SAN MARINO, Calif. — Only 2 pounds at birth, Bill Shoemaker grew into a 95-pound horse racing giant.
Known as "The Shoe" throughout his Hall of Fame career, the 4-foot-11 jockey was the perfect fit for great horses. His fame reached every corner of the racing world and beyond, making him one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
Shoemaker died in his sleep Sunday at his suburban home near Santa Anita racetrack, according to longtime friend and trainer Paddy Gallagher. He was 72.
Gallagher, an assistant during Shoemaker's training career that ended in 1997, said doctors told him Shoemaker died of natural causes. Shoemaker, who won the Kentucky Derby four times, had been a quadriplegic since 1991.
"He was one of the greatest human beings I have ever had the pleasure of knowing in my life," said retired jockey Chris McCarron, now general manager of Santa Anita. "Forget about his ability to communicate with horses, his compassion for people was second to none."
It was the second major death in horse racing this year. Johnny Longden, who won the Triple Crown aboard Count Fleet in 1943 and was the only jockey to ride and train a Kentucky Derby winner, died in February at 96.
Shoemaker overtook Longden's record of 6,032 career victories in 1970 and held it until Laffit Pincay Jr. broke Shoemaker's mark in 1999. Shoemaker finished with 8,883 wins.
"For a man his size, wearing a size 2 1/2 shoe, he was a giant," retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye said.
Shoemaker broke his neck when the Ford Bronco he was driving veered off a freeway in suburban Los Angeles, tumbled down an embankment and rolled. He had been drinking after playing golf, and police said his blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit. He sued Ford Motor Co. and won a multimillion-dollar settlement.
He continued training horses for another six years despite being in a wheelchair. He operated the chair by turning his head and breathing into a tube.
"I knew the last couple of years he was having problems," said Delahoussaye, who last spoke with Shoemaker four days ago. "Shoe never let on. He was a quiet guy, he kept a lot of things to himself. He never complained."
Shoemaker is survived by his former wife and his only child, 23-year-old Amanda.
Funeral arrangements were pending.