Perry Wayne Ouzts continues to set longevity milestones, and the jockey, who has been riding professionally for more than half a century, will eye another this weekend. Ouzts, who turned 71 on July 7, is in sight of surpassing Russell Baze’s record number of career starts, 53,578.
“I don’t think anybody can ever imagine that,” Ouzts said of his ongoing career.
According to Equibase statistics, Ouzts has ridden 53,575 races through Thursday, July 24. Barring scratches or pickup mounts, he is named on two horses Friday at Belterra Park in Cincinnati. He is then named on two horses Saturday to tie, and then surpass, Baze's record - Blazing Tony for trainer Larry Smith in the second race, a maiden special weight, and then Leave It to kitten for Kathy Jarvis in the eighth race, an allowance.
It's fitting that one of these historic runners Saturday is trained by Smith, who frequently partners with the rider. Ouzts often credits the support of trainers who have backed him throughout his career with his successes, and loyalty is a frequent theme for the rider. He has had the same agent, Jamie Fowler, for 38 years.
Also in fitting fashion, it was Smith who trained the winner in August 2023 when Ouzts took over possession of fifth place on North America’s all-time jockey wins list. The retired, California-based Baze leads those rankings as well, with 12,842 wins, according to Equibase statistics.
Next on the list are Laffit Pincay Jr. with 9,530, Bill Shoemaker with 8,833, Pat Day with 8,803, and then Ouzts, the only active rider in the top 10, with 7,514 wins through Wednesday. The next active rider on the list is John Velazquez, currently with 6,724 wins.
Ouzts, a native of Lepanto, Ark., grew up around racing, as the cousin of Hall of Fame jockey Earlie Fires. He earned his first career win in 1973 at Beulah Park and has been a consistent leader on the Ohio circuit ever since, while also riding in Kentucky and throughout the Midwest. He has won 35 meet titles at Belterra and its predecessor, River Downs; 13 titles at the now-defunct Beulah; and two titles at Turfway Park.
According to Equineline statistics, which his career predates, Ouzts has won 88 career stakes races since 1976. He recalls a stakes performer from early in his career, the Ohio-bred mare Hy Carol, as his favorite horse.
“My favorite horse of all time was when I first started riding,” Ouzts said. “Her name was Hy Carol, and I won 25 races on her. Sixteen of them were stakes races. So she was probably my favorite of all time. We started out the same year – when I had the bug, she was a 2-year-old. That was pretty cool.”
Although Ouzts does not have any graded stakes wins, he has scored victories in some of Ohio’s signature events. In 2002, he won the John W. Galbreath Memorial aboard Whitewater Way. The race for 2-year-old fillies is part of the fall Best of Ohio state showcase program.
His richest stakes victories include the $200,000 Cradle Stakes, a major race for juveniles for a number of years, on Old Man Buck in 2007; the $100,000 Queen City Oaks on No White Socks in 1988; and the $100,000 Best of Ohio Green Carpet Stakes, aboard Just Like Rambo, last month.
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Just Like Rambo, yet another regular mount for Ouzts trained by Smith, gave the rider a record last August. The gelding’s career debut, a maiden victory, made Ouzts the oldest jockey to win a race at a recognized North American Thoroughbred racetrack. It is a record that Ouzts figures to keep raising the bar on.
Ouzts was the subject of the 2016 Eclipse Award-winning documentary “Ironman,” which detailed his blue-collar career and return from a number of injuries that could have been career-ending.
“I’ve pretty much enjoyed every day of it,” the jockey said of his career. “I couldn’t kind of pinpoint any one particular thing – I just like riding. It was always a part of my whole life. Started when I was 18, and 71 years old, and still doing it.
“I’m going to retire one day, just not today. If you’re doing something that you really, really enjoy, it’s pretty much not like work.”
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