Gene St. Leon (born c. 1955 in
Hutchinson, Kansas) is a retired
Champion 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 American
Thoroughbred 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 ...
.
In 1971 he was among the recipients of the newly created
Eclipse Award program when he was voted that year's
Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. He was inducted in
Calder Race Course Hall of Fame
Calder Casino is a casino located in Miami Gardens, Florida. It includes slots, electronic table games, and bingo.
The casino opened in 2010 and features a gaming floor with 1,100 slot machines, including video poker, as well as electronic r ...
in 1995. During his career he won a record 1,310 races at Calder, a record that stood until it was broken in June 2009 by
Eduardo Nunez. St. Leon still holds the Calder record for
stakes race
Glossary of North American horse racing:
Additional glossaries at:
*Glossary of Australian and New Zealand punting
*Glossary of equestrian terms
This is a basic glossary of equestrian terms that includes both technical terminology and jargon ...
wins at 73
On February 7, 1976, St. Leon rode Toonerville to a
world record time of 1:51 2/5 for one and three sixteenth miles on
turf in winning the second division of the
Bougainvillea Handicap at
Hialeah Park Race Track
Gene St. Leon retired from race riding in 1989. He made a comeback in 1991 through 1994 and in 1999.
References
ESPN's list of Eclipse Award winners
1950s births
Eclipse Award winners
American jockeys
Sportspeople from Topeka, Kansas
Living people
Sportspeople from Hutchinson, Kansas
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