Born in the year 1960 in the heart of thoroughbred racing that is Kentucky, Cauthen rode his first race at Churchill Downs at the tender age of 16. That he was a lad full of promise was evident the very next year when he won a record 23 races in one week. That year, he became the first rider to earn $6 million in one year. Riding his purple patch to bigger things ahead, Cauthen went on to bag the coveted Triple Crown with the American legend Affirmed when still only 18 years of age.
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| Steve Cauthe |
Thereafter however, Cauthen endured a lean spell of 110 consecutive losers. It was an unbelievable period for both him and his millions of fans across the globe. Riding in California did not prove too fruitful for him and off he went across the Atlantic to England. In the year 1979, he signed up for owner Robert Sangster. Within weeks, he had won the 2000 Guineas with Tap On Wood. In the year 1984, he became the first American born rider since 1913 to win the jockeys championship with a tally of over 130. Subsequently, he took over from Lester Piggott as Numero Uno to Henry Cecil’s stable in 1985. Cauthen dominated the classics that year with Slip Anchor. At that point of time, he became the only rider to have won both the Kentucky and Epsom Derby.
That year, he notched up a phenomenal 195 winners. Though he lost out to Pat Eddery in the numbers game the next year, he was again at the helm of affairs in ’87 with 197 winners. That very year, he took Epsom by storm again with a colt named Reference Point. The colt became the first since the legendary Nijinsky in 1970 to win the Doncaster St Leger as well. However, it was not all hunky dory for Cauthen that year as his ride in the Oaks snapped a fore cannon bone when well placed to strike. Much to Cauthen’s disappointment, Reference Point failed to come good in the Arc de Triomphe. He had the consolation of picking up his thousandth winner in Britain with Picnicing in Brighton.
There was no derby ride for Cauthen from Cecil’s yard in 1988 but the duo brought off an English-Irish Oaks double with Diminuendo. Disaster struck later that year when he suffered a terrible fall at Goodwood. Though he was unable to ride for the rest of the season, he recovered well.
Some of his other major successes during an illustrious career included the Ascot Gold Cup with Gildoran (1984) and Paean (1987) and the Eclipse Stakes with Pebbles in 1985.
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