Shaun Xavier Bridgmohan (born June 24, 1979, in

Spanish Town, Jamaica Spanish Town (Jamaican Patois: Spain) is the capital and the largest town in the Parishes of Jamaica, parish of St. Catherine, Jamaica, St. Catherine in the historic county of Middlesex, Jamaica, Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the Spanish and Briti ...

) is a Jamaican-American jockey who competes in

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 ...

. At age thirteen, Bridgmohan's family emigrated to the United States, settling in

South Florida South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...

where he developed an interest in horse racing. Before becoming a jockey, and while still in school, he worked at a Florida racetrack as a hot walker, groom, and as an exercise rider. After graduating from high school he pursued a riding career and in August 1997 earned his first win 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 ...

. Six months later on February 15, 1998, he won six races on a single card 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 ...

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, New York, finishing 1998, which was his breakout year, as the winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. On December 22, 2007, he again won six races on a single card, this time at

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 ...

New Orleans, Louisiana 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 ...

. On April 1, 2017, he recorded his 3,000th win.

Horses ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan

* Gaff in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Handicap at Gulfstream Parkwinning rides
/ref> * On Thin Ice in the $100,000 Hal's Hope Handicap * Doctor Decherd in the $125,000 Aventura Stakes

References to Shaun Bridgmohan in popular culture

Bridgmohan was mentioned in the rap song "Fake Patois" by Das Racist, with the line "What you know about Shaun Bridgmohan?/What you know about Shaun Bridgmohan?/First Jamaican in 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 ...

/First Jamaican in the Kentucky Derby." Despite the lyric, Bridgmohan was actually the second Jamaican jockey to race in the Kentucky Derby, doing so first in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

atop the horse Private Vow and a second time, including a second-place finish, riding atop Commanding Curve in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

, when he was joined by fellow Jamaican jockey Rajiv Maragh, who placed fourth atop Wicked Strong. The first Jamaican in the Kentucky Derby was actually Richard DePass, appearing in both

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

atop the horse Hoist the Silver and

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

riding Great Redeemer. Bridgmohan was also referenced in the song "Shorty Said" by Das Racist, with the lyric, "Shorty said I look like Shaun Bridgmohan."

Year-end charts

References

External links

Shaun Bridgmohan bio at Gulfstream Park Racetrack

Shaun Bridgmohan at the NTRA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridgmohan, Shaun 1979 births Living people Jamaican people of Indian descent Jamaican emigrants to the United States American jockeys Eclipse Award winners Jamaican jockeys Sportspeople from Spanish Town