Robby Albarado

Robby J. Albarado (born September 11, 1973, in Lafayette, Louisiana) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990. Since then, he has won more than 3,000 races, but his career has endured setbacks as a result of serious injuries. During 1998 and 1999, he suffered two skull fractures, one of which required doctors to replace a damaged portion of his skull with titanium mesh and polymer plate. Another serious accident in the fall of 2000 kept him out of racing for the better part of 2001.

Albarado's big break came in 2003 when he rode to victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup aboard U.S. Horse of the Year Mineshaft. He has ridden in nine Kentucky Derbys with his best result being a second on Golden Soul in 2013. Albarado also rode Golden Soul in the Belmont Stakes, Haskell Invitational Stakes, and Travers Stakes.

He was the regular jockey for Curlin, who was the favorite and finished third in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. Albarado won his first Triple Crown race at the 2007 Preakness Stakes aboard Curlin, edging out Derby winner Street Sense. The pair was denied victory at the 2007 Belmont Stakes when Curlin lost to champion filly Rags to Riches by a nose. Albarado later won the 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Curlin, which was his first Breeders' Cup win.

He was voted the winner of the 2004 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. That year, on December 8, he picked up his 3,000th career win aboard Isle of Silver in the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. In 2005, he was inducted into the Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame. He has won a record seven riding titles at Fair Grounds.

On May 30, 2009, he recorded the 4,000th win of his career, guiding Keertana to victory on the Matt Winn Turf Course in the 9th race at Churchill Downs.

Year-end charts

References

• Robby Albarado at the NTRA
• Robby Albarado featured in Stride Magazine