Allen Jerkens took out his trainer’s license as soon as he turned 21, and he only waited that long because his father forbid him to do so any sooner. He enjoyed solid success almost from the very beginning and won his first stakes race in 1955 with a horse named War Command, whom Jerkens had claimed for $8,000. Seven years later, he agreed to become the private trainer for Jack Dreyfus Jr.’s Hobeau Farm. Though Hobeau Farm didn’t always deal in the most fashionable of pedigrees, it did provide Jerkens with volume. And Jerkens certainly had a knack for getting the most out of his horses.
Tag: Legends
Ranking the Top Ten Eclipse Award-Winning Apprentice Jockeys
The 55th annual Eclipse Awards will be presented on Jan. 22, 2025, at The Breakers Palm Beach, a resort in Florida. There are 17 categories, for both humans and horses, to determine the best in Thoroughbred racing each year.
An Uphill Battle for First Female Jockey Diane Crump
Any day, at any racetrack across the country, you’ll most likely find a female jockey in one of the races. They’ve won Triple Crown races, Breeders’ Cup races and marquee stakes such as the Kentucky Oaks and Pacific Classic. Julie Krone, who won 3,704 races, is enshrined in the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
George Woolf: The Unforgettable Iceman
George Woolf’s career as a jockey was not long by historical standards. It lasted just 18 years, from 1928 until his tragic death in 1946 at the age of 35, and he had just 3,784 mounts, a figure successful modern-day jockey Russell Baze surpassed in a three-year span.
