Classic-Winning Jockey Albarado to Retire

Two-time Preakness Stakes (G1)-winning jockey Robby Albarado will bring his riding career to an end Dec. 11 after one final ride at Turfway Park, the Daily Racing From reported Dec. 8. 

Heading into Saturday's race, Albarado, 48, has won 5,222 races from 34,113 starts since 1990 and his mounts have earned $221,560,458. His final mount will be aboard Rusty Roberts and Clays Hill Farm's Big Bugg's Girl , trained by Ben Colebrook, in Turfway's seventh race, a $64,000 allowance optional claimer for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on the Tapeta course. 

The Louisiana native began race riding at bush tracks in his home state at the age of 12. His first official win came June 29, 1990, aboard the filly One Little Point at Evangeline Downs. Albarado rose to racing's biggest stages and became the regular jockey for horses such as Curlin   and Mineshaft  —both of which earned Horse of the Year titles.

Albarado's highest-earning season came in 2007, largely thanks to Curlin, during which his mounts earned $19,359,049. That year Curlin gave Albarado his first Preakness (G1) win and his first Breeders' Cup victory, which came in the Classic Powered by Dodge (G1). The duo returned in 2008 to capture the Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (G1). Four years earlier, Albarado piloted Mineshaft to four grade 1 wins. 

He rode two more Breeders' Cup winners, 2009 Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Tapitsfly  and 2011 TVG Mile (G1T) captor Court Vision  . He won his second Preakness Stakes in 2020 aboard the filly Swiss Skydiver with a ground-saving trip, defeating eventual Horse of the Year Authentic   by a neck.

Albarado was among the top 10 North American jockeys by earnings in 2001, 2007 (a year in which he was second), 2008, 2009, and 2010. As of Wednesday, he was ranked 15th all-time in North America by earnings and 30th all-time by wins. According to Churchill Downs media, Albarado is the track's third winningest jockey with 1,192 wins (trailing only Pat Day at 2,482 and Calvin Borel at 1,232) and has the second most stakes wins at 87 (following Day's 156).

This year, Albarado has ridden two winners in 93 starts while his mounts have earned $635,623.

Albarado placed three times in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), including when second on Golden Soul  at 34-1 odds behind favored Orb  in 2013. In 2011, he was scheduled to ride Animal Kingdom  in the Kentucky Derby, but was injured in a post parade accident just days before the Run for the Roses. John Velazquez was handed the reins and guided Animal Kingdom to victory. That was one of several injuries Albarado suffered during his riding career, including two skull fractures within 17 months.

As for the future, Albarado told DRF that he plans to become a jockey agent sometime early next year.