Jockey Larry Melancon

Born: 08/07/55, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana  Resides: Louisville, Kentucky  Family: Heather, daughter; Lance, son

Larry Melancon, certainly no stranger to Oaklawn fans, got into action on the opening Saturday of the 2008 meet, riding Carl Pollard’s Closetoaten to triumph in a $34,000 optional allowance six furlongs.

In a lengthy jockey career of 36 years, Melancon has ridden many Spa meetings and won his share of important local stakes.

At Oaklawn, in earlier years, he won the American Beauty twice and the Carousel on Morris Code. He won the Honeybee on Jetto and the Rebel and Crabapple aboard Phantom On Tour.

One recalls that he took the King Cotton on Bold Ruckus, Hot Springs on Cheyenne Nation and Rainbow Miss on Kathy T.

“I have ridden some outstanding horses in my career,” said Melancon. “Gallant Bob, an Eclipse champion was one of them. Another was Guided Tour, who won four graded stakes in 2001.I won a lot of races for Lynn Whiting, including stakes on Phantom On Tour, Big Pistol and Pineing Patty. There was also the Blue Grass Stakes on Bachelor Beau.

"My first stakes win ever at the New Orleans Fair Grounds was on My Charmer, who later produced Seattle Slew. Patricia and Gus Blass II’s foundation mare was Fun And Tears on who I won the Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland. I used to ride Rapid Gray, a record setting sprinter,” remembered the jockey, now 52.

Melancon ranks second on the list of stakes-winning riders at prestigious Churchill Downs.

Melancon said he was nine and weighed 45 pounds when he began riding at unrecognized bush meetings in the Evangeline country of Louisiana.These unsanctioned meetings, at places like Lafayette, Church Point, Villa Platte and Breaux’s Bridge, thoroughbreds and quarter horses alike would thunder down a straightaway,many of them ridden by young boys around Melancon’sage.

“As soon as I turned 16, I took out my license and began riding the recognized tracks,” Larry remembered.He rode his first documented winner on a horse named Norman Bodet Sir on September 28, 1971 at Jefferson Downs.

He later ranked as North America’s champion apprentice in 1972 when he rode 182 winners.