or Willie Shoemaker in full William Lee Shoemaker
born Aug. 19, 1931, Fabens, Texas, U.S.
died Oct. 12, 2003, San Marino, Calif.
U.S. jockey.
He began his racing career in 1949. He rode in 24 Kentucky Derbies and won four; he also won the Belmont Stakes five times and the Preakness twice. He rode more than 8,800 winners in his 41-year career, which ended in 1989, and he is considered the greatest American jockey of the second half of the 20th century.