Stewart Elliott
The ultimate journeyman jockey who seized a single, perfect chance to win the Kentucky Derby and etch his name in racing history.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American thoroughbred jockey·Birthday: March 1·Generation X
Biography
For decades, Stewart Elliott was the definition of a hardworking racetrack lifer. The Canadian rider built a solid, unspectacular career on the tough circuits of Philadelphia and New Jersey, piling up thousands of wins away from the sport's brightest lights. He was a known quantity, respected for his consistency and work ethic, but not considered a star. All of that changed in 2004 when he was given the mount on Smarty Jones, an undefeated Pennsylvania-bred colt with a humble backstory that mirrored his own. Elliott and the horse formed an instant, symbiotic partnership. Their charge through the Triple Crown season captured the public's imagination—the blue-collar jockey on the people's horse. They won the Kentucky Derby in thrilling fashion, giving Elliott one of the most unlikely Derby victories in history. They followed it with a dominant Preakness win, coming within a length of the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes. Though the perfect ending slipped away, Elliott's ride on Smarty Jones remains a quintessential underdog story, proving that in horse racing, greatness can find you when you least expect it.
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.
Stewart 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 Stewart Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Stewart'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
- Won the 2004 Kentucky Derby aboard the beloved underdog Smarty Jones.
- Won the 2004 Preakness Stakes with Smarty Jones, setting up a Triple Crown bid.
- Has recorded over 5,000 career wins in North America.
- Was the leading rider at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing) multiple times.
Did You Know?
His Kentucky Derby victory aboard Smarty Jones was his very first mount in the race.
He began his riding career at the age of 16 at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg.
He and Smarty Jones were both from Pennsylvania, making their Derby win a huge local story.
“I rode that horse like I'd ridden a thousand others, just this time it was the Derby.”
