Art Sherman

Art Sherman (born February 17, 1937 ) is a former American horse trainer and jockey.

At the age of 77 he became the oldest trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.

He began his career as a stable hand for Rex Ellsworth and Mesh Tenney.

While working in Ellsworth's barn, he was the exercise rider for the 1955 Kentucky Derby winner Swaps and 1956 Kentucky Derby entrant Terrang.

In 1955, he was the exercise rider for Kentucky Derby winner Swaps, who was owned by Ellsworth.

He rode in the train boxcar with the horse while traveling from California to Kentucky, sleeping on a bed of straw next to the horse during the four night trip.

Sherman was also at the 1956 Derby as a stable hand for Ellsworth's horse Terrang, who finished 12th.

In 1957, Sherman became a licensed jockey, enjoying modest success, and began training horses in 1979.

Sherman had trained ten Graded stakes winners and is credited with over 2,100 wins prior to becoming the trainer of California Chrome.

Sherman became a licensed jockey in 1957.

His first win was at Hollywood Park.

In 1959, he won a race in Maryland where then Vice President Richard Nixon awarded the trophy, attracting national attention.

The highlight of Sherman's career came when he beat his idol and future Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro in a race.

"I'll never forget that because after the race he came by and put his arm around me and said, 'You run a good race, son,'" Sherman recalled.

He won over 2,000 races during his riding career.

After riding for over 21 years, he retired from riding as a jockey and began training horses.

Sherman met his wife, Faye, on a blind date while riding in Chicago.

Faye was working for the Illinois Central Railroad at the time, and at first found Sherman's work to be "the most boring thing that's ever been done".

After they were married, she worked in the gift shop at Bay Meadows Racetrack for 30 years before retiring.

One of Sherman's sons, Alan, works together with his father to train their horses.

Earlier, Alan worked as a jockey.

Sherman's other son, Steve, is also a trainer, working out of Golden Gate Fields.

Sherman started training race horses in 1979.

These included Lykatill Hill, who won back-to-back Governor's Handicaps at the California State Fair in 1996 and 1997, 2011 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes winner Ultra Blend, Haimish Hy, winner of the 2010 Hollywood Derby, 2007 Citation Handicap winner Lang Field, and Siren Lure, winner of the 2006 Triple Bend Invitational Handicap.

He has trained 50 horses at a time, but downsized to about 17 in the 2010s.

He was hired to train California Chrome in 2013, due to his "old school" training techniques.

Prior to the 2014 Kentucky Derby, he had conditioned the horse through four consecutive wins, and California Chrome entered the Derby as the favorite and won.

Two weeks later, California Chrome also won the 2014 Preakness Stakes.

Sherman is married and has two sons, Alan and Steve, both in the horse training business.

Art Sherman was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is Jewish.

At the age of seven, his family moved to California.

Sherman became interested in horse racing while working at his father's barber shop when a customer, noticing Sherman was only 5 ft, suggested Sherman become a jockey.

He lived in Whittier, California and attended Whittier High School.

At age 17, Sherman got a job as stable hand on Rex Ellsworth's ranch.

From Ellsworth and trainer Mesh Tenney, he learned to care for, ride, and breed horses.

Sherman's first great-grandchild was born in June 2014.

Sherman owns a home in a north San Diego retirement community, but says he has no plans to retire.

"I wouldn't know what to do with myself," he said.

"[Racing] is the only thing I know. It's a great life. I can't wait to get up in the morning".

Prior to 2014, Sherman had 10 graded stakes winners, some of whom, trained in conjunction with his son Alan, were Grade 1 stakes winners.