Comments (0) Best Jockey - 2000
Jorge Chavez
They call him "Chop Chop," and not necessarily with admiration. In the blueblood circles of horseracing, Jorge Chavez has long been looked upon with a wary eye for his demonstrative (some would say brutal) use of the whip. But at four feet, ten inches -- tiny even by jockey standards -- Chavez leverages every ounce of his body into making his horses run. It may be ugly, but it's effective. At the ripe age of 39, the former Peruvian street urchin has found horseracing glory. Last year he rode two winners in the Breeders' Cup and was the top finisher during the Gulfstream season. Chavez capped off the year by winning the Eclipse Award for top rider in the country, besting such better-known Gulfstream stablemates as Pat Day and Jerry Bailey and permanently catapulting himself out of the ghetto of 30-to-1 long shots and claiming races. So for now, at least, make that Mr. Chop Chop.
