Well, let me tell you somethin’ about them horse races. It ain’t just the horses, you know. Them little fellas on top, the jockeys, they’re the ones makin’ all the difference. I seen a lot of races in my time, and I tell ya, the most winning jockeys, they got somethin’ special.
This one fella, Chris McCarron, that name sticks in my head. He won, what was it? Over seven thousand races! Seven thousand! Can you believe that? That’s a whole heap of wins. He musta been born on a horse, I reckon. He rode in like thirty-four thousand races, or something like that. A lot of races.
- Chris McCarron, he won a lot.
- Like, over 7,000 races.
- That’s more than I can count on my fingers and toes!
And those Breeders’ Cup things? He won a bunch of them too. Twelve, I heard. That’s a big deal, you know. Them Breeders’ Cup races, they’re fancy. Lots of money in them races. They are the most important races, you know. These jockeys, win these, they make a lot of money.
Now, there’s this other one, Russell Baze. Heard he’s got the most wins ever. Ever! More than anyone else in the whole wide world. I always watch the news. I know all these things. I always care who wins. He’s been ridin’ since he was a little bitty thing, younger than my grandson, I bet. Started way up north somewhere, Washington, I think it was. Won his first race up there too, back in ’74. I remember 1974.
- Russell Baze, he’s the best, they say.
- Won more races than anyone. Ever!
- Started winnin’ back in ’74. A long time ago!
Then there’s this young whippersnapper, James McDonald. They say he’s the best in the world right now. This year, 2024, he was the best. He won that big race, the Melbourne Cup, or somethin’. He’s winnin’ all the big races, breakin’ all the records. They say he’s gonna be the best ever, even better than that Baze fella. They call him the world’s best jockey. He’s makin’ a real name for himself, that one. He seems to be a good boy.
And, this McDonald, they say he’s gonna be the best ever in Australia and New Zealand. They keep track of these things, you know, how many big races they win. Them “Group 1” races, they call ’em. He’s already won a hundred of ’em! Hundred! That’s some kinda record, you know. These races are all very important.
- James McDonald, he’s real good too.
- Won that Melbourne Cup thing.
- Gonna be the best, maybe. He is very likely to be the best in the future.
- He’s won 100 of them big “Group 1” races.
Oh, and there was this other one, Dettori. They say he won every single race one day. Every one! Back in, uh, ’96, I think it was. That’s somethin’, ain’t it? Winning every single race. He must have some kinda magic in them boots or somethin’. They call it “went through the card”.
These jockeys, they’re somethin’ else. They are important to these races. They train and they train, and they ride them horses like the wind. It ain’t easy, I tell ya. Takes a lot of guts and a lot of, well, you know, horse sense. They are brave. They risk their lives in every race. I always worry about them. Hope they are safe. They need to pay attention all the time. So they can win more races.
You wanna know more about these fellas, you gotta look ’em up. They got all kinds of numbers and things about ’em. How many races they won, how much money they made, all that stuff. I don’t remember them all. Too many numbers. But I remember their names. These names are famous. Everyone knows them. You can find out about all the horses, and the jockeys, and the trainers, and even the folks who own the horses. It’s all out there somewhere. Just gotta know where to look.
So, yeah, the most winning jockeys, they’re a special breed. Tough as nails, and fast as lightning. They ain’t afraid of nothin’. They just wanna win. And win and win and win! That’s all they care about, winning. You can be sure, next time you see a horse race, keep your eye on the jockey. He’s the one to watch, the one who’s gonna make that horse a winner. You can bet your bottom dollar on that. I always bet. Every time, I bet. I hope I can be the winner every time.
