Jon Court
Encyclopedia
Jon Kenton Court is an American
jockey
in Thoroughbred horse racing
.
Having grown up in Florida, Jon Court began riding in Colorado
at the now closed Centennial Park in 1980.
He rode in Louisiana
for 12 years before moving to Kentucky
and Indiana
in 1995 where he was a top rider at Hoosier Park
from 1996 to 1998. In 1999, he gained his 2,000th win at Kentucky Downs
.
In 2001, he rode Percy Hope
in the Lone Star Derby
, winning, and in the Preakness Stakes
, placing 9th. He holds the record for most wins by a jockey (2) in the Lone Star Derby
. In 2003, was his big break when he won the Japan Cup Dirt
on Fleetstreet Dancer.
In 2004, he moved to California tracks on the advice of trainer Doug O'Neill after winning titles at Ellis Park Racecourse, Oaklawn Park
, Turfway Park
, Kentucky Downs
, and Birmingham Racecourse. His 3,000th winner was posted at Santa Anita Park
on April 7, 2005, 25 years to the day from his first win.
In 2006, Jon Court was elected secretary of the Jockeys' Guild
and is the Guild's representative board member for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's
(NTRA) Charities-Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund.
In February 2007 he was voted the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
. Called "an unfailingly polite man" by ESPN
, the Award is voted on by American jockeys and is given to a jockey who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.
Court was one of the jockeys featured in the first season of Animal Planet
's 2009 reality documentary, Jockeys before he moved his tack back to Kentucky.
On April 10, 2010, Court won the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby
aboard Line of David, giving the horse and its connections enough graded stakes earnings to be entered into the Kentucky Derby
. Unfortunately, however, Court was removed from the Derby mount by the horse's trainer John Sadler
. Subsequently, the horse finished 18th in a 20 horse field.
Court repeated his win in the Arkansas Derby in 2011 with Archarcharch, trained by his father-in-law, Jinks Fires
. This time Jon was given the mount in the 2011 Kentucky Derby
. Archarcharch drew the first post and finished 15th in a 19 horse field with 12-1 odds.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
in Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
.
Having grown up in Florida, Jon Court began riding in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
at the now closed Centennial Park in 1980.
He rode in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
for 12 years before moving to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
in 1995 where he was a top rider at Hoosier Park
Hoosier Park
Hoosier Park is a thoroughbred and standardbred racetrack located in Anderson, Indiana, United States.In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Of the top Ten, Hoosier Park was ranked #4.-History:In 1990,...
from 1996 to 1998. In 1999, he gained his 2,000th win at Kentucky Downs
Kentucky Downs
Kentucky Downs is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, near the city of Franklin and just off Interstate 65...
.
In 2001, he rode Percy Hope
Percy Hope
Percy Hope was an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the Rushaway Stakes and the Lone Star Derby in 2001. He started in the 2001 Preakness Stakes, finishing 9th....
in the Lone Star Derby
Lone Star Derby
The Lone Star Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. It is currently an Ungraded stakes race run over a distance of 8.5 furlongs on turf....
, winning, and in the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
, placing 9th. He holds the record for most wins by a jockey (2) in the Lone Star Derby
Lone Star Derby
The Lone Star Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. It is currently an Ungraded stakes race run over a distance of 8.5 furlongs on turf....
. In 2003, was his big break when he won the Japan Cup Dirt
Japan Cup Dirt
The Japan Cup Dirt is a race usually run a week after the Japan Cup.- Race Information :* Racecourse: Hanshin Racecourse* Distance: 1,800 meters The Japan Cup Dirt (JPN G-1) is a race usually run a week after the Japan Cup.- Race Information :* Racecourse: Hanshin Racecourse* Distance: 1,800...
on Fleetstreet Dancer.
In 2004, he moved to California tracks on the advice of trainer Doug O'Neill after winning titles at Ellis Park Racecourse, Oaklawn Park
Oaklawn Park
Oaklawn Park is an American thoroughbred racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to The Racing Festival of the South.In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Of the top Ten, Oaklawn was ranked...
, Turfway Park
Turfway Park
Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati...
, Kentucky Downs
Kentucky Downs
Kentucky Downs is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, near the city of Franklin and just off Interstate 65...
, and Birmingham Racecourse. His 3,000th winner was posted at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
on April 7, 2005, 25 years to the day from his first win.
In 2006, Jon Court was elected secretary of the Jockeys' Guild
Jockeys' Guild
The Jockeys' Guild Inc. is an American trade association based in Lexington, Kentucky, representing thoroughbred horse racing and American quarter horse professional jockeys...
and is the Guild's representative board member for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's
National Thoroughbred Racing Association
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic...
(NTRA) Charities-Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund.
In February 2007 he was voted the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.The award was created...
. Called "an unfailingly polite man" by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, the Award is voted on by American jockeys and is given to a jockey who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.
Court was one of the jockeys featured in the first season of Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
's 2009 reality documentary, Jockeys before he moved his tack back to Kentucky.
On April 10, 2010, Court won the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby
Arkansas Derby
The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
aboard Line of David, giving the horse and its connections enough graded stakes earnings to be entered into the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. Unfortunately, however, Court was removed from the Derby mount by the horse's trainer John Sadler
John Sadler
John Leonard Sadler is an English first-class cricketer, representing Derbyshire. He has previously played for several major teams in the English league including Leicestershire, Yorkshire Cricket Board and Yorkshire.Sadler missed most of the 2005 season through injury, after a Brett Lee bouncer...
. Subsequently, the horse finished 18th in a 20 horse field.
Court repeated his win in the Arkansas Derby in 2011 with Archarcharch, trained by his father-in-law, Jinks Fires
William H. Fires
William H. "Jinks" Fires is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He is the trainer of 2011 Arkansas Derby winner Archarcharch who is scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby....
. This time Jon was given the mount in the 2011 Kentucky Derby
2011 Kentucky Derby
The 2011 Kentucky Derby was the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby, on May 7. The race was won by Animal Kingdom, ridden by John Velazquez, trained by H. Graham Motion and owned by Team Valor....
. Archarcharch drew the first post and finished 15th in a 19 horse field with 12-1 odds.
Year-end charts
| Chart (2000–present) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2000 | 40 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2001 | 24 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2002 | 30 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2003 | 57 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2004 | 42 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2005 | 22 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2006 | 21 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2007 | 63 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2009 | 69 |