Jockey Bio

David Clark 
David 
Clark 
Born: 10/23/1953  in Blaydon, England 
Resides: Kleinburg, Ontario 
Career Wins at Woodbine
1,460 (since 1991)

2009 

  • paired with Bay to Bay to take the Natalma Stakes
  • won 25 races at the Toronto oval, 20 of which were sprints
  • recorded 69 top-three finishes
Statistics
Woodbine Stakes Wins
 YEAR  WINS
 2009 1
 2008 7
 2007 10
 2006 9
 2005 12
 2004 7
 2003 12
 2002 5
 2001 13
 2000 15
 1999 10
 1998 11
Recent Woodbine Record
YEAR STARTS WINS RANK PURSE EARNINGS
2009 261 25 18 $1,225,297
2008 464 51 11 $3,321,096
 2007 523 88 5 $4,361,315
 2006 537 72 7 $4,343,554
 2005 582 87 6 $4,718,779
 2004 430 55 11 $2,808,626
 2003 658 105 5 $5,591,449
2002 508 69 7 $3,820,339
2001 624 89 4 $4,927,359
2000 715 117 3 $5,574,526
1999 812 136 2 $4,104,641
1998 1021 176 1 $4,137,654
Lifetime
 MOUNTS 1st 2nd 3rd
 19,401 2,783 2,530 2,373

As of December 31, 2009
Career
  • began riding in 1973, winning 32 races that year
  • first added-money win was with Bay Streak in 1975 Grey Stakes
  • won 158 races in 1980 earning a Sovereign Award nomination
  • only jockey to win two Queen's Plates in the 80's (Fiddle Dancer Boy in 1981, La Lorgnette in 1985)
  • one of only three active jockeys to win the Plate more than once (Kabel, 2; Ramsammy, 2)
  • 1998 was a career campaign as he conquered almost every major riding category and received the Sovereign Award as Canada's Outstanding rider
  • on July 17 of that year, Clark made history winning six consecutive races; a feat not accomplished since 1974 when Sandy Hawley turned the double hat-trick
  • in 1999, Clark was named recipient of the prestigious Avelino Gomez Memorial Award
  • his 136 wins in '99  placed him second in the rider standings
  • captured milestone win number 2,000 on Canada Day July 1, 1999
  • continued his excellent run with 136 wins and 15 stakes scores in 2000…had another strong campaign in 2002, despite missing two months of action after a morning training work accident on Aug.15
  • ranked seventh in the colony in wins in 2002
  • recorded five stakes scores in 2002
  • in 2003, Clark eclipsed his previous-high mark for purse earnings, recording $5,591,449 on the season
  • won 12 stakes races (fourth-best in the colony), teaming with trainer Robert Tiller to capture nine added-money events, including five with Brass In Pocket and two each with Winter Garden and Twisted Wit
  • although he missed two months of the 2004 season after fracturing his wrist in a training mishap, Clark still managed to put up some impressive numbers, including seven stakes victories
  • paired with Sovereign Award finalist (Top Older Mare) Winter Garden to take the Hendrie, Sweet Briar Too and Ontario Fashion Stakes
  • took the Flaming Page and River Memories Stakes with My Pal Lana
  • recorded his 2,500th lifetime triumph with Devils Right Hand on June 11, 2004
  • among his recent graded stakes winners are Diadella, Meadow Gem, With Flair, Zanetti
  • among his champions are Brass In Pocket, Poetically, Rare Friends, Wake At Noon and Saoirse
  • in 2005, won 12 stakes races, second only to Todd Kabel (18)
  • teamed with Sovereign Award winner Edenwold (top two-year-old colt) to win the Colin, Vandal and Simcoe Stakes
  • his 26 wins aboard two-year-olds was second to Patrick Husbands' 29
  • in 2006, notched nine stakes wins (tied for fourth in the colony), including two Grade 3 scores with Hide and Chic, the Royal North and Seaway
  • partnered Rush Bay to win the Grade 2 Nijinsky
  • topped the $4-million mark in purse earnings for the seventh time in the past nine campaigns
  • ranked seventh in the colony…in 2007, ranked fifth in the colony in wins (88) and tied for third in stakes scores (10)
  • topped $4-million mark in purse earnings for third consecutive campaign
  • his 24 two-year-old wins were second-best in the category…went 35 for 97 with favourites (36.1%), best among top 15 riders
  • in 2008, recorded 51 Woodbine wins, 38 sprints and 13 routes ranked 11th in the colony and eclipsed the $3-million mark in purse earnings for the fourth consecutive campaign
  • won seven Woodbine stakes events, including two with Stuck in Traffic (Achievement, Bold Ruckus) and a pair with Shilla (Fury and La Voyageuse)
After the Wire
  • began riding career under the tutelage of noted trainer Gord Huntley
  • thought of as one of the track's finest gate riders and young horse specialists
  • didn't rank lower than fourth in the two-year-old win category from 1992 to 2001
  • daughter Cory Clark captured a Sovereign Award as Canada's Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2000
  • David was one of five riders awarded with a ring in a special ceremony at Woodbine in 2003, to honour jockeys who have won over 2,000 career races