Canadian jockey Robert Landry, whose 2,045 career wins included the 2004 Queen’s Plate with Niigon, has announced his retirement. The 48-year-old Toronto native will take over the reins as racing manager for Chiefswood Stable, which campaigned Niigon.
Landry had 17,656 career mounts, along with purse earnings of $69,786,382.
Landry, who scored his first career win aboard Hammy Hubert, June 21, 1981 at Fort Erie and rode for 29 years, was noted not only for his commitment to his craft, but also in the various charitable causes he supported.
"The time is right for me to embark on this new association with horse racing," said Landry, who was Canada’s outstanding jockey in 1993 and 1994 and led all Woodbine riders in stakes wins in 1993 (13), 1994 (18), and 1996 (18). "I have to admit it was a hard decision because I love the sport and I love riding. But to have this opportunity to work for the people I won a Queen’s Plate with is truly special."
Among his career highlights were being the regular rider of five consecutive champion 2-year-old fillies (Larkwhistle, 1996; Primaly, ‘97; Fantasy Lake, ‘98; Hello Seattle, ‘99; Poetically, ‘00) during their Sovereign-winning years. In 1999, he won the Atto Mile (Can-IT) aboard Sam-Son Farm’s Quiet Resolve ($91.10 to win) via disqualification, one of the biggest upsets in Woodbine stakes history.
In 2003, on the same day he was presented with the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award for significant contributions to the sport, Landry captured the Labatt Woodbine Oaks aboard Too Late Now.
"Obviously, there are so many great memories that I have," said Landry, who notched 167 lifetime stakes wins, 29 of those in graded races. "I owe a lot to Woodbine for how they treated me and I owe a lot to the many people, including the fans, who supported me throughout my career."