Santa Anita Park has announced five finalists for the 2017 Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, with the winner to be announced in February following a vote of jockeys nationwide.
Veteran jockeys Kerwin Clark, Stewart Elliott, Julien Leparoux, Glen Murphy and Scott Stevens are the finalists for the prestigious trophy that has been presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950.
The Woolf Award, which can only be won once, is presented to a different jockey each year and it recognizes those riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred racing. The trophy is a replica of the life-sized statue of legendary jockey George Woolf, which adorns Santa Anita's Paddock Gardens area.
Woolf, who died following a spill on Santa Anita's Club House turn on Jan. 3, 1946, was regarded as one of the top big-money riders of his era. Known affectionately as “The Iceman,” he was revered by his colleagues, members of the media and fans across America as a fierce competitor and consummate professional who was at his best when the stakes were high.
The 2017 Woolf ballot, which will be distributed to active jockeys across the country, features five highly regarded riders who have plied their trade with honor and distinction.
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