Matt Darby
Speed Silks is the brand name of a product line consisting of silks, helmet covers, jockey pants and boot sleeves. All Speed Silks gear is form-fitting and made entirely of Aero Dimplex®, a patented technical fabric that’s uniquely textured to reduce drag.
Aero Dimplex is the world’s most aerodynamically-efficient fabric between 14 and 47 miles per hour. Twenty jockeys competing in this year’s Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita —including winners Bayern and Goldencents¬— were wearing Speed Silks®, a new patent-pending aerodynamically-engineered equine jockey uniform.
Darby Racing Technology, LLC sold the first set of Speed Silks in August of 2013; they have since been worn in multiple graded stakes victories and Triple Crown races. Darby Racing Technology has acquired the likes of Baffert Racing, Conquest Stables LLC, Reddam Racing LLC, Team Valor and many other notable stables and owners as clients. Speed Silks creator Matt Darby says he was thrilled to hear from representatives from both barns, especially since they contacted his company so soon after he opened his doors.
Matt Darby and his wife Darci designed Speed Silks over two years, and built the product from the ground up exclusively for use by jockeys. Both their blueprint and manufacturing process allow for seamless designs; no matter how complex the silks pattern, no seams are added to the garment, as the colors are dyed directly onto the Aero Dimplex fabric. The state-of-the-art dye sublimation process allows for very bright, saturated colors and razor sharp detail. Speed Silks are available with an optional thumb-sleeve cuff, modeled after the jerseys worn by competitive cyclists. Darby says it’s testament to the “form-follows-function” philosophy he stuck to during the design process
