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Steve Cauthen |
| Riding Career: | 1976-1993 |
| Number of Mounts: | 14,630 |
| Number of Winners: | 2,794 |
| Winning Percentage: | 19.1% |
Nicknamed 'Stevie Wonder' and 'The Million Dollar Man', Cauthen set an American earnings record of $6 million while still an apprentice. He had grown up in Kentucky's horse country, the son of a trainer and a farrier, so it was only natural that he choose a career in racing. After he became a pro rider at age 16, Cauthen's rise to prominence was meteoric. Today we remember Cauthen as the most recent winner of the Triple Crown series. In 1978 he rode Affirmed to victory in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, a series won by only 9 other jockeys. Cauthen still considers the Belmont stretch battle between Affirmed and Alydar a highlight of his career
Affirmed's stretch battle with Alydar in the Belmont
©N.Y.R.A.
As Cauthen's teenage years drew to a close, increasing weight and a riding slump began to slow his American career. He took his tack to Europe where jockeys typically compete at higher weights. It soon became obvious that Cauthen had not lost his knack for winning. A leading rider in England, Cauthen was champion jockey for three years. Among his nine victories in English classics were two Epsom Derbys: one aboard Slip Anchor, the other aboard Reference Point. But Cauthen did not limit his riding to the British Isles. He traveled frequently and is the only jockey to win the Kentucky, Epsom, Irish, French, and Italian Derbys.
In addition to Affirmed, Cauthen's mounts included Oh So Sharp, Old Vic, Arazi, Johnny D., Dimminuendo, Indian Skimmer, and Pebbles. | Awards and Achievements Winner of three Eclipse Awards in 1977:
Award of Merit, Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, Outstanding Jockey
1977 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated
Leading rider in wins, 1977 with 487 victories
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, 1984
Inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1994 | Steve Cauthen received multiple awards in America and abroad for his riding achievements. When he retired from riding, he returned to his home state where he is Associate Vice-President of Turfway Park. Cauthen was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1994.
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