He got his start working for trainer Odie Clelland as a stable hand then began riding professionally in 1959 and earned his first win on March 3, 1960, at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans.
He was a long-time fan favorite at Florida Downs in Oldsmar, Florida where he won four races on a single day on February 15, 1968, set a season record with 75 wins in 1969, and by 1975 had won six riding titles.A record that has not been surpassed as of 2023.
[2] In April 2005, Mike Manganello was honored for his Kentucky Derby win with his handprints set in concrete on the "Gallop to Glory" walk at the main entrance to the historic Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.
Mike Manganello is a supporter of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and enjoys riding his Harley-Davidson and gardening in his spare time.
Mike and Kitty recently published his biography titled, The Hartford Hurricane, My Life as a Thoroughbred Jockey which details his road to the Kentucky Derby and full career as a jockey.