Mike E. Smith
A masterful jockey whose peerless timing and grace in the saddle have defined horse racing's biggest stages for over three decades.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American jockey·Birthday: August 10·Generation X
Biography
Mike E. Smith won the Triple Crown aboard Justify in 2018, becoming the oldest jockey ever to achieve that feat. His ice-cool style and perfect synchronization with his mount have kept him at the pinnacle of thoroughbred racing long after most contemporaries retired. Smith's career includes Breeders' Cup championships and classic victories. He possesses a knack for peaking with the best horses at the right moment. More than a rider, he studies pace analysis and develops an almost psychic connection with animals. That intelligence has made him the go-to jockey for generations of top trainers.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mike was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mike Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Mike's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Rode Justify to the Triple Crown in 2018, becoming the oldest jockey (age 52) to win the title.
- Holds the record for most Breeders' Cup wins by a jockey, with 27 victories.
- Inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2003.
- Ranks third all-time in career earnings for North American jockeys, surpassing $356 million.
Did You Know?
He is known by the nickname 'Big Money Mike' for his success in major races.
He began his career riding in New Mexico at age 11 on the amateur rodeo circuit.
He served as the model for the jockey in the 2003 Disney film 'Seabiscuit'.
He won the Kentucky Derby in 2005 aboard Giacomo, a 50-1 longshot.
“You have to have a lot of patience. You can’t force a horse to do something it doesn’t want to do.”
