Gilligan Making Waves at Turfway

Editor's note: Trent Ledbetter is a 19-year-old freshman at Thomas More College in Northern Kentucky studying communications. He was recently accepted into the Keeneland College Ambassador Program, and he writes about racing from a young person's perspective for the TDN.

Jack Gilligan had done his homework. As his horse, Ubiquitous Mantle (Alhaarth) held the lead rounding the final turn at Kentucky Downs, he knew to let her go and just ride, to put the whip away and let her run. And as all the jockeys urged their horses to catch him, whipping them furiously, Gilligan sat calmly as Ubiquitous Mantle won by a nose. The Irish-bred filly went off at odds of 60-1, and was the first Kentucky Downs win for the apprentice jockey.

Born and raised in Newmarket, England, Gilligan finished 2016 with 61 wins and $1,129,237 in earnings. He is currently the third-leading rider at Turfway Park.

Of that initial win, Gilligan said, “It was kind of funny; I'm sitting here waiting for everyone to pass me and then when we crossed the finish, I thought, I just won this race.” This was the win Gilligan needed, as he announced his arrival to American racing.

Gilligan started riding at the age of five. His dad, Patrick Gilligan, has been a trainer in England for nearly 25 years, and had his son working horses out at the age of 13. He attended Newmarket's British Racing School immediately after graduating. Through the course, he was afforded the opportunity to take part in a student exchange with the American Racing Academy and studied under Chris McCarron. From that point on, he said he knew he wanted to return and race in America, and that it was just a matter of graduating and getting the opportunity. Upon completion of the British Racing School, Gilligan served as an apprentice for a year under Sir Mark Prescott and then packed his bags for America. Within four months, he had already won 15 races at Belterra Park and Turfway Park. Gilligan focuses primarily on the Kentucky tracks and with the completion of this past Fall Meet at Keeneland, has won a race at every Kentucky race track. A feat that some jockeys dream of accomplishing, Gilligan has achieved by the age of 20. He has started the new year with five wins in 31 starts through Jan. 14.

Gilligan sat down for an interview at Turfway on a rainy evening where the temperature hovered around 34 degrees with a wind chill around five. But it was evident as he spoke there was nowhere he would rather be. As he talked about racetracks and his experiences, his eyes lit up as he talked about his favorite mounts and how the beauty of Keeneland became even more beautiful when he won his first race there. Asked who he looked up to in the jockey colony, he said Frankie Detorri, but he also mentioned Corey Lanerie and Robby Albarado, and how the two offer him advice and guidance when he asks. He said this is also why he chooses to ride at tracks like Churchill Downs and Keeneland. He acknowledged that although he wasn't getting the wins he would at a smaller track, the experience from riding against other top jockeys was vital. This maturity and understanding helped propel Gilligan's career to a whole new level.

One thing that stands out about Gilligan is his work ethic. The public sees him winning races at Turfway daily, but what they don't see is the behind-the-scenes work that he puts in. Kim Hammond is the winningest female trainer in racing history, and Gilligan rides the majority of her horses at Turfway. When asked about Gilligan, she responded, “Jack's work ethic is unparalleled. He works a lot of her horses in the mornings and that allows him to know how each horse rides. And he really pays attention to each and every horse.” She also complimented Gilligan on how eager he is to work every day. “Jack is Mr. Johnny on the Spot,” she said, “and is always just a call away when I need him to workout a horse.”

Gilligan also gave his thoughts on the youth aspect of racing, and how to get larger amounts of young people out to the tracks. “Horse racing is tricky, because as a young person you can't participate,” he said. “You can participate in football, basketball, and sports like that, but it's not the same with horse racing. It's going to be tough. But the majority of us fall in love with horse racing because of our parents and grandparents taking us. So the key is to not bring the young people, but to bring the crowds, and with the crowds you will have more young people falling in love with the sport.”

Another idea Gilligan touched on was how he wanted to be remembered as a jockey and what he wanted to accomplish in his career. “I want to experience a lot, to win the prestigious races and be remembered as a top jockey, but to really experience all that I can.”