Report: Jockey Gary Stevens retires, this time for good

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, 55 years old and a winner of 5,187 races, has retired from riding due to a spinal injury, the Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman reported Tuesday.

According to DRF, doctors told Stevens his C-4 vertebrae is near his spinal cord, and a fall could lead to serious issues. Dr. James Tibone "didn’t mince any words," Stevens said, telling him, "You’re done."

Del Mar's stable notes indicated Stevens was taking off his mount Sunday due to a pinched nerve in his neck. An MRI clarified a different, more impactful issue.

Stevens returned from retirement before -- twice in fact -- after knee injuries that required total replacement in 2014. Overall, he won 11 Breeders' Cup races, three Kentucky Derbys, and his comeback included a 2013 Preakness Stakes score aboard Oxbow.

The Idaho native and son of a trainer began riding professionally in 1979. His first Derby victory came in 1988 aboard the filly Winning Colors, and he followed that up with wins in 1995 (Thunder Gulch) and 1997 (Silver Charm).

Initiation to the Hall of Fame came relatively early, in 1997. A year later, Stevens won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey.

Before his most-recent injury, Stevens told DRF he was "getting close anyway" to a third and final retirement.

"Now it will be time to pursue other things," he added, "but thank God I’m not in a wheelchair."

Outside of his career in the saddle, Stevens worked as a racing analyst during his previous retirements. He also played a jockey in the movie Seabiscuit as well as in HBO's series Luck.

From the archives: Gary Stevens' career highlights