Jerry Bailey Jockey
Wednesday February 8, 2006
Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey’s retirement last month brought down the curtain on one of the most successful riding careers in the history of Thoroughbred racing.
Among his 5,893 career victories, this winner of more than $300 million in purses can count 216 grade 1 races highlighted by two wins in each of the three Triple Crown events, three Kentucky Oaks wins, 15 Breeders' Cup victories (including five Classic wins), and four winning rides in the Dubai World Cup.
Bailey is also the author of Against the Odds: Riding for My Life a moving account of his personal struggle to deal with the pressures and demands of such tremendous success.
Join this seven-time winner of the Eclipse Award as the nation's top jockey live online as he answers your questions and shares his memories.
Oak Hills, CA:
Congrats on a great career; racing just won't seem the same without you. What is your greatest challenge going to be in your new career in the booth?
Bailey:
My greatest challenge in the broadcast booth will be to present the races in a way that more and more viewers really want to tune in because they are understanding the sport more.
Lexington, KY:
Hello Mr. Bailey. My grandma, who is 95, still follows racing and you've been her favorite rider for many years -- she always wanted to know which horse you'd be on. As much as our family will miss watching you ride, we're certainly looking forward to seeing you in your new role on ABC and ESPN. You mentioned in an interview that it was riding Cigar that caused you to first love horses. What was it about him that was so different from all of the others you had ridden?
Bailey:
The reason Cigar was so special was that he loved people and loved the attention. He is also a very kind and gentle horse.
To read the complete transcript of this chat, along with many others, check out Best of Talkin’ Horses.
Best of Talkin’ Horses features provocative “chats” with some of Thoroughbred racing’s most prominent names. Adapted from “Talkin’ Horses,” the popular weekly online chat series hosted by Bloodhorse.com, this edited collection provides additional insights by Ron Mitchell, editor and moderator of “Talkin’ Horses."
Editor's Note: BloodHorse.com moderators retain editorial control over Talkin' Horses discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests; guests may decline to answer questions. Opinions expressed by guests of Talkin' Horses are those of the guest and do not represent the opinions of Blood-Horse Publications, its employees, associates, or affiliated organizations. Guests, dates, and times of Talkin' Horses discussions are subject to change.