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Tuesday, January 02, 2018Contact: Rhonda Norby (859) 224-2856
Ortiz, Brown and Juddmonte Farms Top Leading Earners in 2017

Jockey Jose L. Ortiz and owner Juddmonte Farms Inc. finished the year as the leading rider and owner, respectively, by earnings for the first time while Chad Brown repeated as the top earner for trainers, according to final statistics released today by Equibase Company LLC, the Thoroughbred industry’s official database for racing information.

Inaugural Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (Gr. 1) winner Arrogate led all Thoroughbreds in North American earnings with $7,338,000. When including the results from his victory in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse on March 25, 2017, Arrogate’s total earnings for the year were $13,338,000. Gun Runner, who finished second in the Dubai World Cup before reeling off four consecutive grade 1 wins, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic, finished second in earnings with $4,950,700 ($6,950,700 including Dubai).

The year-end compilations are distributed annually by Equibase and include results from Thoroughbred racing in North America from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017. Expanded North American racing leaders’ lists that include all trainers, jockeys, owners and horses are available within the statistics section at equibase.com. These lists include the ability to look at leaders with and without the inclusion of Dubai World Cup earnings and in a variety of categories, including age, sex, surface, graded races, and foaling year for horses. In addition, the comparison tool announced in December enables racing fans to select up to five horses, jockeys, trainers, or owners and compare their respective statistics — which include starts, wins, placings, earnings, earnings per start, and win (and top three) percentages — against each other, but also against the national average.

Completing the list of top 10 horses by North American earnings were Shaman Ghost with $2,520,000, Always Dreaming with $2,320,600, Talismanic (GB) with $2,200,000, West Coast with $2,083,800, World Approval with $2,043,600, Collected with $1,882,800, Beach Patrol with $1,749,975, and Abel Tasman with $1,747,200.

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships continued to factor heavily in determining the leading earners in 2017, with all but two of the top 10 horses on the list either having won (Gun Runner, Talismanic, and World Approval), finished second (Collected, Beach Patrol, and Abel Tasman) or third (West Coast) in their respective races.

Some of the leading horses also were the top earners from their respective foal crops. The leading earners by foaling year from the past five years were Caledonia Road (2015 foal crop),  Classic Empire (2014), Arrogate (2013), American Pharoah (2012), and California Chrome (2011).

Brown, who led all trainers in earnings for the second consecutive year, sent out the winners of 213 races from 270 starters with 820 starts for earnings of $26,202,164 in 2017. (Brown’s results in 2017 once again included an impressive record on turf, leading all other trainers for the sixth consecutive year with a record of 145 wins from 185starters with 546 starts on grass and earnings of $16,556,297.) When including earnings from the Dubai World Cup, Bob Baffert finished atop the standings with 84 wins from 115 starters with 315 starts and earnings of $27,312,912. Todd Pletcher, who has led the list 10 times, finished second for the second year in a row by North American earnings in 2017 with his horses having won 253 races from 327 starters with 1,053 starts for earnings of $22,444,161.

Completing the list of top 10 trainers by North American earnings in 2017 were Baffert, $21,112,912 (83 wins / 313 starts / 115 starters); Steve Asmussen, $19,650,969 (380/1,909/489); Mark Casse, $17,420,165 (233 /1,323/351); Michael Maker, $10,988,867 (216/1,109/306); Jerry Hollendorfer, $9,542,402 (174/971/228); Bill Mott, $9,238,920 (104/706/197); Brad Cox, $8,833,028 (204/779/264); and Doug O’Neill, $7,966,843 (90/652/181).

Ortiz reached the winner’s circle 270 times from 1,408 mounts and ended the year with earnings of $27,318,875. Finishing second after being the leading rider by earnings for the past four years was Javier Castellano with 223 wins from 1,270 mounts and earnings of $25,099,317.

Rounding out the list of top 10 jockeys by North American earnings in 2017 were Irad Ortiz Jr., $22,926,956 (317 wins / 1,493 starts); John Velazquez, $20,780,733 (206/946); Mike Smith, $20,540,871 (70/275); Joel Rosario, $17,975,708 (170/1,010); Florent Geroux, $14,418,901 (177/997); Luis Saez, $13,403,109 (236/1,449); Julien Leparoux, $13,390,756 (136/800); and  Manuel Franco, $12,681,817 (187/1,327). When including earnings from the Dubai World Cup, Smith finished second in the standings with 71wins from 276 starts and earnings of $26,540,871.

Juddmonte Farms Inc. won 30 races from 147starts and earned $10,841,155 in North America in 2017 to lead all owners after finishing as the runner up in 2016. Juddmonte’s statistics were 31 wins from 148 starts and earnings of $16,841,155 when including the Dubai World Cup results.

Completing the list of top 10 owners by North American earnings in 2017 were Godolphin Racing LLC, $7,090,867 (54 wins / 292 starts); Calumet Farm, $5,670,838 (75/556); Klaravich Stables Inc. and William Lawrence, $5,646,508 (60/216); Reddam Racing LLC, $4,981,387 (39/286); Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and Three Chimneys Farm, $4,950,700 (5/5); Stronach Stables, $4,931,860 (35/251); Ken and Sarah Ramsey, $4,783,871 (97/439); Live Oak Plantation, $4,520,283 (45/225); and Gary and Mary West, $3,950,031 (51/187). When including earnings from Dubai, Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and Three Chimneys Farm ranked third with five wins from six starts and earnings of $6,950,700.

Equibase Company is a partnership between The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America and serves as the Thoroughbred industry’s official database. Through its website and mobile applications, Equibase offers a comprehensive menu of wagering products, statistical information and video race replays in support of the North American Thoroughbred racing industry. Additional information is available at equibase.com.