Black goes out a winner
Jockey Corey Black concluded a successful 15-year riding career with a win in Hollywood Park’s ninth race on Sunday with his final mount.
Having announced the previous day that he would retire on Sunday, Black scored a three-quarter-length victory aboard 15.70-to-1 shot Tripp to Albadou to record his 1,526th career win after finishing off the board in two earlier races.
Citing weight problems as the reason for retiring from the saddle, the 31-year-old Black will become jockey agent for Gary Stevens, replacing Harry "The Hat" Hacek as agent for the Racing Hall of Fame rider.
"It was not a tough decision," said Black. "Not that I won’t miss riding, but the reward was not worth the risk anymore."
The Westminster, California, native won his first race on October 16, 1985, at Santa Anita Park on Filiation (Fr) and went on to lead all apprentice riders in earnings in 1986 with $3,599,710. His first stakes win came aboard Brave Raj in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G2), one of five winners for him on the card at Del Mar that day.
Black called winning the 1993 Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap (G1) with Best Pal his biggest thrill in racing. Other major victories for Black include the 1990 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) with Flying Continental, the 1988 Ramona Handicap (G1) with Annoconnor, and back-to-back renewals of the Vanity Handicap (G1), with Infinidad (Arg) in 1987 and Annoconnor in 1988.