Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens announced his retirement Friday morning
during a press conference at Churchill Downs. The three-time Kentucky Derby (G1)
winner will move from the saddle to the broadcast booth in January as the newest racing
analyst for TVG. The 42-year-old native of Caldwell, Idaho, will conclude his
26-year career with a pair of mounts on Saturday’s closing-day card at
Churchill.
“There is a piece of my heart that would love to continue riding, but my body
can’t take it anymore,” Stevens said. “Between weight concerns and the limited
number of mounts I am riding, the reward is just not there anymore. The injuries
I have sustained over the years have caught up with me.”
A winner of more than 5,000 races, Stevens owns eight Triple Crown race wins
and eight Breeders’ Cup victories. In addition to his Derby scores aboard
Winning Colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995) and Silver Charm (1997), he captured
two editions of the Preakness S. (G1) and three renewals of the Belmont S. (G1).
He totaled a record nine wins in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and had success internationally in the Dubai
World Cup (UAE-G1) and Japan Cup (Jpn-G1).
Stevens gained fame well beyond racing circles through his role in the 2003
blockbuster movie
Seabiscuit, in which he portrayed legendary jockey George “The Iceman” Woolf. In the same year, People Magazine featured Stevens in its
annual “50 Most Beautiful People” issue.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the relationship (with TVG),” he said. “I’m
retiring from riding, but not from racing — and I look forward to working with
the team at TVG.”