Jockey Cliff Berry

BORN: 8/23/62, Joplin, Missouri

RESIDES: Jones, Oklahoma

FAMILY: Kim, wife; Baylin and Cale, sons

Seemingly, Berry enjoys one excellent year after another. During the 2008 Oaklawn meeting he won with 38 of his 238 mounts, sufficient for fourth place in the season standings.

During the 2008 Spa “live” meeting, his horses earned $771,274. His richest local race of that year was the $100,000 Instant Racing Stakes, which he won April 12 aboard Euphony.

Recently he was asked to name the three all-time career favorite horses of horses he’s ridden. Cliff listed Maysville Slew, Voladora and Raja Omega.

“In 2003 I won my first big race, the $200,000 Winstar Distaff at Lone Star on Voladora. Raja Omega was a lesser horse, but a big favorite of mine. I won eight in a row on him.”

Berry’s big day in 2004 came at Lone Star Park when he rode the veteran Maysville Slew to a neck victory in the $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup.

“That put the old horse over a million in earnings,” said Berry. “He’s won 10 career stakes including the Northern Spur and Essex here at Oaklawn.”

Eight times Cliff has won the Remington Park jockey title.

Berry has been riding 29 years. He started on quarter horses then, in 1980, switched to thoroughbreds. The move came at Louisiana Downs.”

"I started galloping horses for my dad when I was in high school," Cliff remembers. "My father, Bob Berry, who died four summers back, dealt in horses, not only thoroughbreds, but other breeds. I rode my first race at Midway Downs, an unrecognized meeting in Stroud, Oklahoma. Never did I suspect that I’d be still going strong 29 years later.”