Jockey Jorge Ricardo became the first to reach the 12,000-victory plateau May 26 when he won three races at the Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ricardo, 51, reached the milestone 48 victories ahead of North American Hall of Fame rider Russell Baze in their personal duel for supremacy. Baze, 54, beat Ricardo to the 11,000-win mark on Aug. 14, 2010. Ricardo reached 10,000 wins nearly a month before Baze in January 2008.
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ricardo resides in Argentina.
Baze, who sits at 11,952 after one win at Golden Gate Fields Sunday, is leading Ricardo in wins this season, 141-132, according to a website that has been following the careers of both riders.
Next on the list of all-time leading jockeys is the retired Laffit Pincay Jr. at 9,530. Bill Shoemaker (8,833) and Pat Day (8,803) complete the top five.
