Hall of Fame Jockey Gary Stevens just could not stay in the booth. He could not stay away from the track even though he has been retired from horse racing for over 7 years and working as a racing commentator. Now he is making a big comeback and will be riding Oxbow in the Kentucky Derby and perhaps on to Pimlico and Belmont as well.
“I love this,” Stevens told reporters speaking of all the hustle and bustle on the farside of the track at Churchill Downs during practice runs leading up to the big race. “It never gets old.” This will be his first Derby ride since Noble Causeway in 2005 when he finished out of the money.
Gary Stevens has already won the Kentucky Derby 3 times and that puts him in some pretty heady company indeed. Only the great Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack have more Derby wins with 5 each. Seeking his fourth Derby win, Stevens announced that he was coming out of retirement and lost 19 pounds just to, in his own words, “show people that I was serious.”
He could become to second oldest jockey ever to win the Derby. Bill Shoemaker won in 1986 aboard Ferdinand when he was 54 years old. Now Stevens has teamed up with 77 year old legendary horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas with whom he won the Derby 25 years ago riding Winning Colors and again in 1995 on Thunder Gulch when Stevens and Lukas teamed up to win the Triple Crown.
Stevens commented to his broadcasting buddies, “I didn’t just want to be here, riding, with an also-ran. I would rather be up in the TV booth than that, but I’m not. We made it here and we have a big chance and that’s all I can ask for.”
Oxbow went into the Kentucky Derby as a 30 to 1 shot and will be leaving out of post two. D. Wayne Lukas told the press when asked about Stevens, “I think he’s in the zone and I feel really comfortable with him. Mentally and attitude-wise, he’s better than I have ever seen him and I think he looks a good as I have ever seen him. I like my jockey.”
Gary Stevens has already won eight Triple Crown races and more than $222,000,000 in his horse racing career. Best of Luck Gary!
