Oliver Eric Guerin (October 23, 1924 – March 21, 1993) was an American Hall of Fame jockey.
Eric Guerin was born in
Maringouin, Louisiana, in
Cajun
The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states.
Whi ...
backwater country, twenty-four miles west of
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...
. He was the son of an impoverished Cajun
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
. His older cousin Norman Leblanc had become a jockey, then a
horse trainer
A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them good behaviors and/or coaching them for events, which ...
, and in 1938 the fourteen-year-old Guerin quit school to go to work for his cousin at the
Fair Grounds Race Course
Fair Grounds Race Course, often known as New Orleans Fair Grounds, is a thoroughbred racetrack and racino in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company, LLC.
The ''Carrollton Race Cours ...
in
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. For two years, the teenager cleaned out horse stalls and began learning to ride by exercising horses. He then signed a contract to work for a
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
businessman's stable, a job that afforded him the opportunity to travel to
racetrack
A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...
s around the country. Before long, his contract was sold to another stable owner, a common practise at the time, and Guerin began his career as a
thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...
jockey in 1941 at sixteen at
Narragansett Park
Narragansett Park was an American race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Beginnings
On May 18, 1934, Rhode Island voters approved a measure legalizing parimutuel betting by an almost 3 to 1 margin. The following day ...
near
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket ( ) is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence, Rhode Island, Prov ...
. Riding for a top stable proved to be Guerin's big break as a year later he was the United States' leading apprentice jockey. Within a few years, he was a highly regarded jockey on the
East Coast racing circuit and in 1944 was involved in a racing rarity when he was part of a triple
dead heat for first place in the Carter Handicap at
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack within ...
.
Known for his cool head and steady hand, Guerin was hired by cosmetics magnate
Elizabeth Arden
Elizabeth Arden (December 31, 1881 – October 18, 1966), also known as Elizabeth N. Graham, was a Canadian-American businesswoman who founded what is now Elizabeth Arden, Inc., and built a cosmetics empire in the United States.
Backg ...
to ride for her
Maine Chance Farm. Teamed up with future Hall of Fame
trainer Tom Smith, he rode
Jet Pilot to victory in the 1947
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...
. His reputation soon led to a lucrative contract offer from
Alfred G. Vanderbilt II to join his
Sagamore Stable. There, working with another future Hall of Fame trainer,
Bill Winfrey, Guerin scored numerous important victories, notably with
Champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...
fillies Bed o'Roses
Bed o' Roses (1947 – January 5, 1953) was an American thoroughbred racehorse.
Bed o' Roses was a bay filly by Rosemont out of the mare Good Thing, by Discovery (horse), Discovery, owned and bred by Alfred G. Vanderbilt II, Alfred G. Vanderbilt I ...
and
Next Move.
In 1952, thoroughbred racing gained a multitude of new fans when the
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...
was broadcast on television for the first time. That year, Guerin rode
Native Dancer
Native Dancer (March 27, 1950 – November 16, 1967), nicknamed the ''Gray Ghost'', was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in American history and was the first horse made famous through the medium of television ...
through an undefeated season with the colt earning the
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse.
An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division. The trophy is made by a few small selected A ...
as Champion 2-year-old and was voted Horse of the Year and American Champion in two of the three major polls. Much publicity surrounded the Sagamore team as the 1953 racing season got under way. For the final prep race leading up to the Kentucky Derby, American fans for the first time were able to watch the live telecast of the
Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memor ...
. Through the new type of personalized racing coverage that began introducing jockeys to a nationwide audience,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
broadcaster
Win Elliott interviewed Guerin after he rode the still-undefeated Native Dancer to victory.
Guerin and Native Dancer appeared invincible as they headed to
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...
for the first of the
U.S. Triple Crown races. Shocked fans, both in the stands and on television, watched as the colt finished second after being bumped by another horse early in the race. Native Dancer never lost another race and went on to capture the next two legs of the Triple Crown series, the
Preakness and
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...
. The following year Guerin rode Native Dancer to the
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year, or simply Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to san ...
honors, and for himself, made it back-to-back Belmont wins by riding
High Gun to victory in the 1954 classic.
In 1972, Guerin was still riding when he was elected to the
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred horse racing, Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and Horse trainer, trainers. In 1955, the museum ...
. Three years later, at age fifty-one, after a thirty-four-year career that produced 2,712 winners, he retired. After moving to
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...
in 1989, Guerin worked as a mutuels clerk at
Calder Race Course
Calder Casino is a casino located in Miami Gardens, Florida. It includes slots, electronic table games, and bingo.
The casino opened in 2010 and features a gaming floor with 1,100 slot machines, including video poker, as well as electronic rou ...
and
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park is a Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States. It is among the most important venues for ...
.
In 1991, Guerin was inducted into the
Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame.
He developed a blood disorder and died of heart complications in 1993 at sixty-eight. His ashes were spread amongst the flower beds in the winner's circle at Gulfstream Park.
Guerin's Hall of Fame contemporary,
Eddie Arcaro
George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple ...
, asserted: "There was no better rider than Eric."
Miami Herald – March 22, 1993
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guerin
1924 births
1993 deaths
Cajun jockeys
American jockeys
United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees
People from Maringouin, Louisiana