2005 Leading Jockeys

DeShawn Parker Date of Birth: January 8, 1971 Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio Residence: East Liverpool, Ohio Family: wife, Maria; sons, DeShawn, Jr. and Justus Also ranked first among jockeys in 2003. . . was second in 2004 and fourth in 2000. . . grew up around racehorses. . . father, Daryl E. Parker, has various racetrack administrative positions, including that of steward. . . credits jockey Herberto Rivera, Jr. and a pair of trainers, James Jackson and the late Oscar Dishman with encouraging him towards a riding career. . . pitched and played shortstop for his high school baseball team and had ambitions to become a professional ballplayer. . . began riding races at age 17 while still in high school. . . his father told him he couldn't be a full-time jockey until he graduated from high school. . . rode at River Downs, Thistledown, Detroit Race Course, Fairmount Park and Turfway Park in the early years of his career. . . has ridden at Mountaineer since 1990. . . points to his 1,000 career win aboard a horse named Melda Brown on July 28, 2000 as being his biggest thrill. . . won the 1995 Slipton Fell Handicap with Vallejo, and the 1966 Golden Sylvia Handicap with Cherokee Treaty.	Dana Whitney Date of Birth: June 18, 1970 Birthplace: Angeles City, The Philippines Residence: East Liverpool, Ohio Family: wife, Sonya; sons, Bryce and Grant Registered a trio of 2002 Mountaineer stakes scores, with Island Rifle Cat in the Hancock Handicap and X Country and with Slipton Fell and Fall Handicaps. . . scored front running victory with longshot West Pride in the 2001 West Virginia Derby clocking a track record 1:47:20 for 1 1/8-mile distance. . . that same night, booted another longshot, Hustler, to victory in the Harvey Arneault Memorial Handicap, setting a track record of 1:07:81 for six furlongs. . . registered five stakes scores at Mountaineer in 2001. . . adopted by an United States Air Force Captain when just two weeks old and came to the U.S. at age two. . . attended Brigham Young University for a semester. . . later became assistant manager of a clothing store in Hot Springs, Arkansas where he met JoAnn, Billy and Scooter Davis, all of whom trained thoroughbreds. . . went to work for the Davis family. . . rode his first race at age 25. . . competed on the Louisiana and Kentucky Circuits before moving his tack to Mountaineer in 1997.
Rex Stokes, III Date of Birth: August 22, 1983 Birthplace: New Iberia, Louisiana Residence: Newell, West Virginia Family: wife, Sarah Started galloping horses on a farm in Louisiana. . . first mount was at Beulah Park. . . father, Rex Stokes, is a former jockey. . . brother, Joe, also a leading jockey at Mountaineer was one of the reasons Rex relocated to Mountaineer. . . set five furlong track record at Delta Downs with Britts Jules.	Oswald M. Pereira Date of Birth: August 15, 1974 Birthplace: Arema, Trinidad Residence: East Liverpool, Ohio Family: wife, Marsha; daughter, Emily Began working with racehorses at age 11, when trainer Patrick DeFraitas gave him a job at Santa Rosa Park in his native Trinidad. . . an uncle, Rigaldo Pereira, was a jockey at tracks in Trinidad and Tobago. . . mucked stalls, walked hots, groomed and eventually worked his way up to exercise rider. . . was set to be licensed as a jockey in Trinidad, but instead decided to come to live with his mother in 1996 in New York, where there seemed to be more opportunities for gainful employment. . . became a handyman, worked in a Manhattan delicatessen, then got jobs doing home renovations and as an electrician's assistant. . . had plans to move back to his homeland, but got a job galloping horses for trainer Fastino Ramos at Aqueduct in early 1997 . . . several months later rode in his first pari-mutuel race at Atlantic City. . . subsquently rode at all the New Jersey tracks and at Philadelphia Park, Delaware Park, Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga as well. . . was seeking a place to ride year-round, when his wife found out about Mountaineer via a search on the internet. . . has ridden regularly here since May of 2002.
Chad K. Murphy Date of Birth: October 6, 1964 Birthplace: Wilson, North Carolina Family: wife, Angel; son, Chad, Jr.; daughter, Taylor Ranked second among all Mountaineer jockeys in 2003 and fourth in 2004. . . guided Royal Spy to a course record performance in the 2002 West Virginia House of Delegates "Speakers Cup" clocking a time of 1:33,67 for one mile on the turf. . . also booted Seven Four Seven to victory in last year's edition of the Autumn Leaves Handicap at Mountaineer. . . earnings in 2002 averaged $2,802.92 per mount, the most for any jockey based here. . . closed out 2001 Mountaineer season by winning the New Year's Eve Handicap with Keepondealling. . . after graduating from high school got a job at Bill Bonifaces Bonita in Darlington, Maryland where he mucked stalls, laid out fence posts for the training track, did just about every chore a farm requires. . . subsequently hooked up with the late Hubert "Sonny" Hine, the trainer who was elected to the racings's Hall of Fame. . . scored initial career win in summer 1986. . . has ridden at dozens of tracks in the mid-Atlantic region, Florida, Ohio, New York and elsewhere. . . also rode champion Arabian horses, Victoria's Secret and Unchained Melody, at tracks ranging from California to Abudhabi in the United Arab Emirates. . . based at Mountaineer since spring of 1998.	Scott Spieth Date of Birth: October 25, 1966 Birthplace: Litchfield, Michigan Residence: Chagrin Falls, Ohio Family: wife, Rhonda; children, Kirsten, Austin, Victoria and Valerie Began his racing career while in high school galloping quarter horses at Glendale Downs during the summertime. . . entire family was involved in racing. . . father was an owner, his older brother was a trainer. . . began riding thoroughbreds in 1988 at Ladrock North Race Course. . . attended the University of Michigan . . . moved to Cleveland to race at Thistledown in 1999. . . began racing at Mountaineer in 2000 lured by higher purses. . . home base is Thistledown. . . currently approaching 3,000 win.
Joe Stokes Date of Birth: November 7, 1977 Birthplace: New Iberia, Louisiana Residence: Weirton, West Virginia Family: wife, April; son, Sky Ranked second among all jockeys in the 2001 standings with 116 wins. . . won the 1999 running of the West Virginia Derby aboard Stellar Bush — got the mount that evening when the regular rider, Mike McCarthy, couldn't get to Mountaineer due to stormy weather. . . registered three stakes scores all told at Mountaineer in 1999 and five in 2000, leading all jockeys in that department in the latter season. . . set a track record for one mile of 1:33.86 in winning the the 2000 Independence Day Handicap at Mountaineer with Find the Mine. . . also booted Sunset Party to a turf course record clocking of 2:13.33 for 1 3/8 miles in the 1999 Fall Stakes. . . began his riding career at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans in 1997. . . father Rex Stokes is a former jockey who now trains thoroughbreds in Louisiana. . . younger brother Louis and Rex III are jockeys as well. . . Has also ridden at Louisiana Downs, Delta Downs and Evangeline Downs in his home state, as well as Hoosier Park near Indianapolis and Beulah Park and Thistledown in Ohio. . . has been based at Mountaineer since March of 1988.	Andrew Ramgeet Date of Birth: September 21, 1963 Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica Residence: New Cumberland, West Virginia Family: sons, Aaron and Andre (twins) and Andrew Jr. Third leading rider in Caribbean. . . winner of three derbies in Jamaica. . . won eight races in one day in 1995 in Jamaica. . . introduced to racing by older brother who was a jockey. . . came to United States to ride at Calder. . . currently also rides at Gulfstream. . . came to Mountaineer in 2001.
Darryl Brinkley Date of Birth: October 29, 1973 Born: East Liverpool, Ohio Residence: Wellsville, Ohio Family: sons, Tyler and Zack Family involved in racing, brother, John, and father, Kenneth, were both jockeys, cousins are trainers. . . began his career galloping horses in Oklahoma at age 13. . . rode in first thoroughbred race at Thistledown at age 16. . . relocated to Mountaineer in 1993 because his father was racing here. . . the purses were better. . . and the year-round racing meant he didn't have to uproot his family and move around. . . predominantly rides for his cousin, Frank Brinkley, and his uncle, Marvin Brinkley. . . favorite horse was Four Carrot Diamond, trained by John Semer.	Tho Nguyen Date of Birth: April 11, 1972 Birthplace: Saigon, Vietnam Residence: Lincoln, Nebraska Family: mother, Tram; father, Thang; brother, Scotty; sisters, Elizabeth and Tram Came to the United States in 1984 from Viet Nam. . . grew up in Nebraska. . . first introduced to racing as a senior in high school by a friend's father who was a trainer. . . first time on a horse "he fell in love with riding". . . first rode professionally at Fonner Park in Nebraska. . . rides at racetracks in Phoenix and at Canterbury Downs in Minnesota. . . came to Mountaineer in 2001.