Ranks Fourth In Career Victories, First In Career and Breeders’ Cup Earnings
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 4, 2005) - Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day - the fourth leading rider in U.S. racing history and all-time leader in career earnings - has decided to /files/storyimages/his 32-year career as a rider.
The native of Brush, Colo., said he would immediately focus his energy on his work with the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America (“RTCA”), a national organization of chaplains from U.S. racetracks that serves the spiritual, physical, emotional, and social/educational needs of the workforce at those tracks. 
Day, who will turn 52 on Oct. 13, returned to riding in May 2005 following hip surgery, but he said the decision to leave the saddle had nothing to with that surgery or his rehabilitation. He took a recent break and spent time in the solitude of a friend’s cabin on the Kentucky River to reflect on his career and his future, and decided that now was the time to /files/storyimages/his career in the saddle.
“The major factor was just a loss of enthusiasm,” said Day. “In early March we discovered the problem with my hip and it was correctible, and that kind of pumped new blood in me. Then there was the challenge to get through the operation and rehab and it was followed by the challenge to get back to riding, and that was decidedly rewarding. But I’ve discovered that the challenge to get back was more enjoyable than getting back. It became apparent to me that the joy of participating and the thrill of victory had sort of lost its luster.”
Day said he examined his life and career, but could find no definitive answer on his own as to what he future would hold. So he made the trip to the isolated cabin with the hope that God would provide that answer.
“Over the last 21 years He has not failed to direct me in the proper way and I trust that He’s not directing me in the wrong way this time,” said Day. “I just got alone with God and came away from there feeling very strongly that it was time to retire from riding and become a little more active in the ministry.”
One of the greatest jockeys in the history of American racing, Day completed his career with 8,803 victories - which ranks fourth behind all-time leader Laffit Pincay Jr.’s career total of 9,530. Day is all-time leader in career earnings by a jockey as his mounts earned $297,912,019.
Day is the all-time leading rider at Churchill Downs. He piloted 23 winners in the 2005 Spring Meet to increase his career total under the historic Twin Spires to 2,481. His stakes victory aboard Two Trail Sioux in the $300,000-added Fleur De Lis (Grade II) lifted his record total of stakes victories at Churchill Downs to 155.
He won the Kentucky Derby in 1992 with W.C. Partee’s Lil E Tee. His Triple Crown resume? includes a record five victories in the Preakness (GI) and three wins in the Belmont Stakes (GI). He rode in a record 21 consecutive Kentucky Derbys, a streak that ended when his hip surgery forced Day to miss this year’s renewal.
Day won a record 34 riding titles at Churchill Downs, a number that includes 15 Spring Meet titles and 19 Fall Meet crowns. Both totals are records for those meets.
He piloted a Churchill Downs record seven winners in a single day on June 20, 1984. The record win total came from eight mounts. He rode six winners in a single day at the track four times and enjoyed 21 days on which he won five races at the track.
Along with his career victory and earnings totals, other highlights of Day’s riding career include:
| Name | Wins | Earnings |
| Laffit Pincay Jr. | 9530 | $237,120,625 |
| Russell Baze * | 9037 | $135,265,037 |
| William Shoemaker | 8833 | $123,375,524 |
| Pat Day | 8803 | $297,912,019 |
| Name | Wins | Earnings |
| Pat Day | 8803 | $297,912,019 |
| Jerry Bailey * | 5820 | $286,383,868 |
| Chris McCarron | 7141 | $263,985,505 |
| Laffitt Pincay Jr. | 9530 | $237,120,625 |
Statistics Courtesy of Equibase (through 8/3/05)
