LOS ALAMITOS, CA—DECEMBER 14, 2019—A career filled with huge graded stakes victories aboard some of the best horses in the sport will be coming to an end in just a few more weeks, as three-time AQHA champion jockey Cody Jensen shared that he'll be retiring from riding at the end of 2019.

Jensen will ride Up And Coming in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in the ninth race on Sunday after piloting the superstar filly Flash And Roll in the Grade 1 Champion of Champions.

"It's a finality. I've come to grips with it. I'm excited," Jensen said. "It's going to be bittersweet because I'll never get to come down this straightaway again (at Los Alamitos) after Sunday and that's going to be real tough."

Jensen feels the time is right to end a great career in which he's won 1,662 Quarter Horse races, 101 graded stakes races and 50 Grade 1 stakes races. He's ridden five different millionaires to their biggest career wins in All American Futurity winners No Secrets Here and Teller Cartel, All American Derby winner Hotstepper, and Rainbow Derby winner Wicked Courage and Houdini. Jensen's career has features winning mounts aboard many of the greats in the sport. He rode Snowbound Superstar to win after win at 870 yards at Los Alamitos. He rode Catchmeinyourdreams to three straight wins in the Los Alamitos Invitational Championship. He's won Grade 1 stakes with Lotta Blues Man, Inseperable, A Revenant, American Runaway, Kiss My Hocks, Wave Her Down, Flash And Roll, Chazaq. But now the time is right to walk away on top.

"Overall my body, my time and everything," Jensen said. "It's time to hang them up. The injuries have accumulated over the years. It's getting a little too tough. It's time to cheer them on from the grandstand. I'll tip my beer to the next guy that wins the Two Million.

"G.R. ended his career in the Two Million with Flash And Roll last year. Heck, if I jump up and win the Champion of Champions on her, nobody is going to want to rider her because she ends too many careers. I'm really lucky. I feel like I'm still able to ride at a high level, but I don't ever want my body to get to the point where I can't ride at that high level again. I never want to be the guy where people say, 'You know, he used to be good. He should have hung it up." I'll go ahead and step away while I feel that I'm still riding well and have something to contribute and get on horses like Flash And Roll and Up And Coming. To ride those type of horses for my sendoff is pretty great."

Jensen's most memorable win may have come in the Grade 1 Champion of Champions last year when he guided Bodacious Eagle to victory for owner Johnny Trotter and trainer Justin Joiner.

"This one is pretty big," Jensen said on that night. "I've been coveting this race for a long time. It's kind of like the last real bucket list race that I've been wanting to scratch off. I've always said that I could walk away very happy with my career, but a Champion of Champions (win) wouldn't hurt. It meant a lot to get it done. I've had some very good horses in this race, from Catchmeinyourdreams a couple of time to Jess You And I. I had four that qualified to the Champion of Champions one year and (my mount) No Secrets Here had to be scratched the morning of the race. I got to watch my other three run. To get this win, it's just so special."

Jensen is looking forward to spending some time with his wife, Amy Jensen, and also enjoying some new freedoms now that he'll no longer have to worry about making riding weights. "We have some plans in the works. We're going to go back home in Utah and try to start some stuff up there. Right now my immediate plans are just to get fat," Jensen said with a laugh.

A great rider. A great career.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.