Deshawn L. Parker (born January 8, 1971, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a Thoroughbred horse racing jockey who is a two-time United States Champion.
[2] On June 21, 2022, while racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Parker rode his 6,000th career winner, For Mama, becoming one of only 21 jockeys to reach that rarified air.
In his first five years riding from 1988 through 1992, Deshawn Parker won just 60 races in total.
It marked the first time an African-American had done so in the sport since James "Soup" Perkins one hundred and fifteen years earlier in 1895.
On May 6, 2012, Parker won six races on a single racecard at Mountaineer Racetrack in New Cumberland, West Virginia, where he had made his home base for many years and where he is the all-time leading jockey in wins.