Pat Day

Jockey

Pat Day's christian testimony

For the past two decades, it has been a common occurrence to see Pat Day in the winner's circle after a horse race. A winner of four Eclipse Awards as the jockey of the year, Day knows what it is like to be the leader of the pack. He also knows how it feels to be at the top of his sport and feel unfulfilled.

"In my case, the Lord let me get a hold of the brass ring and realize it was tied to nothing," said Day. "I found the pot at the end of the rainbow but it was empty. In that, I mean I experienced tremendous success as a jockey. I was the leading rider in the country in the number of races won and realized-having gotten a hold of that brass ring-it didn't satisfy. It's not long-term peace, joy and contentment that I though it would equal to. Having realized that it had me looking."

Day found what he was looking for in a most unlikely way in 1984 and while in a Miami, Florida hotel the night before yet another race. Day was awakened just minutes after going to sleep. He turned the television back on to see a program where a stream of people were answering a call to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. "I recognized and realized in that instant that the presence in that room with me was the Spirit of The Living God and this was my personal altar call," said the winner of nine Triple Crown races, including the 1992 Kentucky Derby. "It was like the scales were removed from my eyes and I knew that I knew what I needed. What I was looking for was a relationship with God that was available only through Jesus Christ."

As Day continued to notch victories, he began to question more and more his future as a jockey-mostly about being in a sport so closely linked to gambling. In 1992, a year after being inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Day needed an answer. "I had a bit of a dilemma," he said. "I prayed about it. I sought the scriptures. I sought Godly council and through that process God revealed to me that He had saved me to work within the industry, not to leave it. To take the talent, abilities and gifts He has blessed me with, the opportunities He was making available to me, to do the very best I could do with that. To use the success as a platform with which to get peoples attention. Having gotten their attention to give Him all the praise and honor and glory for it."

Hearing his name announced as the winner of a race still brings Day great satisfaction. Nothing, however, will compare to what he looks forward to hearing when his time comes to see Jesus face to face. Said Day: "My hearts desire, my lifelong goal is one day to hear Jesus say, 'well done my good and faithful servant."