He’s looking to make history again!
According to the Paulick Report, Larry Taylor is a former jockey who first got his start more than three decades ago. An Oklahoma native, Taylor accomplished a lot during his time on the track, boasting 14,257 mounts, 1,629 wins, and $17 million earned during his riding career. Taylor made history in 1998 as the first African American jockey to ride at Remington Park. Just 21-years-old at the time, his last ride at Remington would be just two years later. Taylor eventually moved his track to Texas in 1991, spending the rest of his years as a jockey there. Now, he’s returning home to Oklahaoma and Remington Park, this time as a trainer.
“I was born in Oklahoma City and I thought it would be nice to come home,” said Taylor.
He hung up his riding days in favor of training, linking up with Remington’s all-time winningest jockey, Cliff Berry, to train his horses. Berry has 2,124 wins in Oklahoma City along with a career overall of 4,457 wins and more than $67 million earned over his career. The partnership just made sense for Taylor who said together, their winning pedigree can’t be matched.
“Cliff and I have known each other forever. It was just natural for us to get together. I told him I’d love to train for him. I learned from pretty good trainers as a rider with Bubba Cascio, Jack Brooks, and Tom Jordan,” Taylor explained.
Taylor will be entering the Thoroughbred fall-winter meet, set to compete with just four stalls allotted to him. Returning to Remington 30 years later is a full circle moment for Taylor but he’s excited, noting that two of his daughters still live in Oklahoma City. Taylor recalled his glory days on the track, remembering one moment at Remington he’d rather forget. After looking to lose some quick weight to ride what he remembers as “the fastest horse ever,” Taylor headed to the hot box sauna so he could wrestle at 118 pounds. After leaving the sauna he headed directly to the track, riding the horse named Sandy Cat to victory in freezing weather. While a champion, the hot box hack cost him and when he arrived in the winner’s circle, Taylor threw up all over the horse.
Now he’s hoping to enter the Remington winner’s circle again, and this time he’s back and better than ever. To date, his training record is pretty good having started just 3 years ago, but he’s got a ways to go. With 42 starts, three wins, two seconds, and three thirds for $46,635 in earnings, Taylor’s looking to make new history and he’s going back to where it all began, Remington Park.
Congratulations Mr. Taylor! We’re rooting for you. For the full racing schedule and more information about Taylor’s historic return to Remington, visit www.remingtonpark.com.
Cover photo: Larry Taylor, the first Black jockey to ride at Remington is now returning as a trainer/Photo Courtesy of Ann Switalski/Paulick Report