Triple Crown begins with the Kentucky Derby
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It’s an early morning at Oaklawn Park, and veteran trainer D. Wayne Lukas happens to notice veteran jockey Jon Court galloping a horse.
It’s grunt work normally reserved for young jockeys and exercise riders, not an accomplished rider like Court.
“Why don’t you get off and get some scrambled eggs and rest a little bit?” Lukas tells Court.
“He’s out there working everybody’s horse,” Lukas said. “It’s like a basketball team. You don’t want to scrimmage at 10 o’clock when you’re going to play at 1. But he’s that way.”
Court, 58, has enjoyed a long and prosperous career by doing things his way, whether it’s helping out a trainer by galloping a horse in the morning or tinkering with his diet and workout regimen so he can keep up with jockeys 40 years younger who are “loaded with testosterone and ego,” he says with a laugh.
Now Court is days away from making Kentucky Derby history. When he leaves the gate on Long Range Toddy on Saturday, Court will become the oldest jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby.
According to Churchill Downs research, Bobby Baird holds the distinction, having ridden Raymond Earl to a 10th-place finish in the 1978 Derby at 57. Bill Shoemaker is the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, famously leading Ferdinand to victory in 1986 at 54.
Asked about the history he’s about to make, Court expresses a mixture of indifference and reverence.
“I am laughing about it, but I’m taking it seriously,” he said. “I’m focused. I’m on the verge of making history. It just projects me that much closer to perhaps one day — if I keep going — to get nominated for the Hall of Fame. These are the things that add up when you start to accumulate these accolades. It’s an honor to be here.”
Court has 4,147 victories, ranking 63rd all time among North American jockeys, according to Equibase.com.
He’s earned more than $105 million in purses, ranking 43rd all time.
He’s ridden such accomplished horses as Wise Dan. “What a racehorse he was,” Court said. He won back-to-back Arkansas Derbys with Line of David in 2010 and Archarcharch in 2011. He’s ridden in the Kentucky Derby three times (2011-13), his best finish coming with Will Take Charge (eighth) in 2013.
Through all of that, the Gainesville, Florida, native still recalls his first-ever victory aboard Neva’s Hope on June 7, 1980, at the now-defunct Centennial Race Track in Littleton, Colorado.
“It was the No. 7 horse in the seventh race of the day,” Court recalled. “There were a lot of sevens that day.”
Nearly four decades later, Court has developed a reputation as one of the nicest guys in the business and has become
a poster child for what taking care of your body can do for longevity in the profession. In 2007, Court received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, which is given to a jockey who demonstrates high standards of professional and personal contact on and off the racetrack.
His agent, Steve Krajcir, says Court “sells himself.”
“He’ll get out there in the mornings and hobnob and talk to the trainers and promote himself,” Krajcir said. “One of the keys to Jon — and I’ve had numerous trainers say this — is that Jon tries 100% every time, whether it’s a $5,000 horse or a $50,000 stakes horse. He always gives a horse a fair shot.”
Lukas agreed.
“He has an amazing attitude,” Lukas said. “He’s probably one of the most positive, upbeat riders I’ve ever ridden. I love that about him. He comes to the paddock, he shakes hands, he looks you in the eye. He’s so positive that he gives you the feeling that even if you’re in the third race on Wednesday and you’re 20-1 that you’re probably going to win it.”
Court said he was considering retirement until 2014 when Hall of Fame jockey Ramon Dominguez introduced him to biohacking, which is defined as a “do-ityourself biology.”
Court said the use of biohacking supplements helps relieve oxidative stress, which is a natural occurrence and plays a role in the aging process.
“We slow down Father Time, so to speak,” Court said. “I’m always looking for ways to better myself nutritionally. To do what I do, I have to stay on top. …
“I was considering retiring in years to come, but since I started biohacking it’s as if I have a new lease on life. It’s extended my career. It’s fallen into place perfectly.”
Dominguez, who retired from riding in 2013 after suffering head injuries during a fall at Aqueduct, said he has introduced biohacking to a handful of other jockeys and isn’t surprised to see Court prospering in his late 50s.
“He’s as capable as somebody who is 20 years younger than him,” Dominguez said. “With athletes, I’m well aware of how after someone turns 30 they get this label of being old. It’s so silly. I’ve met guys in their 30s who are old. They never took care of themselves, and it shows. … But then there are guys like Jon in their 50s, and how can you say that they’re old? Because of a number? Being old doesn’t apply to him.”
So how long will Court continue riding?
The Shelbyville, Kentucky, resident said he has no immediate plans to hang up his saddle. For now, the focus is on Long Range Toddy, who enters the Derby after a sixth-place finish in the Arkansas Derby.
“I want to see how long I can ride this train,” Court said. “I’ll ride it until the final depot.”