Gary Stevens began his career as a horse jockey, overcoming a childhood hip disease to become one of the most successful figures in horse racing. He became the youngest jockey to hit $100 million in earnings in 1993; he is also the fourth biggest earner in the history of the Breeders' Cup. He has won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.
Stevens retired from the sport in 2005, and began working as a racing analyst for TVG, and later, NBC Sports and HRTV. He later jumped into training horses for racing.
Stevens' experience as a jockey led to a role in the 2003 racing film Seabiscuit. This also led to a role in the HBO drama Luck, which also revolves around the world of horse racing.