Background
The son of horse trainer Moody Jolley, LeRoy Jolley has been around horses all his life at age nineteen received a New York State trainer"s license.
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LeRoy Jolley
Edit ProfileCareer
In 1961, the 24-year-old LeRoy Jolley was the trainer of the colt Ridan who at age two went undefeated in seven races including wins in the Arlington Futurity and the Washington Park Futurity. He then earned the first of his two Florida Derbys while defeating the future Hall of Fame filly, Cicada. In that year"s Travers Stakes at the Saratoga Race Course, Ridan lost by a fraction of a nose to Jaipur in one of the most dramatic races in American Thoroughbred racing history and one that is still written and talked about today.
Jolley went on to train two Kentucky Derby winners, first with Foolish Pleasure in 1975 then with Genuine Risk in 1980.
In 1987, LeRoy Jolley was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Achievements
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The heavy favorite going into the Kentucky Derby, Ridan ran wide throughout the race and wound up third in a hard fought race where he and Roman Lincolnshire finished a neck behind upset winner Decidedly whom Ridan had easily beaten in the Blue Grass stakes. He won numerous other important American graded stakes races including the 1986 Breeders" Cup Turf and the 1987 Arlington Million with Manila plus the 1990 Breeders" Cup Juvenile Fillies with Meadow Star.
