Friday, June 01, 2001
Ouzts rides to 4,000th career win
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Perry Ouzts
(Glenn Hartong photo)
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That the news of Perry Ouzts' 4,000th win Thursday was overshadowed by Pat Day winning No.8,000 hours later reflects Ouzts' unsung career.
Not that he minds.
“I really don't like to have much attention drawn to myself,” Ouzts said. “I'd just as soon go to work, do my job and go home.”
That's not to say his milestone victory went unnoticed at River Downs. When the 46-year-old Ouzts (pronounced “Oots”) rode Lil Pike to a 4 1/2-length victory in the eighth race, he was swarmed by well-wishers on his ride back to the barn.
Ouzts, the winningest Ohio-based rider ever, became just the 39th jockey in racing history to hit 4,000 victories. The fact the Hebron, Ky., resident has kept River Downs as home base for his 28-year career isn't lost on the locals.
“He decided long ago he'd rather be a big fish in a small pond,” said Jamie Fowler, his agent of 16 years.
Ouzts, an Arkansas native, came to River Downs in 1973 because his cousin, Jackie Fires, was riding here. Another cousin, Jackie's brother, Earlie, won 6,136 races and is a hall of famer.
Ouzts tried racing at different spots. He and Day were apprentice riders together at Sportsman's Park in Chicago in the fall of '73.
But Ouzts claimed loyalty to the Cincinnati trainers who helped him early on and passed on the high-risk, high-reward racing that Day, whom he greatly respects, would thrive on at bigger tracks.
As a result, Ouzts reached 4,000 wins (in 31,798 mounts) on a variety of middling horses.
“I always felt I could ride with the big-name guys if I had the same stock,” he said. “If you put Pat Day on a rat, he'll run last like everybody else.”
The 5-foot-2 Ouzts has had his back broken three times. His face has been stepped on, and reconstructed twice. He once spent three days in a coma.
Yet he's getting better. Last year he won 234 races and three of four riding titles.
“I don't feel any different than I did when I was 20,” he said.
He said winning Thursday was like “taking a 4,000-pound monkey off my back.” Yet he immediately started talking about reaching 5,000 wins.
“If I go three days without winning a race,” Perry said, “people won't know me around here.”
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Ouzts rides to 4,000th career win