Shoemaker, Bill

Shoemaker, Bill (William Lee Shoemaker), 1931–2003, American jockey, b. Fabens, Tex. A schoolboy wrestler and Golden Gloves boxer, he became a jockey and won his first race at age 18. The former all-time leader in career victories (8,833; surpassed in 1999 by Laffit Pincay, Jr.), he was one of the greatest American jockeys, with 11 victories in Triple Crown races. He also was the first jockey to win over $100 million. He retired in 1990 to become a trainer, working until 1997 despite being paralyzed in a 1991 automobile accident.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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