Retired American jockey James Long is dead

Retired American jockey James Long who rode at Caymanas Park from the late 1980s to the 1990s, has died in a motor vehicle accident in Kentucky, USA. Long was killed after he lost control of his car which went off the roadway on Tuesday night. He was on his way home from a speaking engagement in Louisville.

During his time in Jamaica, Long rode for several trainers including Andrew Nunes, Richard Phillips and the late Frank Parham.

One of his biggest victories at Caymanas Park came aboard Paper Chase for trainer Andrew Nunes in the 1988 Gold Cup. He rode 153 winners from 1248 mounts at Caymanas Park with stakes earnings of $5.5 million dollars.

His overall career spanned from 1974 to 2008. At one point in his career, Long was the only black jockey riding in Kentucky. Up to the time of his passing, the 62 year old Long worked as a steward at the Hazel Park race track in Michigan.