8/26/2024

(Auburn, WA) Two of Emerald Downs’ most popular jockeys have been on the sideline due to injuries suffered just prior to the 2024 season. Kevin Radke was injured in a spill at Turf Paradise on April 19 in a training accident. He broke several ribs and a punctured lung. Many didn’t know but he also tore his achilles tendon and that is the injury that has been most problematic to get healed properly.

Jennifer Whitaker is the all-time leading female jockey at Emerald Downs and she suffered a significant ankle injury just prior to the season after getting stepped on by a horse. She has had several screws put into her ankle as it heals and she will not be making a comeback in 2024. Whitaker is aiming for 2025.

Whitaker is the only female rider to win a Longacres Mile and did it on Wasserman in 2008 for trainer Howard Belvoir. Whitaker has ridden nearly 100% for Belvoir over the past several seasons. 

Meantime, Kevin Radke has made a different decision, he is retiring for good this time. Radke now 52 years old told ESN earlier he had hoped to be back by the beginning of July but later said his body just wasn’t healing like he had hoped especially the achilles tendon.

He had one thing to do before he made his retirement offcial. By 9am Monday morning ESN got word that Radke had passed his CDL license test and now has made it official that he will be mounting up in a big rig from now on and has officially retired from horse racing. 

Radke was preparing to ride his 3rd full season since returning to riding full time in 2021. Radke began his career in 1998 and won the Emerald Downs Jockey Championship in 2002 and 2003. He finished his career with 1,323 wins, 1,182 2nds and 1,115 3rds from 8,064 starts. His career earnings were $18,260,454.

He came into 2024 as the 5th all-time leading rider at Emerald downs with 669 wins. He was 6th in earnings at Emerald with $7,332,251. He is one of only 3 jockeys to record a 6 win day and only one to do it twice on Septemeber 2, 2002 and again at the age of 51 on May 21, 2022. He also had five 5-win days at Emerald. He is #9 on the all-time win percent standings at 19%.

He is 6th on the Emerald all-time Stakes win with 33. In 2002 he won 8 stakes races with the biggest being the $125,000 Emerald Breeders Cup Derby aboard Flying Notes. His last stakes win came on July 16, 2023 aboard Clovisconnection in the Irish Day Stakes.

But there is no disputing which horse Emerald fans associate Radke with the most and that’s Papa’s Golden Boy. The speedy Papa and the family ownership group of the Lusk family to trainer and former jockey Vince Gibson was a true fan favorite and Radke was the last piece of that puzzle.

Radke and Papa won for the last time together in Papa’s last Stakes win in the Muckelshoot Tribal Classic on September 18, 2022. This race was the 1st time Papa won going 2 turns and beat Slew’s Tiz Whiz by a neck. This was the race after the Longacres Mile that Slew ran down Papa in the final 16th giving both Papa and Radke their best finish in the Longacres Mile taking 2nd.

Radke says the decision to hang it up really wasn’t that hard, it’s a tough business and my body is the one with the last say and it’s time. He got his CDL license and plans on getting into the big rigs for now but says he is keeping all his options open. He has been approached about maybe becoming a jockey agent, some even encouraged him to think about becoming a steward.

Radke says he needs to get away from the sport for now and get that itch to compete out of his system for good. He says maybe he will come back later but wants to live outside the horse racing bubble for a while and see where his path takes him.

Radke will be missed by his fellow jockeys, the back stretch crews and everyone in the industry and of course his many fans who know one of the good guys did it right, with integrity, honesty and gave it everything he had for the sport so many love.

Papa’s Golden Boy wins the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic

www.elisportsnetwork.com