Horse Racing
Willie Shoemaker
Bill Shoemaker was the most successful rider in the history of thoroughbred racing, Bill Shoemaker recorded more than 8,800 wins. He led all riders in purse earnings 10 times. He was the second leading money-earning jockey of all time and the first to earn more than $100 million in a career. He surpassed Johnny Longden as thoroughbred racing’s all-time winningest jockey in 1970, with his 6,033rd career victory. He retired in 1990.
Philip D’Amato
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After graduating from USC and the prestigious University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program, Philip D’Amato spent 11 years under the tutelage Mike Mitchell. D’Amato notched more than 250 victories and established his presence on the national stage with two early Grade 1 champions: Obviously and Street Fancy. His stable also produced other standouts—including Big John B, Midnight Storm, and Toowindytohaulrox. Notably, Midnight Storm captured Grade 1 honors in 2016, and later that year Obviously delivered D’Amato his first Breeders’ Cup victory in the Turf Sprint—a milestone that firmly announced his arrival at the sport’s elite level. In the 2023–24 season, his colt Stronghold rose to prominence with victories in the Sunland Park Derby and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, becoming D’Amato’s first-ever Kentucky Derby qualifier. In October 2024, D’Amato celebrated his 1,000th career win.