Jockey Bryan McNeil

Born: 03/07/1984, Long Island, New York

Resides: Edmond, Oklahoma

Family: Unmarried 

Bryan, 24 and a natural lightweight, is riding on a regular basis at Oaklawn for the second year. He is son of Tony McNeil, a jockey so proficient that he has been riding 20 years, handling both quarter horses and thoroughbreds. 

"I started out with Jack Brooks, one of the greatest trainers of Quarter-horses ever," recalled Bryan. 

Brooks won his first All American Futurity at Ruidoso in 1978 with Moonlark, took it a second time in 1982 with with Mr. Master Bug, in 1985 with Mr. Trucket Jet and in the 1988 with Merganser. 

Jack also had the rare distinction of finishing first and second in the rich race. 

"I also had the distinction of finishing last and next-to-last. But it is a good feeling just to qualify to run in the race, " chatted Brooksfrom his home in Edmond.           

Bryan said he rode quarter horses for a year and a half,  then when Brooks retired from training, switched to throroughbreds.             

"I started out riding in New Mexico and Oklahoma.  I rode Dashing Uno when he qualified for the Oklahoma Futurity. "said McNeil. 

He enjoyed a good year in 2008.           

“I was on Crook’s Adventure when he won the $100,000 Assault Stakes at Lone Star in early July. Another nice horse I rode was Classic Cowboy,” said Bryan. 

As of now, the jockey's regular circuit is Oaklawn, Lone Star and Remington. 

McNeil's agent is Larry Spraker, a leading rider at Oaklawn in the 1960s, the champion here in 1962. Spraker pulled off a rare double by winning the 1965 Arkansas Derby on Swift Ruler, then taking the 1966 Oaklawn Handicap on the same horse.           

"In those days there were not a lot of stakes' races at Oaklawn," recalled Spraker. "A number of races that are now stakes were run back then as overnight handicaps."