Jockey Gary Stevens Enters Hall of Fame

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Gary Stevens, whose first Kentucky Derby victory with Winning Colors in 1988 jump-started his career, has been elected to the Racing Hall of Fame along with trainer P.G. Johnson and the horses Easy Goer, Bold ‘n Determined and Granville.

The announcement was made Wednesday at Churchill Downs, reflecting a vote of more than 100 media members who cover racing. The inductees will be honored at a ceremony at the Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Aug. 4.

Stevens, who won his second Derby with Thunder Gulch in 1995, was present for Wednesday’s announcement. He is scheduled to ride Silver Charm, one of the favorites, in Saturday’s Derby.

“That first Derby win showed a lot of people that I could win the big one,” Stevens said. “This is the biggest honor anybody can dream of. I didn’t dream about it when I first started, but I did start thinking about it five years ago. I just didn’t know whether I’d be able to make it while I was still riding.”

Stevens, 34, was born in Idaho, the son of a trainer. His first victory at a recognized track came at Les Boise Park in Boise in 1979. He has ridden regularly in Southern California since 1984. Although he has never won an Eclipse Award for jockey of the year, Stevens led the country in purses in 1990 with $13.8 million and he went over the $100-million mark in 1993.

Easy Goer, who led the voting in the modern male horse category, played second fiddle to Sunday Silence, horse of the year in 1989. Easy Goer did, however, beat Sunday Silence in the Belmont Stakes and finished his career with 14 wins and earnings of $4.8 million.

Bold ‘n Determined, who led the voting in the modern female category, won 16 of 20 starts and defeated Genuine Risk, the Kentucky Derby winner, in the Maskette Stakes at Belmont Park in 1980.

Granville, voted in from the horse-of-yesteryear category, was voted horse of the year in 1936 despite losing his rider in the Kentucky Derby.

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If all 13 horses start in the Kentucky Derby, this will be smallest field for the race since 13 ran in 1985. In three of the last four years, there were 19-horse fields, one less than capacity.

Saturday’s field might be reduced. Phantom On Tour, second-place finisher in the Arkansas Derby, missed a half-mile workout Wednesday and jogged two miles instead. Phantom On Tour’s white blood count has been slightly high.

Trainer Lynn Whiting scheduled a three-furlong workout for today.

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Thunder Gulch won the Derby from the No. 16 post in 1995 and Grindstone won last year from the No. 15 post, historical facts that might be encouraging for Free House, who drew the outside post in this year’s 13-horse field.

Free House is a horse who comes from slightly off the pace. With a long run to the first turn at Churchill Downs, jockey David Flores, making his Derby debut, will probably try to drop inside.

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Glitter Woman, expected favorite in Friday’s $500,000 Kentucky Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, drew the inside post in a field of nine.

The rest of the field, in post-position order: Must Sing, Buckeye Search, Blushing K.D., Sharp Cat, Anklet, Storm Song, Majestical Moment and Tomisue’s Delight. Glitter Woman is 8-5 and Sharp Cat is 9-5 on the morning line.