An industry member from California, Mike E. Smith is a Hall of Fame jockey with more than 5,800 career wins. Smith is one of only 12 jockeys to have won the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and only the second to do so this millennium. He began his riding career in 1982 and has since become one of the most accomplished and respected jockeys in the history of American Thoroughbred racing. Including his Triple Crown victory aboard Justify, Smith has claimed three Belmont Stakes, two Preakness Stakes and two Kentucky Derbies, as well as a record-breaking 27 Breeders’ Cup titles. He earned the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in 1993 and 1994, and, in 2003, was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. A longtime member of Jockeys’ Guild, Smith was elected Co-Chair alongside John Velazquez in 2018, a role he continues to serve in with newly appointed Co-Chair Javier Castellano.

Smith has earned widespread recognition for his character and leadership throughout his career. His honors include the George Woolf Memorial Award, voted on by his fellow jockeys, as well as the Mike Venezia Memorial Award and the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award.