1932 Racing Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro wins his 1st race at Agua Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico - aged 16 years
Eddie Arcaro (born Feb. 19, 1916,
Cincinnati,
Ohio, U.S.—died Nov. 14, 1997,
Miami, Florida) was an American jockey who was the first to ride five
Kentucky Derby winners and two U.S.
Triple Crown champions (winners of the Kentucky
Derby, the
Preakness Stakes, and the
Belmont Stakes). In 31 years of riding Thoroughbreds (1931–61), he won 549 stakes events, a total of 4,779 races, and more than $30,000,000 in purses. On Feb. 20, 1958, at Santa Anita Race Track in California, he became the third jockey (after
Sir Gordon Richards and Johnny Longden) to achieve 4,000 victories.
Arcaro won the Kentucky Derby five times (1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1952), the Preakness six times (1941, 1948, 1950–51, 1955, 1957), and the Belmont six times (1941–42, 1945, 1948, 1952, 1955). He rode
Whirlaway to Triple Crown honours in 1941, and
Citation in 1948. He established a record of $645,145 earned by one
horse (Citation) in a single season. In 1960–61, at the end of his career, Arcaro teamed with the horse Kelso to win several major stakes. After his retirement, he became a television
sports commentator.