Jockey Jon Court, 46, with over 3,000 career Thoroughbred racing wins to his credit, was announced recently as the recipient of the annual Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. The award is given to a jockey each year whose career and character exemplify high standards of excellence in the Sport of Kings, Throughbred racing.
Court Is Florida Native
A Florida native, Court has won riding titles at several locations, including most recently at Oaklawn Park in 2000. He rode to the title of all-time winningest jockey at Ellis Park. From 1987-91, he lead all riders there. Additionally, he's copped riding championships at Hoosier Park (1996, 1997), and Birmingham Park (1987).
Named for one of the premier jockeys of all time in Thoroughbred racing, the Woolf Award was created in 1985 to honor the legacy of The Ice Man, so named because of his "chilly" style of riding his mounts motionlessly. Woolf let his mounts flow, giving them just the necessary hints for more speed, or back offs.
In a design of fate, Woolf gained the mount on Seabiscuit for his famous match race with 1937 Triple Crown champion War Admiral when regular rider John "Red" Pollard was grievously injured in a freak accident shortly before the November 1, 1938 match held at Pimlico Race Course. Woolf died in 1946 after a messy spill at California's Santa Anita track, where he was revered and won many of his races.
Jockeys Vote for Woolf Award Recipient
Jockeys across the country participate each year in voting for a fellow rider to receive the Woolf Award. It has grown to be recognized as one of the most pretigious awards in racing.
Woolf's untimely death produced an outpouring of respectful emotion from a grateful racing public. Donations to raise a memorial to the riding great flooded mail clerks, and the public funds were sufficient to pay the bill for the full-size statue of Woolf that resides at Santa Anita.
The trophy awarded to top jockeys is a replica of the Woolf statue.
Court Teamed with O'Neill
Teaming up with trainer Doug O'Neill, Court picked up his tack in March of 2004 and journeyed to California to live, leaving behind his midwest triumphs to take on the west coast. It didn't take long for his talents to come through.
Getting the ride on Leroidesanimaux in 2005, Court guided the colt to significant wins in two Grade 1 romps, the Frank E. Kilroe Mile and the Citation Handicap. Leroidesanimaux later received Eclipse award reviews. Named after the great unbeaten English champion, Eclipse, these awards encompass all of Thoroughbred racing and are presented annually to the previous year's outstanding Thoroughbreds, jockeys, trainers, and owners.
Court's Grade I Wins
Grade 1, or Group 1, race wins by Thoroughbreds, jockeys, trainers, owners, and breeders carry the most prestige and the biggest pay days. To be considered for entry in the Kentucky Derby, America's greatest Thoroughbred competition, a horse's total earnings from all graded stakes help qualify him for the Derby at Churchill Downs. From the beginning of each racing season, over three hundred Thoroughbreds will be nominated for the Run for the Roses. Only twenty will qualify by their top earnings.
Court has piloted a number of other Grade 1 winners, including Pure Gold, Fleet Street Dancer, and Healthy Addiction.
Court catapulted to Woolf Award status in the 2005-06' s racing season at Santa Anita. He guided Cambiocorsa as she built a six-race win streak. In that victory string, Cambiocorsa, also trained by O'Neill, was declared undisputed "queen" of the turf course, which runs downhill.
Court and his family presently reside in La Verne.
