David Cohen

Jockey

Born: Oct. 29, 1984

  • Cohen finished third in the 2020 standings at Oaklawn. Among his highlights in 2020 were riding Selflessly to victory in the Lake George Stakes (G3) at Saratoga and besting two-year-olds in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) aboard Keepmeinmind at Churchill Downs.
  • David Cohen won 75 races in 2019 at Oaklawn to end Ricardo Santana Jr.’s six-year reign as leading rider. Meet was highlighted by stakes victories aboard Power Gal in the $125,000 Martha Washington for 3-year-old fillies and Heartwood in the $100,000 King Cotton for older sprinters.
  • First-call rider for Robertino Diodoro, Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 2020, and M and M Racing (Mike and Mickala Sisk), Oaklawn’s leading owner the last three years.
  • Cohen ranked second to Santana in purse earnings in 2019 at Oaklawn ($2,580,456).
  • Cohen used his first Oaklawn meeting in 2018 as a springboard to his best year overall in almost a decade.
  • Cohen, who had never ridden in Hot Springs, won 37 races to finish third in the standings, bankrolling $1,662,335 in purses. Cohen ranked 23rd nationally in purse earnings in 2018 ($6,775,883), his highest total since 2010 ($6,982,006).
  • In 2009, Cohen ranked sixth nationally in victories (288) and 24th in purse earnings ($7,357,326) competing in New York and the Mid-Atlantic.
  • Won the prestigious $1 million Travers Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds in 2012 at Saratoga aboard Golden Ticket, who dead-heated with Alpha.
  • Won riding titles at Delaware Park and Parx before a leg fracture in early 2014 stalled his career. Following an absence of more than three years, Cohen returned to the saddle Nov. 30, 2017, at Fair Grounds, where he guided Princess Dinah to a fourth-place finish in a starter/optional claimer for Diodoro and M and M.
  • Cohen rode 24 winners for Diodoro in 2018 at Oaklawn, with 20 of those owned by M and M. Cohen’s first Oaklawn stakes victory came aboard Georgia’s Reward in the $100,000 Rainbow Miss for 3-year-old Arkansas-bred fillies.
  • Now makes Arkansas and Kentucky his year-round circuit.
Photo of David Cohen