Mike Luzzi
Encyclopedia
Michael Jude Luzzi is an American jockey
. He grew up near Delaware Park Racetrack where his grandfather, trainer Buddy Raines
, had a major role in raising him and his brother John who also became a jockey. One of the family's great memories came in 1991 when the then eighty-year-old Raines saddled Timely Warning and watched as his grandson won the Maryland Million Classic
and the Brooklyn Handicap
.
Luzzi began his riding career in 1988 at race tracks in Maryland
and in 1989 was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey
. He won five races in a single day at Pimlico Race Course
on September 21, 1993. In 1994, he moved his tack to NY to compete on the New York Racing Association
circuit. Luzzi has been a mainstay on the NYRA circuit since his arrival. In 1994 and in 2001 the NYRA voted him the Mike Venezia Memorial Award
, an honor given to a jockey who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. Since arriving in NY, Luzzi has consistently been one of the top jockeys on the NYRA circuit. In recent years, he has gained some national exposure by riding in various stakes races throughout the United States.
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:...
. He grew up near Delaware Park Racetrack where his grandfather, trainer Buddy Raines
Virgil W. Raines
Virgil W. Raines was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Known as "Buddy" Raines, in the 1930s he began working as a stable hand and became an exercise rider, notably for the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame colt Cavalcade. He went on to condition racehorses for 65 years, working primarily on the U.S...
, had a major role in raising him and his brother John who also became a jockey. One of the family's great memories came in 1991 when the then eighty-year-old Raines saddled Timely Warning and watched as his grandson won the Maryland Million Classic
Maryland Million Classic
Maryland Million Classic is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Classic, a horse must be sired by a stallion who stands in...
and the Brooklyn Handicap
Brooklyn Handicap
The Brooklyn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to three-year-olds and up willing to race one and one-half miles on dirt....
.
Luzzi began his riding career in 1988 at race tracks in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and in 1989 was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey
The Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey is an American thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1971, it is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to a jockey undergoing their apprenticeship....
. He won five races in a single day at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
on September 21, 1993. In 1994, he moved his tack to NY to compete on the New York Racing Association
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
circuit. Luzzi has been a mainstay on the NYRA circuit since his arrival. In 1994 and in 2001 the NYRA voted him the Mike Venezia Memorial Award
Mike Venezia Memorial Award
Mike Venezia Memorial Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually by the New York Racing Association to honor a jockeys who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship...
, an honor given to a jockey who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. Since arriving in NY, Luzzi has consistently been one of the top jockeys on the NYRA circuit. In recent years, he has gained some national exposure by riding in various stakes races throughout the United States.
Year-end charts
| Chart (2000–present) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2000 | 47 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2001 | 63 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2002 | 36 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2003 | 21 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2004 | 41 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2005 | 30 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2006 | 18 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2007 | 32 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2008 | 49 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2009 | 76 |