Retired Thoroughbred Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, 43, came full circle on Labor Day, as TVG commentator for the All American Quarter Horse Futurity at Ruidoso Down, New Mexico.

As the son of a racehorse trainer, Stevens grew up around tracks in the Northwest and began racing Quarter Horses when he was barely a teen. A move to Southern California in the mid-1980’s saw Stevens’ career skyrocket on the Thoroughbred scene.

In 1993, Stevens became the youngest rider to surpass $100 million in earnings. During his career, he won eight Triple Crown races, including the Kentucky Derby with Winning Colors, in 1988; Thunder Gulch, in 1995; and Silver Charm, in 1997. When he retired in 2005 with more than $230 million in earnings, Stevens counted a prestigious Eclipse Award among his many honors.

Voted one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People,” Stevens added acting to his list of accomplishments in 2003, when he portrayed jockey George Woolf in the blockbuster film Seabiscuit. Fittingly, Stevens had received the coveted George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1996.

On March 29, 2006, NBC announced that Stevens would replace Charlsie Cantey as their commentator for horseracing coverage. Stevens is currently a racing analyst and commentator for both NBC Sports and TVG.