Tag: Perry Ouzts

66-Year-Old Perry Ouzts: ‘As Long As I Can Keep Winning, I Will Keep On Riding’

On his way to and from Keeneland's Jockey Quarters for Sunday's first race, 66-year-old rider Perry Ouzts received a series of shout outs and congratulations from those on hand at the Lexington, Ky., track. The accolades were for his latest milestone: becoming North America's sixth all-time leading rider by wins on the Oct. 9 closing-day program at Belterra Park near Cincinnati.

The victory that day was the 7,142nd of Ouzts' career, pushing him one win ahead of Hall of Famer Chris McCarron and holding him steady as the leader among active jockeys. Congratulations arrived via texts, calls and videos from numerous fans, including McCarron and Hall of Famer Pat Day, while an especially meaningful greeting came from retired trainer W.J. Danner, who provided Ouzts with his first victory on April 2, 1973, at Beulah Park in Ohio.

Ouzts' Keeneland mount on Sunday, Maurice Miller's homebred It's Summer, finished fifth.

“It is very special to come to Keeneland, but it is harder to win,” said Ouzts, who has ridden here sparingly during his career and has five wins. “Horses at Keeneland are a much higher level than the ones at Belterra.”

Ouzts will be at Keeneland a little in the coming days. In Friday's second race, he is named to ride Jerome Russell and Kristina Russell's She's No Drama.

Sunday's ride aboard It's Summer was business as usual for Ouzts, who said he pays little attention to his statistics. With no plans for retirement, Ouzts expects to compete this winter in Northern Kentucky at Turfway Park, where he has been a regular for nearly 50 years. His summer base is Belterra (formerly River Downs.)

“I get through the day, turn the page and go to the next day,” said Ouzts, who attributes his success to dedication, determination, desire to win – and a naturally light physique.

On the list of all-time leading riders by wins, Ouzts trails only Russell Baze (12,842 wins), Laffit Pincay Jr. (9,530), Bill Shoemaker (8,833), Pat Day (8,803) and David Gall (7,396).

“I have never found anything else that gives me that thrill (of winning) every time, no matter if it is an (ordinary) race or a stakes race,” Ouzts said. “I get that same thrill every time. That is what keeps me going. As long as I can keep winning, I will keep on riding.”

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Ouzts Passes McCarron On All-Time List With 7,142nd Win

The ageless wonder, jockey Perry Wayne Ouzts, reached another milestone on Friday's closing-day program at Belterra Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he rode Wine Me Up Baby to a wire-to-wire 3 1/4-length victory in a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies. Wine Me Up Baby, an Ohio-bred by Kantharos, is trained by Michael Evans II for Sheltowee Farm.

The win was No. 7,142 for the 66-year-old Ouzts, moving the Arkansas native past Chris McCarron as the sixth all-time winningest jockey in North American racing. It was Ouzts' 76th win of the Belterra meet from 406 mounts, placing him second behind John McKee  (90 wins) in the rider standings. Ouzts is winning at an 18% clip in 2020, having ridden 76 of his 411 mounts to victory. Earlier this year, on June 25, Ouzts rode five winners on an eight-race card at Belterra Park

Ouzts began his riding career in 1973, the year Secretariat won the Triple Crown, scoring his first victory in March of that year at defunct Beulah Park near Columbus, Ohio. He won 11 riding titles at Beulah and 18 at River Downs, the Cincinnati track that's been replaced by Belterra.

Ouzts is the winningest active rider in North American racing.

The top 10 all-time North American jockeys by wins are: Russell Baze (12,842); Laffit Pincay Jr. (9,530); William Shoemaker (8,833); Pat Day (8,803); David Gall (7,396); Perry Ouzts (7,142); Chris McCarron (7,141); Edgar Prado (7,078); Angel Cordero Jr. (7,057); and Mario Pino (6,959).

Prado and Pino are the only other active riders in the top 10.

Ouzts is one of three riders in the top 10 who have not been inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, along with Gall (who rode at Fairmount Park in Illinois) and Pino (who rides primarily in the Mid-Atlantic).

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Ageless Jockey Perry Ouzts Bags Five Winners Thursday At Belterra Park

Veteran reinsman Perry Ouzts defied the odds on Thursday at Belterra Park, winning with five of his seven mounts on the day. The wins included a natural hat trick in races two through four, and a late double in races six and seven.

Thursday's five wins came for five different trainers: Chris Hartman (Quiet Dawn, Race 2, $3.40); Susan Anderson (Drama Run, Race 3, $19.20); Doug Goodman (My Pal Dal, Race 4, $56.40); Robert Gorham (Northern Journey, Race 6, $2.60); and Barbara Riley (Aiken for Gold, Race 7, $4.00).

The 65-year-old jockey recently returned to the races in mid-May, following nearly a 10-month break to recover from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.

Ouzts' injury occurred last year on July 28 at Belterra, when his mount's bit broke and the bridle came apart. The horse was not injured, but Ouzts had to be taken off the course via ambulance, and an MRI later indicated the damage to his shoulder.

According to long-time agent and friend Jamie Fowler, the jockey didn't want to let an injury end his career; he wants to finish on his own terms.

It's hardly the first time the jockey has made the news for an injury. Perhaps the most memorable was in 2012, when Ouzts' “steel horse” was hit by a car at 65 miles per hour on I-275 outside of Cincinnati. Despite the motorcycle accident, Ouzts managed to arrive at what was then called River Downs in time to ride the entire card, even winning with his first two mounts of the day.

About five weeks after his return to the saddle, Ouzts' momentum is starting to pick up. He recorded doubles at Belterra on June 9, 10, and 24, and the five-win day this Thursday brings his overall total to 15 victories thus far in 2020.

He may turn 66 years old on July 7, but age is nothing but a number when you love what you do.

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