Santa Anita has announced five finalists for the prestigious Santa Anita
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, with the winner to be announced on HRTV in
January following a vote of jockeys nationwide.
Veteran jockeys David Amiss, Dennis Carr, Aaron Gryder, Corey Lanerie and
Scott Stevens are the 2014 finalists for the trophy that has been presented
annually by Santa Anita since 1950.
One of the most prestigious awards in all of racing, the Woolf Award
recognizes those riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the
individual and the sport of Thoroughbred racing. Awarded to a different jockey
each year, the winner’s trophy is a replica of the life-sized statue of
legendary jockey George Woolf, which adorns Santa Anita’s Paddock Gardens area.
The statue was created through donations from the racing public after Woolf’s
death which followed a spill at Santa Anita on January 3, 1946. Woolf, who was
regarded as one of the top big-money jockeys of his era, was affectionately
known as “The Iceman,” and was revered by his colleagues, members of the media
and fans across America as a fierce competitor and consummate professional who
was at his best when the stakes were highest.
The 2014 Woolf ballot features five highly regarded riders who have plied
their trade in a wide range of geographic locales with honor and distinction.
David Amiss, a 48-year-old native of New Hampshire who won his 1,000th career
race on September 22 at Suffolk Downs, broke his maiden in May of 1986 at
Rockingham Park and is a mainstay on the New England circuit.
“There have been some bumps in the road, but I am so grateful to have it
happen here at Suffolk Downs,” said Amiss of his milestone achievement.
Amiss also winters on occasion at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida.
Dennis Carr, a native of Long Island who broke his maiden in January 1987 at
Aqueduct, is currently riding full time at Golden Gate Fields, where perennial
kingpin Russell Baze continues to lead the standings on a regular basis. After
moving his tack on three separate occasions from New York to Northern
California, Carr is once again positioned to compete for the top spot in the Bay
Area. He has won more than 2,700 races and his mounts have earned more than $52
million.
Aaron Gryder, who was raised in nearby Covina, California, and broke his
maiden in January 1987 at the now-shuttered Agua Caliente south of the border,
first gained national attention when he led all reinsmen at the 1987 Hollywood
Park Fall Meeting as an apprentice. Gryder has ridden full time throughout North
America and has commanded the respect of his colleagues and the media wherever
he has competed.
A winner of more than 3,600 races, Gryder’s career highlight came on March
28, 2009, when he piloted Well Armed to a front-running, 14-length victory in
the $6 million Dubai World Cup — the world’s richest race.
Corey Lanerie, a Louisiana native who has become a fixture at Churchill Downs
and at Fair Grounds, has won more than 3,500 races and is held in the highest
regard by jockeys and horsemen wherever he has ridden regularly.
Lanerie, who broke his maiden in April 1991 at Evangeline Downs, has won
riding titles at Churchill Downs, Lone Star Park, Sam Houston, Retama Park, and
Ellis Park.
Veteran Scott Stevens has truly stood the test of time as he has overcome
life-threatening injuries on several occasions en route to posting more than
4,250 victories in a remarkable career that began nearly 40 years ago.
A six-time leading rider at Turf Paradise, Stevens has also been leading
rider at Les Bois Park in Boise, Idaho, and at Canterbury in Minnesota.
Born in Idaho on October 6, 1961, Stevens broke his maiden in May 1976 at Les
Bois Park and has also ridden regularly at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Emerald
Downs near Seattle, and briefly, in both Northern and Southern California.
In recognition of his ability on the track and overall professionalism,
Stevens has been inducted into both the Canterbury and Idaho Racing Halls of
Fame. Scott’s younger brother, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, won the Woolf
Award in 1996.
The Woolf Award is typically presented in mid- or late March, depending upon
the winner’s riding schedule.
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