The Laguna Beach High School graduate became the first Jewish jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby — on Keepmeinmind (2021) — since Walter Blum in 1973. David Cohen rode his horse to a 7th place finish out of 20 horses. He next rode that horse to a 4th place finish in the Preakness Stakes two weeks later. In 2006, 21-year-old David won the $2 million Golden Shaheen in Dubai. But in 2012 he won the Jewel of Saratoga by winning the Travers in that race’s only dead heat result in the 148-year history of the race.

David got his first taste of racing from his father — who was a local breeder and horse owner in Arcadia. He apprenticed at Del Mar in 2004 at age 19. He advanced to compete nationally and has won over 1,500 (including more than a dozen Grade 2 Stakes) races in over 10,000 starts along with nearly 5,000 top 3 finishes, and has won over $60 million in purses. He won racing titles at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania and at Delaware Park. In 2014, he suffered a near career-ending racing injury that took three years from which to recover, and in 2018 David became Comeback Jockey of the Year at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. The following year he was the Jockey Champion of 2019.