Ronnie Allen, Jr.

Born: April 24, 1964 | Birthplace: East Liverpool, OH | Residence: Tampa, FL

First Win: H.’s Shady Lady, Detroit Race Course, 1983 | Started Riding: 1983, Detroit Race Course Circuit: Tampa Bay Downs, Presque Isle Downs

Nicknamed “Rock and Roll” early in his career, Allen proved to be “Mr. Resiliency” after a freak accident in October of 2021 at Presque Isle Downs resulted in a collapsed lung and fractured ribs. He returned to competition at Tampa Bay Downs on April 23 and won in his eighth start back aboard Peaceful Way, a 4-year-old filly trained by Gerald Bennett. Further confirmation that the veteran had returned to his former self came at Presque Isle Downs, where Allen rode 47 winners to finish fourth in the standings. Allen has spent much of his career confounding the naysayers. Two seasons ago at age 57, he finished fifth in the Oldsmar standings with 42 winners, including a victory on March 28 in the Florida Cup Equistaff Sophomore Turf Stakes with Indy Lyon, a gelding trained by his fiancée, Maria Bowersock. Allen rose to prominence at Tampa Bay Downs in the 1980s, winning jockey titles in three of four seasons while setting a (then)-track record of 102 winners in 1987-1988. Away from Tampa Bay Downs, his services were also in demand, and he rode Sport Jet in the 1985 Preakness. In 1993, he won both the Tampa Bay Derby and Sam F. Davis Stakes for 3-year-olds on Marco Bay. It was especially rewarding when Allen won his fourth Oldsmar riding title in 2010-2011 at age 47 with 109 winners. Allen achieved a career milestone in 2013 at Presque Isle Downs, posting victory No. 3,000 on Ghost Flower, a 3-year-old filly trained by Bowersock. His brother Mike is also a jockey, and their father, Ronnie Allen, Sr., saddled almost 1,500 winners during a 40-year training career. Allen entered the current season with 3,936 career victories, and would enjoy nothing more than reaching the 4,000 milestone at Tampa Bay Downs.