Ron Franklin (jockey)
| Ron Franklin | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born |
December 20, 1959 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Career wins | 1,403 |
| Major racing wins | |
| Kentucky Derby (1979), Preakness Stakes (1979), Florida Derby (1979), Blue Grass Stakes (1979) | |
| Racing awards | |
| Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey (1978) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Spectacular Bid | |
Ron Franklin (born December 20, 1959) was a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing who, at age 19, rode Spectacular Bid to wins at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.
Franklin was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in nearby Dundalk, he was the youngest of six children. He attended Patapsco High School where he briefly played on the school's baseball team. Because he was so small in stature (4 feet, 7 inches and 72 pounds), the coach would insert him into the line-up, hoping to draw a base on balls. In fact in 17 at bats he walked 9 times. Franklin dropped out of high school when he was 16 years old. As mentioned earlier, small in stature, Franklin set off for the local racetrack in 1976, looking for work as a jockey. There he met trainer Bud Delp. Delp hired him as a stablehand where he learned the business from the ground up. He cleaned stables, walked horses and did other odd jobs around the track. Franklin was later sent to a training center in Middleburg, Virginia, there, he learned to ride yearlings.
On February 4, 1978, Franklin, riding in his first race aboard Pioneer Patty, won at Bowie Race Course in Maryland. His second career win was aboard Deficit. In his first year of racing, Franklin won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey.
In 1979, at the age of 19, Franklin mounted Spectacular Bid and won the Kentucky Derby, the colt's 11th consecutive win. Two weeks later he followed up the Derby win with a win in the Preakness Stakes and became the favorite to win racing's Triple Crown at Belmont Park.
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