Day set to retire

Pat Day will end his Hall of Fame career on Thursday (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day will announce his retirement from racing during a

press conference at Churchill Downs on Thursday.

The rider, who is racing's all-time money leading rider, is expected to take up

a position helping the Race Track Chaplaincy of America program.

"He went on sabbatical and the Lord assured him it was time to move on and

pursue a different direction in his life," Doc Danner, Day's agent, told

the Blood-Horse.

Day began his Eclipse Award-winning career in 1973 and ranks fourth on the

all-time list of leading jockeys by victories with 8,804 wins. The 51-year-old

rider was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991 and is the all-time leading

jockey at Churchill Downs and Keeneland. He owns nine wins in Triple Crown

races.

Among his more prominent scores are victories in the 1992 Kentucky Derby (G1)

aboard Lil E. Tee, the 1990 Preakness S. (G1) with Summer Squall and the 1989

Belmont S. (G1) with Easy Goer. He's captured 12 Breeders' Cup races, four of which came in the Classic (G1)

with Wild Again (1984),

Unbridled (1990), Awesome Again (1998) and Cat Thief (1999).

Day became Thoroughbred racing's all-time leading rider by earnings when

capturing the 2002 Sword Dancer Invitational H. (G1) aboard With Anticipation.