Perry Ouzts is now part of the horse racing history books.
On a blazing hot afternoon July 26 at Belterra Park, the 71-year-old rider broke the North American mounts record, previously held by Hall of Famer Russell Baze, with his 53,579th ride in the sixth race at the Southern Ohio track. Gaining a pick-up mount on favored So Far So Good, his mount challenged but would be outpaced by two others in the stretch, finishing third in the field of five sprinters.
The veteran jockey, who has been riding Thoroughbred horses for more than 52 years, was showered with praise and congratulations by friends, family, and jockeys before the race and after returning and unsaddling his mount.
“He’s the goat!” one man shouted from the crowd.
“Let’s go Hall of Fame,” another spectator added.
Those who came to congratulate him included his brother Thomas, who traveled from Michigan for the milestone.
Ouzts was cloaked with a red carnation garland and handed a glass trophy that read "Perry Ouzts Iron Man," as Ouzts and friends posed for pictures in front of a banner highlighting his accomplishment.
Regarding Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day, horsemen, and others traveling to Belterra to see him, “It's awesome, absolutely awesome," Ouzts said. "I know how it is to know how it is to take time out of your day. People are busy. They got lives."
Commemorative red carnations were handed to the guests in the paddock, and later were thrown in the air in celebration.
Over the bulk of his career, Ouzts has primarily ridden in Kentucky and Ohio, with a focus on tracks in the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area.
“Belterra, they just went all out," Ouzts said. "They did really good—nice trophy, flowers, they promoted really good. I was happy to do it here because this has been my favorite of all the tracks I ever raced.”
During the afternoon, Ouzts took pictures with fans and signed autographs. One of those was Pam Monk, standing just outside the paddock, who called Ouzts over to sign a winner’s circle photo of a horse Ouzts rode to victory for her father, Elmer Monk, back in 1975. He obliged with a smile.
“That’s pretty cool,” she said, displaying the photograph with Ouzts’ signature.
John McKee guided the winning Anthony's Spice in Ouzts' record-breaking start. For more than 20 years, McKee has raced against Ouzts.
"That's what he's done his whole life, and he's been blessed to be able to do this long, and got to send nothing but congratulations his way," McKee said.
In his first mount and only other ride on the day, Ouzts guided Blazing Tony to a victory on the dirt to tie Baze's mounts record in a mile-and-70-yard race moved from the turf to the dirt. Fittingly, Blazing Tony won the lead for a jockey known for hustling his mounts out of the gate.
His wife, Toni, was proud of her husband's feat.
“It's unbelievable, but I'm not surprised because he loves it so much,” Toni Ouzts said. “If you would count his morning rounds, who knows what the number would be, because he gallops horses. I own a couple with some friends, and he gets on them every morning.”
Ouzts mentioned that he woke up at 3:45 a.m. ET to get out on the track and ride five horses during morning training.
Asked about his thoughts as he crossed the wire in third on So Far So Good, eclipsing Baze, Ouzts said, "I really didn't think about it, just another day at the office. It was more thrill the race before, when I won. That was awesome."
