Mike Smith A native of Roswell, New Mexico, Smith was introduced to racing by his uncle, who trained horses, and his father, who rode for a short time in Arizona. He started riding races in New Mexico at age 11 and took out his license when he was 16. He was the leading rider in the country in 1994 with 316 wins, and he has won numerous accolades including membership in the Racing Hall of Fame, the Eclipse Award twice, the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award and the Venezia Award. After eleven tries, Smith won his first Derby aboard 50-1 longshot Giacomo in 2005. Some of his best mounts include Holy Bull, Lure, Unbridled's Song, Inside Information, Prairie Bayou and Cherokee Run.