Anthony S. "Tony" Black (born September 4, 1951) is a record-holding
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
in
North American
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Ca ...
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
. He is a nephew of
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey and New Jersey state steward,
Sam Boulmetis Sr.
He was raised in
Haddon Township,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, where he has been a longtime resident, and attended
Haddon Township High School, graduating in the class of 1970.
Black won his first race at
Liberty Bell Park Racetrack Liberty Bell Park was an American race track in Northeast Philadelphia that held harness racing and Thoroughbred horse racing from 1963 until 1986.
The site, northeast of the intersection of Knights and Woodhaven Roads, was derived from several f ...
in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, on June 15, 1970. At Philadelphia Park (now
Parx Casino and Racing
Parx Casino and Racing (formerly Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino) is a thoroughbred horse racing venue and the largest casino gaming complex in Pennsylvania. Parx is located in Bensalem Township in Bucks County, northeast of the city of P ...
) on May 1, 2006, the 54-year-old Black became only the 21st jockey in
North American
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Ca ...
racing history to win 5,000 races.
Black is also a co-holder of the North American record for most consecutive wins by a jockey, tying Albert Adams' 63-year old record set on July 30, 1993. Black won three back to back to back rides races at the
Atlantic City Race Course, followed by two straight at Philadelphia Park on July 31 and another four in a row that same day back at Atlantic City.
Black won his 5,200th career race in the ninth race at Parx on March 18, 2013, aboard Smart Tori, a horse owned by his son. Black had previously indicated that he would retire as a jockey after reaching that milestone.
Year-end charts
References
May 3, 2006 ESPN article titled ''Anthony Black rides 5000th winner'' NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook on Tony Black's record nine consecutive race wins set in 1993
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Anthony
1951 births
Living people
American jockeys
People from Haddon Township, New Jersey
People from Mount Holly, New Jersey
Sportspeople from Burlington County, New Jersey
Sportspeople from Camden County, New Jersey