Drayden Van Dyke (born September 10, 1994, in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

) is a

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 ...

thoroughbred racing Thoroughbred racing is a 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 jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing i ...

. At

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is then ...

s, Van Dyke has won 67 events ranging from Grade I to Grade III. Of these wins, Van Dyke has won both the

Starlet Stakes The Starlet Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies run over a distance distance of one and one sixteenth miles ( furlongs) on the dirt held annually in early December at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Ca ...

and Yellow Ribbon Handicap four times. As a

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

jockey, Van Dyke won the Turf Sprint event at the

2018 Breeders' Cup The 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 35th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. The 14 races, all but one of which were Graded stakes race, Grade I, took place on November 2 and 3 at Churc ...

. He was also runner-up at the

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incept ...

event in 2018 and the Dirt Mile at the 2021 Breeders' Cup. As a Triple Tiara and

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

and racer, Van Dyke was second at the 2017

Alabama Stakes The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it cu ...

and fourth at the

2018 Kentucky Derby The 2018 Kentucky Derby (officially, the 2018 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby, and took place on Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. The field was open to 20 horses, with a ...

. He was voted the 2014

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 honoring Champions in numerous horse racing categories. This article lists the annual win ...

, the highest national honor for an American

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

rider. In 2018, Van Dyke tied the record for most

Del Mar Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "from the sea". It may refer to: Places in the United States * Del Mar, California * Del Mar High School, located in San Jose, California * Del Mar racetrack, located in Del Mar, California * Del Mar Fai ...

races won in one day with

Victor Espinoza Victor Espinoza (born May 23, 1972) is a Mexican jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing who won the Triple Crown in 2015 on American Pharoah. He began riding in his native Mexico and went on to compete at racetracks in California. He has wo ...

. In his overall career, Van Dyke has won over 770 races and accumulated more than $49 million in prize winnings.

Early life and education

Van Dyke was born in

on September 10, 1994. While he lived in Louisville with his father Seth Van Dyke, he also lived in

Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...

with his mother. In Hot Springs, Van Dyke did not receive a spot to a high school basketball team due to his height. During his early teens, Van Dyke began his equestrian career as a

hot walker A hot walker within the practice of horse management is a person such as a groom or stable worker who hand walks hot, sweaty horses after a workout, particularly after work on a racetrack. The term hot walker may also refer to a mechanical devi ...

before he wanted to become a jockey like his father. For his training, Van Dyke was an exercise rider for James Baker at

Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Plantation may refer to: *Oaklawn (Huntsville, Alabama), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) *Oaklawn Plantation (Leon County, Florida) *Oaklawn Plantation (Natchez, Louisiana) The Oaklawn Plantation is a historic pl ...

before he started working at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

for Tom Proctor. He then went to

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...

to train horses at

Glen Hill Farm Leonard H. Lavin (October 29, 1919 – August 2, 2017) was an American businessman, racehorse owner and breeder, and philanthropist, who, in 1955 founded the Alberto-Culver Company.

in 2012.

Racing career

On November 21, 2013, at

Hollywood Park Racetrack Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, the original Hollywood Park Casino was added to the ...

, aboard only the second mount of his career, Drayden Van Dyke won his first race. He earned his first riding title in 2018 when he was the leading jockey at

Del Mar Racetrack The Del Mar Fairgrounds is a event venue in Del Mar, California. The annual San Diego County Fair is held here, which was called the Del Mar Fair from 1984 to 2001. In 1936, the Del Mar Racetrack was built by the Thoroughbred Club with foundin ...

for both the summer and fall meets. In graded stake races, Van Dyke's first win was at the 2014

Pucker Up Stakes The Pucker Up Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-old Filly, fillies held annually in early September at Arlington Park race track near Chicago, Illinois. A Graded stakes race, Grade III event, it is contested over a distance o ...

at the Grade III event before winning his 23rd Grade III event in 2021. During these years, Van Dyke was a two-time winner at the Jimmy Durante Stakes and

Torrey Pines Stakes The Torrey Pines Stakes' is a Graded stakes race, Grade III United States, American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old Filly, fillies run over a distance of one mile on the dirt held annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, Cali ...

. As a grade II jockey, Van Dyke first won the 2015 Santa Ana Stakes before becoming a four-time winner at the Yellow Ribbon Handicap. He also had 11 graded race wins in 2018 before winning his 26th Grade II race in 2021. In Grade I events, Van Dyke has won the

four times. Van Dyke's first Grade I win was at the 2015

Rodeo Drive Stakes The Rodeo Drive Stakes is a Grade I race for thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three-years-old and upwards. It is run at Santa Anita Park with a current purse of $300,000 and is contested over a distance of . Originally named the Yellow Ribbo ...

before he had his 18th Grade I win in 2020.

Triple Crowns and Triple Tiaras

During the

Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplis ...

, Van Dyke was fourth at the

and nineteenth at the

2019 Kentucky Derby The 2019 Kentucky Derby (officially, the 2019 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby, and took place on Saturday, May 4, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky. The field was open to 20 horses, who qu ...

. During the

2021 Kentucky Derby The 2021 Kentucky Derby (officially, the 2021 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby. It took place on May 1, 2021, in Louisville, Kentucky. The field was open to 20 horses, who qualified for t ...

, Van Dyke finished the event in twelfth place. As part of the

American Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing The Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, formerly known as the Filly Triple Crown, is a set of three horse races in the United States which is open to three-year-old fillies. Presently the only official Triple Tiara is the three race series in New Y ...

, Van Dyke was third at the 2015

Coaching Club American Oaks The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year-old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $500,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2 ...

. In additional Triple Tiara races, Van Dyke competed at the 2015

and had a fifth-place finish. During the 2017 Alabama Stakes, Van Dyke was second.

Breeders Cup

As a

Breeders' Cup Challenge The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of Thoroughbred horse races in which the winner earns an automatic spot in a specified Breeders' Cup race. The challenge races change somewhat each year. The Challenge series began in 2007 with 24 "Win and Yo ...

competitor, Van Dyke qualified for the 2015 Breeders' Cup by winning the

. Van Dyke additionally qualified for the 2017 Breeders' Cup by winning the

Awesome Again Stakes The Awesome Again Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old or older over the distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt scheduled annually in September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. ...

and the

with his win at the Pat O'Brien Stakes. His 2021 win at the Pat O'Brien Stakes allowed Van Dyke to qualify for the 2021 Breeders' Cup. At the

in the Filly & Mare Turf, Van Dyke was fifth in 2015. His highest finish after his three races in 2017 was third place in the Filly & Mare Turf. In 2018, Van Dyke won the Turf Sprint event with Stormy Liberal. During his seven other Breeders' Cup races at the 2018 edition, Van Dyke was also second in the

Mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...

division. As a competitor at the

2019 Breeders' Cup The 2019 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 36th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. The 14 races, all but one of which were Grade I, took place on November 1 and 2 at Santa Anita Park in Arcad ...

in five events, Van Dyke's highest result was eighth place in the Filly & Mare Sprint race. During the 2021 event, Van Dyke was runner-up in the Dirt Mile.

Awards and overall performance

In 2014, Van Dyke received the

. He also was the 2018 TVG Breakthrough Jockey of the Year recipient. That year, Van Dyke tied the record made by

for most

races won in one day. At Del Mar, Van Dyke won the most races during the summer and fall seasons in 2018. During his career, Van Dyke has won more than 770 races and received over $49 million in prize winnings. In Equibase ranks for North American jockeys, his highest placing for most wins was a 23rd-place finish in 2014. For most earnings by a North American jockey, Van Dyke's highest finish was in 2018 when he reached 13th place.

Personal life

In January 2017, Van Dyke broke his right arm during a race at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

. Following surgery and

physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

, Van Dyke returned to racing in June 2017. During the

Del Mar Futurity The Del Mar Futurity is a seven-furlong American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 2007, the race is open to two-year-old horses and offers a purse of $300,000. In 1971, it was ...

in September 2019, Van Dyke re-injured his right arm. Van Dyke returned to racing from his injury in late September 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Dyke, Drayden 1994 births Living people American jockeys Jockeys from Louisville, Kentucky Sportspeople from Hot Springs, Arkansas