Breeders' Cup to Honor Top Jockey
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The Breeders' Cup will again present the most outstanding jockey of the Breeders' Cup World Championships with the Bill Shoemaker Award based on competition in the 13 races Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park.
Hall of Fame Jockey Mike Smith, the two-time defending winner of the award, has 10 mounts in this year's Breeders' Cup, including morning line favorites Shared Belief in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and Judy the Beauty in $1 million DraftKings Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I), both grade I.
The Shoemaker Award is based on a 10-5-3-1 scoring system for first through fourth-place finishes in each of the World Championships races.
The award is named in honor of one of the greatest jockeys in the history of Thoroughbred racing. Shoemaker, who captured the Kentucky Derby four times, won more than 8,800 races in a career that spanned more than 40 years. In 1987, at 56, Shoemaker won the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Ferdinand.
Bill Shoemaker Award winners:
2003: Alex Solis
2004: John Velazquez
2005: Garrett Gomez
2006: Frankie Dettori
2007: Garrett Gomez
2008: Garrett Gomez
2009: Julien Leparoux
2010: Garrett Gomez
2011: John Velazquez
2012: Mike Smith
2013: Mike Smith