Desormeaux becomes 19th jockey with 6,000 wins in North America

ARCADIA, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux joined an elite group of riders on Sunday, winning his 6,000th race in North America aboard X S Gold in the first race at Santa Anita.

Desormeaux, 48, reached the milestone win in dramatic fashion. Sent off favored, X S Gold ($7.20) closed from eighth in a field of 10 to win by a head over Madaket Sunset.

Desormeaux was honored in the winner’s circle with a brief photo ceremony and interview. It had to be quick. Desormeaux had to hurry back to the jockeys’ room to prepare for the second race, where he finished third on Baby Ice.

Desormeaux is the 19th jockey to reach the 6,000-win mark.

Best known for winning the Kentucky Derby on three occasions, Desormeaux began his career in 1986 in his native Louisiana. Last week, as he neared the milestone, Desormeaux said he has a goal of surpassing retired Hall of Famer Eddie Delahoussaye to become the winningest rider from Louisiana.

Delahoussaye retired in 2002 with 6,383 wins.

“I can’t wait to get up every day to pass Eddie D.,” Desormeaux said. “I’m not going anywhere until then.”

Desormeaux began the three-day racing weekend Friday with 5,998 wins. He was winless with one mount on Friday and recorded his 5,999th win on Rye in the $200,702 Unusual Heat Turf Classic in Saturday’s 11th and final race.

X S Gold, who ran in an allowance race at a mile on turf, was Desormeaux’s next mount. On the turn, it seemed unlikely X S Gold would reach the front, but the 4-year-old filly closed steadily to reach the wire in time.

Desormeaux compared the win to the longevity of his career.

“It defines everything,” he said. “It’s not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and determination, like X S Gold put in.”

Overall, Desormeaux long ago surpassed 6,000 total wins. He won more than 120 races in Japan and has ridden winners in Dubai and Hong Kong.