Gary Stevens

Gary Stevens was born into a family deeply involved in the horse industry in Caldwell, Idaho. His father, Ron, a horse trainer, introduced him to horse grooming at the tender age of 8. Stevens' mother held the title of a rodeo queen, and his brother Scott followed in his father's footsteps to become a jockey. By the age of 14, Stevens already had a record of riding winners in quarter horse races at bush tracks and fairs.

Stevens kickstarted his professional career as a jockey in 1979 at the age of 16 when he rode his first thoroughbred winner, Lil Star, for his father at Les Bois Park in Idaho. He quickly climbed the ladder to become the top jockey in Washington, securing riding titles at Longacres in 1983-84. He then moved his tack to Southern California. Despite initial struggles, his career took off, leading him to win riding titles at Santa Anita four times (1986, 88, 90, 93), Hollywood summer twice (1986, 88), Del Mar twice (1987-88), Oak Tree three times (1986-87, 97), and Hollywood fall four times (1986, 88, 92, 94). In total, Stevens has over 5,000 race wins, combining his U.S. and international victories.

Stevens also made a name for himself on the Triple Crown circuit, with his victories in the Kentucky Derby beginning in 1988 aboard Winning Colors, followed by Thunder Gulch in 1995 and Silver Charm in 1997. He has won the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes three times each. Stevens also boasts ten Breeders' Cup race wins, including his first Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Mucho Macho Man in 2013, and is a nine-time winner of the Santa Anita Derby.

Knee problems have been a constant issue for Stevens throughout his career, resulting in multiple surgeries in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 1999. These issues led to his brief retirement in 1999. However, not riding proved difficult for Stevens, and he resumed his career in 2000. He later underwent knee replacement surgery in 2014.

Stevens' talent extended beyond horse racing. He took on an acting role in the acclaimed 2003 film Seabiscuit, where he played the role of George Woolf. In the same year, he was recognized as one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. Later, he became a regular cast member on the HBO television series "Luck" in 2011. He also authored a book about his life up to that point titled "The Perfect Ride" in 2002.

In 2005, Stevens initially retired from racing and transitioned into a role as a horse racing analyst for NBC, TVG, and HRTV. However, he came out of retirement in 2013 to ride horses as a professional jockey again. In the 2013 season, Stevens won several significant races, including the Preakness Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic. His career was again briefly interrupted by a hip replacement surgery on his left hip in late 2016. Stevens retired as a jockey for the final time in 2018 due to a neck injury.

Following his retirement, Stevens took on the role of a racing analyst for Fox Sports. He has won numerous awards in the horse racing industry, including the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1996, the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in the United States in 1998, and was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 1997. He has often been nicknamed "The Bionic Man" due to his multiple joint replacements.