Mark Guidry

At the age of nine Mark Guidry began riding quarter horses on the Cajun bush tracks of south Louisiana. A Lafayette, LA native born on 6 August 1957, Mark turned professional jockey at the age of 16 riding thoroughbreds at Evangeline Downs in Lafayette and Delta Downs in Vinton, LA. In 1974 he won his first stakes race at the Fairgrounds in New Orleans. Relocating to Chicago in the 1986, Mark became a perennial winner and has received numerous awards and titles. He has garnered five Hawthorne riding crowns, six titles at Sportsman's Park, one at Arlington and one at Delta Downs. In 1997 Mark was elected to the Hawthorne Race Course Hall of Fame. Finishing in the money (1st, 2nd or 3rd) in almost 50% of his races, Mark is one of only 34 jockeys to ride over 5000 winners. In 1992 he had three separate six-win days. Well regarded by his peers, he received the prestigious George Woolf Award in 2006 honoring jockeys whose character and career reflect positively on themselves and on racing. Initially retiring in late 2007, Mark became a trainer and teacher to aspiring jockeys. Bitten by the riding itch, he returned to racing briefly from 2011-2014 before finally retiring with 5,222 wins. In 2012 the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inducted Mark Guidry into their prestigious ranks. Today Mark is a Louisiana Racing Steward and lives in Louisiana with his wife Tina. They have three children - Marcus, Mecus and Fallon.