Jon Court
Board Member since 2006
Since beginning his riding career in 1980, jockey Jon Court has tallied over 4000 victories. He has served as secretary to the Jockeys’ Guild and has been a PDJF board member since 2006. Court was honored with the George Woolf Memorial Award in 2007 and the Mike Venezia Memorial Award in 2015.
Awards & Accomplishments
- George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award (2007)
- 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.
- In 2003, he won the Japan Cup Dirt on Fleetstreet Dancer as a 48-1 longshot.
- He rode his 3,000th winner at Santa Anita Park on April 7, 2005, 25 years to the day from his first win.
- In 2006, 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.
- Court, who has been called “an unfailingly polite man” by ESPN, received the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in February 2007.
- 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 run in the Kentucky Derby.
- On December 3, 2016, Court earned his 4,000th win aboard City Without Pity at Turfway Park.
- In May of 2024, Court announced his retirement. On May 5, 2024, he rode League of Legends in his final race at Oaklawn Park.
Career Highlights
- Court won 10 races as an apprentice at Oaklawn in 1981 and was its leading rider in 2000 with 69 victories. Had another strong meeting in 2019 with 19 victories.
- The highlight of 2019 of winning the first division of Oaklawn’s $750,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds aboard Long Range Toddy for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Added a second stakes victory at the meeting aboard the speedy Gray Attempt in the $125,000 Gazebo for 3-year-olds.
- Reached 4,000 career victories Dec. 3, 2016, at Turfway Park. Through Dec. 1, Court ranked 63rd in North American history in victories (4,178) and 49th in purse earnings ($107,488,127).
- Won consecutive runnings of the $1 million Arkansas Derby in 2010 and 2011 with Line of David and Archarcharch, respectively. Line of David edged Super Saver, who would win the Kentucky Derby (G1) three weeks later.
Testimonial
coming soon ….