BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Jockey Scott Speith won his 5,000th career race as a Thoroughbred jockey Monday at Presque Isle Downs, guiding Florida-bred Wheelingndealing to victory in the seventh race. Trained by Speith’s wife, Aldana Speith, for owner Bruno Schickedanz, Wheelingndealing won the $32,000 allowance race by a length as the 5-2 favorite.
According to Equibase, Speith began riding Thoroughbreds in 1986 and won his first race in 1987. Through racing on Monday, Speith has 5,000 wins from 31,877 mounts with earnings of more than $67 million. He has a career win percentage of 16% while finishing in the money at a 44% rate. He has riding titles at Thistledown (2005, 2006) and Delaware Park (2017) and is one of 39 Thoroughbred jockeys in North American with 5,000 career wins.
With no agent and riding predominantly for his wife in recent months, Speith just moved to Presque Isle Downs after the couple spent the winter based at Tampa Bay Downs.