Michael Jude Luzzi (born October 27, 1969, in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

) is an American

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

. He grew up near

Delaware Park Racetrack Delaware Park (also known as ''DelPark'') is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia ...

where his grandfather, trainer Buddy Raines, had a major role in raising him and his brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

who also became a jockey. One of the family's great memories came in 1991 when the then eighty-year-old Raines saddled Timely Warning and watched as his grandson won the Maryland Million Classic and the

Brooklyn Handicap The Brooklyn Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year-olds and up willing to race one and ...

. Luzzi began his riding career in 1988 at race tracks in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

and in 1989 was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. He won five races in a single day at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of O ...

on September 21, 1993. In 1994, he moved his tack to NY to compete on the

New York Racing Association The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York (state), New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Q ...

circuit. Luzzi has been a mainstay on the NYRA circuit since his arrival. In 1994 and in 2001 the NYRA voted him the

Mike Venezia Memorial Award Mike Venezia Memorial Award is an American Thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually by the New York Racing Association to honor a jockey who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. The award was creat ...

, an honor given to a jockey who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. Since arriving in NY, Luzzi has consistently been one of the top jockeys on the NYRA circuit. In recent years, he has gained some national exposure by riding in various stakes races throughout the United States. On April 12, 2015, Mike Luzzi accepted the

George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct ...

at Santa Anita Park. It is one of the highest honors for a jockey and their contributions both on and off the track. He is the father of jockey Lane Luzzi.

Year-end charts

References

Mike Luzzi at the NTRA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luzzi 1969 births Living people American jockeys Eclipse Award winners Sportspeople from Wilmington, Delaware