'Cowboy' Jones to ride last race

Veteran jockey R.A. "Cowboy" Jones will ride the last race in a career that dates to 1959 when he climbs aboard a maiden filly named Exine in the ninth race Sunday at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Ind.

Jones, 63, told Daniel Burgess, Exine's owner and trainer, that he no longer has the desire to ride races after being prevented by stewards from riding at the recently ended summer meet at his longtime favorite track, Ellis Park. Stewards declined to grant a jockey's license to Jones, who has suffered innumerable riding-related injuries as a jockey and exercise rider, on the grounds that he was a potential liability for other riders.

"I think Cowboy deserves this moment," said Burgess.

Jones, who won numerous riding titles at Ellis Park and the old Miles Park in Louisville, Ky., won nearly 1,700 races, including at least one in six different decades. His last victory came at Ellis in 2004.

Burgess said Jones plans to continue exercising horses.

"I think he'll do that until the day he dies," said Burgess.