Jon Court

JON COURT 

Born: November 23, 1960

Birthplace: Gainsville, Fla.

Family: wife Krystal, daughters Donielle and Aubrey, sons Justin and Aaron

• The leading rider at Oaklawn in 2000, Jon Court was once again among the leaders in 2012 with 25
victories, including the Martha Washington with Amie’s Dini. He also rode Optimizer to a second-place
finish in the Rebel Stakes and later in the year, won the Grade 3 Kent with the D. Wayne Lukas trainee.
• Optimizer was Court’s second straight Kentucky Derby mount. In 2011, Archarcharch, trained by
his father-in-law Jinks Fires, became his first Derby mount after winning the Southwest Stakes and
Arkansas Derby.
• Court also won the 2010 Arkansas Derby with Line of David.
• Court grew up around horses in Florida, but got his start riding in Colorado in 1980. He later rode in
Louisiana for 12 years before setting up shop in the Midwest where he was a perennial leading rider
at Ellis Park and Hoosier. He moved his tack to California in 2004 and was among the riders featured
in the TV show “Jockey” before returning to the Midwest in 2009.
• Other top mounts for Court include Fleetstreet Dancer, who won the Japan Cup Dirt in 2003 and 2005
Eclipse Award turf champion Leroidesanimeaux, whom he rode to a pair of Grade 1 victories.
• He was honored with the 2007 George Woolfe Award and was secretary of the Jockeys’ Guild for two
terms.