Christopher Wiley Antley (January 6, 1966 – December 2, 2000) was an American National Champion and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey.
Biography He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and grew up in Elloree, South Carolina. He left school at sixteen to ride horses professionally at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. His first win was on a horse named Vaya Con Dinero. Soon, he left Maryland to race in New York and New Jersey and at the age of 18 was the United States Champion Jockey by wins with 469.
In the late 1980s, Antley spent time in a substance abuse clinic. In 1987, he became the first rider to win 9 races on 9 different horses in a single day2000 Sports Calendar of Events: The Day by Day Directory to Local ... By Steve Gietschier Contemporary Books, 1999. , p. 245. and in 1989, he won at least one race a day for 64 straight days.
In 1990, Antley moved to California. In 1991, he rode Strike the Gold to victory in the Kentucky Derby. In 1997, he temporarily retired to deal with weight and drug problems. Then in 1999, Antley returned to ride the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Charismatic, and they won that year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
In the 1999 Belmont Stakes, Charismatic finished third after injuring his leg in the stretch run. Antley jumped off the horse after the finish line and attempted to hold him in place. Due in part to Antley's efforts, Charismatic recovered to stand at stud following surgery.In Service to the Horse: Chronicles of a Labor of Love By Susan Nusser. Little Brown. p. 55
A stock market player, Antley wrote an investor newsletter he called "The Antman Report." During the week leading up to the 1999 Belmont Stakes, he was invited to ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
In December 2000, Antley was found dead on the floor of his home in Pasadena, California. The cause of death was severe blunt force trauma and was investigated by police as a homicide. Later, the coroner's report concluded that Antley had died of multiple drug overdose, and the injuries were likely related to a fall caused by the drugs.
Antley is interred in the Bookhart Cemetery in Elloree, South Carolina, the town he considered his home. Shortly after his death, his wife, Natalie Jowett, a former ABC Sports employee, gave birth to their daughter, Violet Grace Antley.
On April 20, 2015, Antley's induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was announced. His formal induction took place during ceremonies on August 7, 2015, in Saratoga Springs, NY.
A film about Charismatic and Antley was produced by Asylum Entertainment and directed by Steven Michaels, Joel Surnow, and Jonathan Kochas for ESPN's 30 for 30 series. It aired on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.
Triple Crown Record +YearKentucky DerbyFinishPreaknessFinishBelmontFinish1985 - -Skip Trial9th - -1988Private Terms9thPrivate Terms4th - -1989Shy Tom10th - - - -1989 - -Rock Point3rdRock Point6th1990 - - - -Country Day9th1991Strike the Gold1stStrike the Gold6thStrike the Gold2nd1992Dance Floor3rdDance Floor4th - -1993 - - - -Cherokee Run6th1994Powis Castle8th - - - -1995In Character (GB)10th - - - -1996Louis Quatorze16th - - - -1999Charismatic1stCharismatic1stCharismatic3rd Kentucky Derby: 8-2-0-1
Preakness: 6-1-0-1
Belmont: 5-0-1-1
References
External links
Interview with wife at time of induction to Hall of fame