Christopher Wiley Antley (January 6, 1966 – December 2, 2000) was an American National Champion and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame

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 ...

Biography

He was born in

Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, and grew up in

Elloree Elloree is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 692 at the 2010 census. History Trinity Lutheran Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Geography Elloree is located at (33 ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. He left school at sixteen to ride horses professionally at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred 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 Ol ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. His first win was on a horse named Vaya Con Dinero. Soon, he left Maryland to race in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

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and at the age of 18 was the

United States Champion Jockey by wins There is no formal championship award given to the jockey who won the most races in United States Thoroughbred racing. However, it is a prestigious accomplishment always on any jockey's résumé and widely reported on by the various media.

with 469. In the late 1980s, Antley spent time in a

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

clinic. In 1987, he became the first rider to win 9 races on 9 different horses in a single day and in 1989, he won at least one race a day for 64 straight days. In 1990, Antley moved to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. In 1991, he rode Strike the Gold to victory in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. In 1997, he temporarily retired to deal with weight and drug problems. Then in 1999, Antley returned to ride the

D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935 in Antigo, Wisconsin) is an American horse trainer and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. He has won twenty Breeders' Cup races, received five Eclipse Awards for his accomplishments, and his horses ha ...

-trained

Charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects. Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...

, and they won that year's Kentucky Derby and

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also 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 ...

. In the 1999 Belmont Stakes, Charismatic finished third after injuring his leg in the stretch run. Antley jumped off the horse after the finish line and attempted to hold him in place. Due in part to Antley's efforts, Charismatic recovered to stand at stud following surgery. A

stock market A stock market, equity market, or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks (also called shares), which represent ownership claims on businesses; these may include ''securities'' listed on a public stock exchange, as ...

player, Antley wrote an investor newsletter he called "The Antman Report." During the week leading up to the 1999

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

, he was invited to ring the Opening Bell at the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...

. In December 2000, Antley was found dead on the floor of his

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

, home. The cause of death was severe blunt force trauma and was investigated by police as a

homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

. Later, the coroner's report concluded that Antley had died of multiple drug overdose, and the injuries were likely related to a fall caused by the drugs. Antley is interred in the Bookhart Cemetery in

Elloree, South Carolina Elloree is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 692 at the 2010 census. History Trinity Lutheran Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Geography Elloree is located at (33 ...

, the town he considered his home. Shortly after his death, his wife, Natalie Jowett, a former

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employee, gave birth to their daughter, Violet Grace Antley. On April 20, 2015, Antley's induction into the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

was announced. His formal induction took place during ceremonies on August 7, 2015, in

Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

. A film about Charismatic and Antley was produced by Asylum Entertainment and directed by Steven Michaels,

Joel Surnow Joel Surnow (born December 18, 1955) is an American television writer, producer and director. He is the co-creator of the action series '' La Femme Nikita'' and '' 24''. Life and career Joel Surnow is of Jewish descent. He was raised in Michi ...

, and Jonathan Kochas for

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

30 for 30 ''30 for 30'' is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes three "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series un ...

series. It aired on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.

Triple Crown Record

Kentucky Derby: 8-2-0-1 Preakness: 6-1-0-1 Belmont: 5-0-0-1

References

External links

*
Interview with wife at time of induction to Hall of fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antley, Chris American jockeys American Champion jockeys 1966 births 2000 deaths Accidental deaths in California Baptists from Florida Sportspeople from Fort Lauderdale, Florida People from Elloree, South Carolina Drug-related deaths in California Burials in South Carolina 20th-century Baptists