Jack Gilligan
Apprentice jockey Jack Gilligan, brought home his first U.S. winner on his 18th birthday at Belterra Park aboard Aleutian Queen for trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer. That was only his sixth ride in the U.S. “My father was a trainer in England, training horses since before I was born, so I was born right into the sport,” Gilligan stated, while making a quick change after the race to head to Indiana to ride later in the day. “I started riding racehorses out on the heath when I was 13-years old, I did pony racing with my first ride at 16. Gilligan's parents were on hand for the win. “He likes the American style of race riding and the people could not have been nicer to us here. ” His father turned his string of horses over to another trainer in England to see his son off to a good start. When he was informed that this was the track where Steve Cauthen won his first race he said, “Small world, Steve Cauthen was on the first horse I ever led over to the track.”
