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Downes Named Emerald Downs Announcer

Bill Downes has been named track announcer at Emerald Downs for the Washington track's 2022 season which opens May 15. He replaces Tom Harris who recently stepped down.

Downes served as Indiana Grand track announcer from 2013 to 2021, and before that called races at Ellis Park, Beulah Park, Presque Isle Downs, and River Downs. He also was back-up announcer at Churchill Downs.

“I'm thrilled to come to Emerald Downs,” Downes said. “Emerald is a track I've always held in high esteem. I was there once for a two-day handicapping tournament, and the thing I noticed was an excellent on-track experience. Everyone was having a good time.”

Downes becomes just the fourth announcer in Emerald Downs' 27-year history. Robert Geller was in the announcer's booth from 1996 to 2015, followed by Matt Dinerman (2015-2017) and Harris (2018-2021).

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The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Perry Ouzts. Ageless Wonder

Like much of what he's done throughout a riding career that began in 1973, the occasion of jockey Perry Wayne Ouzts' 52,000th mount on July 20 got scant attention. It was just another day in the office for the 67-year-old, who recorded three wins that same afternoon at Belterra Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ouzts now sits at 7,200 career victories, sixth on the all-time list and first among active riders.

No one has followed Ouzts' career closer than John Engelhardt, a writer, photographer, host of the Winning Ponies podcast and former publicist at River Downs, the Cincinnati track where Arkansas native Ouzts rode for so many years. (Belterra racetrack and casino was built where the old River Downs was located.)

Engelhardt joins publisher Ray Paulick (a 67-year-old who will not be doing any horseback riding) and news editor Chelsea Hackbarth (who got to know Ouzts when she was working at defunct Beulah Park) to share stories and answer some questions about the riding legend who was the subject of the Hennegan Brothers' Eclipse Award-winning documentary, “Ironman Perry Ouzts,”

Ray and Chelsea also review last weekend's Connaught Cup and the winner, Avie's Flatter, who earned Woodbine Star of the Week honors.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

The post The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Perry Ouzts. Ageless Wonder appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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).

The post Ouzts Passes McCarron On All-Time List With 7,142nd Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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