Patricia Joen "Patti" or "P.J." Cooksey (born February 25, 1958 in

Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...

, United States) is a retired

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 ...

from American

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 ...

. She won her first race with ''Turf Advisor'' at

Waterford Park Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort is a thoroughbred racetrack and casino resort located on the Ohio River north of New Cumberland, West Virginia. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Century Casinos. It is notable for being the f ...

(now Mountaineer Park) in 1979. A four-time

Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located within the city limits of Florence, Kentucky, about south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets each year—Holiday (December), ...

leading rider, Cooksey has won 2,137 wins since beginning her career in 1979, and she was the all-time leading female jockey by number of victories before

Julie Krone Julieann Louise Krone (born July 24, 1963), is a retired American jockey. In 1993, she became the first (and so far only) female jockey to win a Triple Crown race when she captured the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair. In 2000, she became the ...

overtook her. In 1985 she became the first female jockey to ride in the

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 ...

, finishing 6th aboard Tajawa. In 2004, she became the first ever female jockey to be voted the NYRA's

Mike Venezia Memorial Award Mike Venezia Memorial Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually by the New York Racing Association to honor a jockey who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. The award was created in 1989 to honor the ...

, an honor given annually to a jockey who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. Seriously injured during a race at

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...

on April 12, 2003, Cooksey did not return to riding until March 2004. Suffering from servere pain as a result of a rod in her leg from the injury, she retired permanently in late June of that year, ranked second all-time in wins by a female jockey. Cooksey has been a commentor for Louisville, Kentucky television stations and did reporting for ESPN on horseback during the 2006

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, ...

broadcast.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooksey, Patricia 1958 births Living people American female jockeys People from Shelbyville, Kentucky Sportspeople from the Louisville metropolitan area People from Georgetown, Kentucky Sportspeople from Kentucky Sportspeople from Youngstown, Ohio American horse racing announcers American sports announcers Women sports announcers Kentucky women in equestrian field 21st-century American women 20th-century American women