Bill Shoemaker

William Lee Shoemaker was a legendary American jockey. A jockey is a professional athlete who rides horses in races. Shoemaker is widely considered one of the greatest to ever play the sport. He held the world record for most professional victories for 29 years. People often called him "Bill," "Willie," or "The Shoe." His career spanned many decades and involved thousands of races.

Shoemaker's physical size was a major factor in his success. He was born in Fabens, Texas, in August 1931. He was so small at birth that his parents placed him in a shoebox on the oven to keep him warm. As he grew, he remained quite small in stature. This diminutive size was a significant asset in thoroughbred horse racing. Being small helps a jockey stay balanced and light on a horse. This physical trait helped him become a giant in the racing world.

His professional racing career began during his teenage years. He made his first professional ride on March 19, 1949. Just one month later, he earned his first victory. He rode a horse named Shafter V at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California. By age 19, he was earning as much as $2,500 per week. Because of this high income, the Los Angeles Superior Court appointed a guardian for him. This guardian was Horace Hahn, who acted with the consent of Shoemaker's parents.

Shoemaker achieved great success in the most important races in America. He won eleven Triple Crown races across four different decades. These included the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. In 1955, he won the Kentucky Derby on a horse named Swaps. In 1986, he achieved a historic feat at age 54. He became the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. He rode an 18-1 outsider named Ferdinand to that victory.

His career statistics reveal the incredible scale of his work. Shoemaker rode in a total of 40,350 races. He earned 8,833 professional victories during his career. In September 1970, he earned his 6,033rd win. This specific victory allowed him to break the record held by Johnny Longden. His final career win occurred on January 20, 1990. He rode Beau Genius to victory at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida. He retired from riding two weeks later after a race at Santa Anita Park.

Shoemaker worked with some of the most famous horses in history. He rode the popular California horse Silky Sullivan. He also rode the three-time champion Spectacular Bid. Shoemaker claimed Spectacular Bid was the greatest horse he ever rode. Another great moment was the 1976 Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park. He rode a horse named Forego to a victory by a nose. Forego started from eighth position out of eleven horses. Shoemaker drove through a muddy middle-of-the-track stretch to win.

After retiring from riding, Shoemaker transitioned into new roles. He became a horse trainer for several clients. These included composer Burt Bacharach and Allen Paulson. He trained horses until his retirement from that role in 1997. He also became a successful author of mystery novels. He wrote three books featuring a detective named Coley Killebrew. These books included "Stalking Horse," "Fire Horse," and "Dark Horse." His writing was often compared to the work of Dick Francis.

Shoemaker faced significant challenges later in his life. In 1991, he was involved in a car accident in San Dimas, California. The accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. He spent the rest of his life using a wheelchair. Despite these difficulties, his legacy in sports remained strong. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1958. The artist Andy Warhol even included him in a series of portraits. Shoemaker died of natural causes in 2003 at the age of 72.