]. At Keeneland, he recorded 918 wins, 95 of which were in stakes races, and earned 22 leading rider titles.<ref name="ChurchillSalutes" /><ref name="KeenelandSalute" /> At the Downs, Day was often so dominant that veteran horseplayers would complain — bettors would often wager so much money on horses with Day in the saddle that the payoff odds would decline. |
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On June 20, 1984, Day set a Churchill Downs record for the most wins on a single card when he won seven of eight races in which he rode. The record was tied in 2008 by Julien Leparoux.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leparoux Wins 7 at Churchill; Ties Day |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/151262/leparoux-wins-7-at-churchill-ties-day |website=BloodHorse.com |accessdate=16 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref> In 1989, he set a North American record when he won eight of nine mounts in a single day at [[Arlington Park]].<ref name=Milbert>{{cite web |last1=Milbert |first1=Neil |title=PAT DAY`S NUMBERS NOT WHOLE STORY |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-07-14-9103190627-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |accessdate=16 May 2020}}</ref> |
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In 1989, he set a North American record when he won eight of nine mounts in a single day at [[Arlington Park]]. |
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==Religion and retirement== |
==Religion and retirement== |
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Early in his career, he had serious [[substance abuse]] problems with both drugs and alcohol, but became a [[born-again Christian]] in the early 1980s. He has been involved with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America since his conversion, and |
Early in his career, he had serious [[substance abuse]] problems with both drugs and alcohol, but became a [[born-again Christian]] in the early 1980s.<ref name=Milbert /> He has been involved with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America since his conversion, and has served the racing industry's representative on the board of that organization.<ref name="DayRetires" /> |
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After undergoing hip surgery that forced him to miss the Derby for the first time in 21 years, Day announced his retirement on August 3, 2005, after a 32-year career that saw him ride 8,804 winners, fourth on the all-time list, and ranks fourth behind John Velazquez (over $416 million), Mike E. Smith (over $324 million) and [[Javier Castellano]] (over $328 million) for prize money won, with his mounts earning nearly $298 million.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.equibase.com/stats/ViewAllTime.cfm?tf=all-time&tb=jockey&vb=E | work=Equibase | title=All Time Leaders - Jockeys | date=May 23, 2017 |accessdate=May 23, 2017}}</ref> He said he would retire and commit the rest of his life purely to spreading the Gospel. |
After undergoing hip surgery that forced him to miss the Derby for the first time in 21 years, Day announced his retirement on August 3, 2005, after a 32-year career that saw him ride 8,804 winners, fourth on the all-time list, and ranks fourth behind John Velazquez (over $416 million), Mike E. Smith (over $324 million) and [[Javier Castellano]] (over $328 million) for prize money won, with his mounts earning nearly $298 million.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.equibase.com/stats/ViewAllTime.cfm?tf=all-time&tb=jockey&vb=E | work=Equibase | title=All Time Leaders - Jockeys | date=May 23, 2017 |accessdate=May 23, 2017}}</ref> He said he would retire and commit the rest of his life purely to spreading the Gospel. |
Revision as of 23:03, 16 May 2020
Patrick Alan Day (born October 13, 1953 in Brush, Colorado) is a retired American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.[2] Day also received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1985, given annually to a North American jockey who demonstrates the highest standards of professional and personal conduct. In 1995, he was voted the Mike Venezia Memorial Award for "extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship". Day won nine Triple Crown races and 12 Breeders' Cup races. He and Hall of Fame rider Eddie Arcaro are the only riders to have at least three Belmont Stakes wins and five Preakness wins. In 2000, he was the active leader for career Breeders' Cup wins though he was later surpassed as the events were expanded after he retired.
Pat Day retired in 2005 with 8,803 wins (ranked fourth all-time) and as the all-time leading jockey in money earned.[3] He was a dominant rider on the Kentucky riding circuit and holds all of the career riding records at Churchill Downs and Keeneland.[4][5][6] Day's signature wins include winning the inaugural $3 million Breeders' Cup Classic in 1984 aboard Wild Again[7] and his partnership with Easy Goer in a rivalry with Sunday Silence.[8]
Technique
Pat Day was known for being a patient rider with gentle hands and for not using a horse more than he had to, but was sometimes criticized for waiting too long to make his move.[9] Because Day often came with late runs in big spots and had a reputation for saving horse for the stretch[10] he was given the nickname Patient Pat.[11] [12][13] As Pat Forde, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, wrote in 1995, "He is so patient he could watch a faucet drip for days".[14] Day was also strong at taking horses to the lead as he did on Louis Quatorze in his 1996 Preakness victory and on Commendable in his 2000 Belmont Stakes win.[15][16]
Day's riding style attracted considerable controversy over the years. Barry Irwin wrote in 2016 that he "drove many a captain of industry, hard-boot trainer and horseplayer to the brink of rage."[17] D. Wayne Lukas, who won several Triple Crown races with Pat Day, once said "I'm only as good as Pat Day's rides."[18] He is still criticized for costing Easy Goer a potential victory in the Preakness Stakes. Day later said, "As I re-run that race in my mind, I chastise myself pretty good because I feel I didn’t ride the best race of my career... Still, it was a great, great race. People still rave to me about the Preakness. They say it was the race of the century. I agree, except for the official order of finish."[8]
Riding Career
Day learned to ride from his father, a rancher in Brush, Colorado. "He taught me basic horsemanship that has been my foundation," Day said in a 1991 interview. "That has helped me tremendously in a roundabout way – being able to understand the temperament of the horse, and adjusting to get along with that." Day participated in rodeo events before beginning his jockey career in 1973 at Prescott Downs, a small racetrack in Arizona. He became the leading jockey at Turf Paradise before relocating to Chicago, where he became the leading jockey at Hawthorne and Sportsman's Park. In 1976, he moved to the New York riding circuit.[19] He recorded his first major victory that year in the Jockey Club Gold Cup aboard longshot Great Contractor.[20]
In 2013 Day said that "Easy Goer was the best horse I ever rode."[21] Day has ridden winners of U.S. Triple Crown races nine times, ranking him behind Eddie Arcaro's 17 wins in Triple Crown races as well as Bill Shoemaker's 11, while tied with Gary Stevens, Bill Hartack and Earl Sande's 9 each. However, Day had a comparatively poor Kentucky Derby record with only one win in twenty two tries.[22] Some of Day's losses on top horses in the Kentucky Derby included Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Summer Squall, Demon's Begone, Rampage, Corporate Report, Tabasco Cat, Timber Country, Prince of Thieves, Favorite Trick, Ten Most Wanted and in 1999 he rode Menifee, who finished second behind Charismatic in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.[23] He had been the regular rider of 1990 Derby winner Unbridled but chose to ride Summer Squall in that race instead.[24] Pat Day's first and only Kentucky Derby victory was in 1992 aboard longshot Lil E. Tee. On the day of that race, future Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic winner A.P. Indy was forced to scratch from the race due to a foot injury. The heavy favorite was American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Arazi. Day rated behind Arazi in tenth place, hoping to follow his move and take second place. But when asked for run, Lil E. Tee responded by sweeping past Arazi for the win. "To say the least, it was very satisfying," said Day.[25]
In 1991, Pat Day won the Canadian Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Distaff aboard the future Hall of Fame filly Dance Smartly. He is the only jockey to have ridden at least one mount in each of the first 20 Breeders' Cups, and at one point was the all-time leader in Breeders' Cup winners, with 12.[26][27]
Day was the leading jockey by money earned in 2000 in a close battle with Jerry Bailey. Day finished the year with $17,479,838 earned from 1,219 mounts, 267 of them winners. Bailey finished with $17,468,690 in earnings.[28] Day was the leading jockey by number of wins in 1982, 1983 and 1984.[19]
Records
Day is the all-time leading rider at Churchill Downs and Keeneland Race Course, the two largest tracks in his adopted home state of Kentucky. At Keeneland, he recorded 918 wins, 95 of which were in stakes races, and earned 22 leading rider titles.[4][5] At the Downs, Day was often so dominant that veteran horseplayers would complain — bettors would often wager so much money on horses with Day in the saddle that the payoff odds would decline.
On June 20, 1984, Day set a Churchill Downs record for the most wins on a single card when he won seven of eight races in which he rode. The record was tied in 2008 by Julien Leparoux.[29] In 1989, he set a North American record when he won eight of nine mounts in a single day at Arlington Park.[19]
Religion and retirement
Early in his career, he had serious substance abuse problems with both drugs and alcohol, but became a born-again Christian in the early 1980s.[19] He has been involved with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America since his conversion, and has served the racing industry's representative on the board of that organization.[3]
After undergoing hip surgery that forced him to miss the Derby for the first time in 21 years, Day announced his retirement on August 3, 2005, after a 32-year career that saw him ride 8,804 winners, fourth on the all-time list, and ranks fourth behind John Velazquez (over $416 million), Mike E. Smith (over $324 million) and Javier Castellano (over $328 million) for prize money won, with his mounts earning nearly $298 million.[30] He said he would retire and commit the rest of his life purely to spreading the Gospel.
Day and his family reside in the Lake Forest subdivision in Louisville, Kentucky.
On June 3, 2016, Kentucky Governor Bevin appointed Day to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.[31][32]
Year-end charts
National List for Jockeys Rankings | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Earnings | Wins |
2000 | 1 | 11 |
2001 | 3 | 19 |
2002 | 4 | 14 |
2003 | 6 | 20 |
2004 | 11 | 54 |
Source:[33] |
References
- ^ "Equibase profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ "ASHOF Inductees" (PDF). Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
- ^ a b "Hall of Famer Day Retires; To Assist With Racetrack Chaplaincy Program". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Churchill Downs To Salute Pat Day Nov. 12". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Keeneland to Salute Hall of Fame Jockey Pat Day". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Eisenberg, John (1996). The Longest Shot. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ url=http://classic.drf.com/news/day-shares-decades-memories | work=Daily Racing Form| first=Marty | last=McGee | title=Day shares decades of memories | date=August 4, 2005 |accessdate=March 23, 2020}}
- ^ a b "Racing's Unforgettable Rivalries: Sunday Silence and Easy Goer". www.americasbestracing.net. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Reed, William (May 27, 1996). "NIGHT AND DAY". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- ^ Faour, Fred (June 7, 2001). "Dollar Bill has a tough time despite Day Even with Day aboard, talented Dollar Bill has a tough time". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Privman, Jay (May 3, 1992). "Kentucky Derby: Day Makes the Right Choice : Jockey: The man who passed up rides on Alysheba and Unbridled gets first Derby victory in 10 tries". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Drape, Joe (August 25, 2003). "Horse Racing: Racing Analysis". The New York Times.
- ^ Diamos, Jason (August 9, 2002). "HORSE RACING". The New York Times.
- ^ LaMarra, Tom (April 23, 2014). "Day by Day". Bloodhorse. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ^ Christine, Bill (November 8, 1989). "Horse Racing: Maybe It's Time Easy Goer Gets a Different Rider". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Moran, Paul (September 19, 1989). "Easy Goer Shows He Won't Easily Be Beaten". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Irwin, Barry (2016). Derby Innovator: The Making of Animal Kingdom.
- ^ Greene, Jerry (May 19, 1995). "DERBY NO YARDSTICK THIS TIME". Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ a b c d Milbert, Neil. "PAT DAY`S NUMBERS NOT WHOLE STORY". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Cady, Steve (24 October 1976). "Great Contractor First in Gold Cup". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Van Dyke, Grace (October 21, 2013). "A Blessed Life: Pat Day on making peace with his sport & his faith". Horse Nation.
- ^ McNamara, Ed (May 3, 2017). "Pat Day's career was complete when he finally won Kentucky Derby". Newsday. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
- ^ Guild, The Jockeys' (1999). The History of Race Riding and the Jockeys' Guild. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ Crist, Steven; Times, Special To the New York (6 May 1990). "HORSE RACING; Unbridled Wins the Derby in an Upset". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ "LOOKING BACK: Pat Day's unlikely Kentucky Derby win turns 25". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ "Day, Bailey Elbow for BC Riding Records". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ "Leading Breeders' Cup Jockey Stats". Breeders' Cup. October 21, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ "Day Edges Bailey For Jockeys' Title". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ "Leparoux Wins 7 at Churchill; Ties Day". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ "All Time Leaders - Jockeys". Equibase. May 23, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ "Gov. Bevin Appoints 3 Members to Horse Racing Commission". The Laner Report. June 3, 2016.
- ^ "Pat Day" (PDF). khrc.ky.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "Pat Day | Top 100 Rankings (Since 2000)". Equibase.