Patricia Cooksey

Patricia (also known as Patti or "P.J.") Joen Cooksey (born February 25, 1958 in Youngstown, Ohio, United States) is an American horse racing jockey. She won her first race with Turf Advisor at Waterford Park (now Mountaineer Park) in 1979. A four-time Turfway Park leading rider, Cooksey has won 2,137 wins since beginning her career in 1979, and she was the all-time leading female jockey by number of victories before Julie Krone overtook her. In 1985 she became the first female jockey to ride in the Preakness Stakes, finishing 6th aboard Tajawa. In 2004, she became the first ever female jockey to be voted the NYRA's Mike Venezia Memorial Award, an honor given annually to a jockey who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. Cooksey now resides in Georgetown, Kentucky with her daughter, Chelsea Neal, after living in Shelbyville, Kentucky for over a decade. She is retired from racing and currently works for the Kentucky Racing Commission. In 2006, she was a horse-back riding reporter for ESPN's coverage of the 2006 Breeders' Cup.