Shoemaker to Ride Patchy Groundfog

Bill Shoemaker will ride Patchy Groundfog Saturday at Santa Anita in the final race of his career.

The 58-year-old Shoemaker, who has won a world record 8,833 races, will make his 40,350th start in the $100,000-added Legend’s Last Ride, a one-time-only stakes over one mile on the grass, to be televised nationally.

Patchy Groundfog worked three-eighths of a mile in 35 seconds under Shoemaker this morning, and afterwards the jockey he would ride the 7-year-old chestnut horse Saturday.

Official entries for the race will be taken Thursday. Shoemaker also will chose two alternates.