April 3, 1962 – Legendary jockey Eddie Arcaro at the ripe old age of 46 years old, officially announced his retirement from horse racing as a rider.
Arcaro in his brilliant career rode on 4779 victorious thoroughbreds, as his purses exceeded $30 million in his lucrative 30-year career. Jockeying some of the best horses in the world, Eddie accumulated 549 stakes on tracks all over the world, including the U.S., Asia, and Europe.
The 5-foot 2-inch tall horse pilot had won his first race in 1932 at the Agua Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico when he was a mere 16 years old. About 13 years later he really hit stride when Arcaro won his first of two Triple Crown races.
No jockey was ever more special in these classics of horse racing’s Triple Crown than Eddie Arcaro. In a span of 18 years, Arcaro rode a record 17 winners in these championship races for 3-year-olds and became the only jockey to be aboard two Triple Crown champions when he rode Whirlaway and Citation.
All in all, Eddie rode on five Kentucky Derby winners, sharing that honored record with Bill Hartack. He also has a record six Preakness winners and six Belmont winners that he jockeyed.
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