George Woolf

George Woolf
George Woolf and Seabiscuit
Occupation	Jockey
Born	May 31, 1910(1910-05-31) Cardston, Alberta, Canada
Died	January 4, 1946(1946-01-04) (aged 35) Arcadia, California, U.S.
Career wins	721 (19.1%)
Major racing wins, honours and awards
Major racing wins
Arlington Handicap (1932) Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (1932) Latonia Championship (1932) Agua Caliente Handicap (1933) Santa Anita Handicap (1935) San Felipe Stakes (1937) Bay Meadows Handicap (1937, 1938) San Gabriel Handicap (1937, 1945) Havre de Grace Handicap (1938, 1939, 1940) Hollywood Gold Cup (1938, 1939, 1940) Pimlico Special (1938, 1940, 1942) Dwyer Stakes (1938) Los Angeles Handicap (1939) Correction Handicap (1940) Whitney Handicap (1940) Carter Handicap (1940, 1943) Hollywood Derby (1941) Aqueduct Handicap (1942) Jockey Club Gold Cup (1942) Brooklyn Handicap (1942) Lawrence Realization Stakes (1942, 1944) Saratoga Special Stakes (1942, 1944) American Derby (1942, 1943, 1944) Belmont Futurity Stakes (1942, 1943, 1944) Narragansett Special (1942) Metropolitan Handicap (1943) Toboggan Handicap (1943) Coaching Club American Oaks (1943) Hopeful Stakes (1944) Beverly Handicap (1945) Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (1945) Santa Anita Derby (1945) American Classic Race wins: Preakness Stakes (1936)
Honours
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award United States Racing Hall of Fame (1955) Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1976) Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (1956) Life-sized bust at Santa Anita Park
Significant horses
Seabiscuit, Kayak II, Bold Venture, Challedon Alsab, Pavot, Whirlaway, Devil Diver

George Monroe Woolf (May 31, 1910 – January 4, 1946), nicknamed "The Iceman", was a Canadian-born thoroughbred race horse jockey and the namesake of the annual jockey's award given by the United States Jockeys' Guild.

Born on a ranch in Cardston, Alberta, his mother had been a trick rider in a circus and his father rode in rodeos. As such, Woolf was taught to ride horses as a child and as a teenager he rode in horse races and competed in rodeo events in Alberta and Montana. He began racing thoroughbreds professionally in 1928 in Vancouver, British Columbia before going to Tijuana, Mexico and then to Arcadia, California where he would make his permanent home.

Using Santa Anita Park as his home base, George Woolf became one of the premier jockeys of his era known by fellow jockeys and fans as "The Iceman." This nickname was earned by virtue of his renowned patience in waiting for the right time to have his horse make a move in addition to his totally calm attitude even before major races when he would often take a nap while other jockeys nervously paced about.

While he was establishing himself as one of America's leading jockeys, he was diagnosed with what is now known as type 1 diabetes. Only a few years earlier, before the discovery of insulin, such a diagnosis would have been a death sentence. Because of his condition, and the nature of diabetes management in the 1930s and 1940s, Woolf had to regulate his weight so as never to be in a position where he would be forced into rapid dieting. His racing success allowed him to accept only a few mounts each week and for years that kept him in the best possible physical condition. Despite his limited number of races and the fact that he had a relatively short career, George Woolf won ninety-seven major stakes races around the United States including the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes, the American Derby and the Belmont Futurity Stakes three years running. He made history in 1935 when he rode Azucar to victory in the first $100,000 horse race, the Santa Anita Handicap, defeating such greats as Equipoise and Twenty Grand. Woolf finished second twice at the Kentucky Derby and won the 1936 Preakness Stakes. He is also remembered for his tactical performance in the famous 1938 match race when he rode Seabiscuit to victory over the heavily favored U.S. Triple Crown champion War Admiral in the Pimlico Special.

During the running of the fourth race at Santa Anita Park on January 3, 1946, George Woolf fell from his horse as he rounded the clubhouse turn. Suffering from a concussion, he was taken to hospital where he died the following day. Both the jockeys in the race and the track stewards reported that they had not witnessed any incident that would have caused such a fall and it is generally believed his diabetic condition may have resulted in him suffering a dizzy spell or fainting.

George Woolf on Seabiscuit

The shocking death at the age 35 of one of the country's best and most respected jockeys, and a favourite of fans, led to the creation of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. During his career (1928–1946) Woolf had 3,784 mounts, 721 wins (19.1%), 589 seconds and 468 thirds. Following its creation, George Woolf was an inaugural inductee into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1955 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1956. He was part of the inaugural class inducted in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1976.

When asked which was the best racehorse he'd ever ridden, Woolf answered immediately, "Seabiscuit."

A bronze statue of George Woolf was erected in his honour in the European-style paddock at Santa Anita Park. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Woolf is mentioned in the movie The Black Stallion by Francis Ford Coppola as one of the greatest jockeys of all times.

In the 2003 film, Seabiscuit, Woolf was portrayed by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens. Stevens had won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1996.

Marking the 100th anniversary of George Woolf's birth, a life-size equestrian statue is being created for placement in his home town of Cardston, Alberta. The bronze statue depicts Woolf riding Seabiscuit to victory in the 1938 match race against War Admiral. Woolf's birthday is May 31, and the unveiling of the statue is scheduled for July 17, 2010, on the grounds of the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston, Alberta.