Horse Racing Jockey CJ McMahon Arrested for Attempted Murder

CJ McMahon, a decorated horse jockey, was arrested over the weekend in Lafayette, Louisiana. He faces charges of attempted murder after an alleged drive-by shooting. McMahon was also arrested on a weapons charge and a drug possession charge.

According to TMZ Sports, the incident took place on Dec. 27. The authorities originally told the outlet that the case was sealed but later provided details. The police said that McMahon allegedly pulled up to another person's vehicle at a red light and opened fire. The alleged victim then said that the shooter drove away.

The police told TMZ that they were able to identify a suspect through license plate readers. The alleged victim then identified McMahon in a photo lineup. Authorities issued a warrant for the jockey's arrest and brought him in on the attempted murder charge on Saturday.

According to police records, officers originally stopped McMahon for a traffic violation. They ran his name and saw that he had two outstanding warrants from the Dec. 27 incident — one for attempted murder and one for illegal use of weapons. A note on the records said that "Subject was arrested after traffic stop and drugs were found, also an active warrant." McMahon posted an $80,000 bond on Sunday and was released from custody.

McMahon is the son of a Quarter Horse jockey, as well as the grandson of a trainer. According to the Paulick Report, he began riding horses at an early age and took his apprentice jockey's license at 16. He recorded his first win at Evangeline Downs in 2011 and has since registered 1,046 career victories in 6,734 races. He has $22,682,202 in mount earnings.

While McMahon has found success as a jockey in recent years, he struggled this past year. He won only 47 races from 391 mounts and earned $1,147,087. He most recently rode during the Delta Downs meet in Vinson, Louisiana. McMahon won with two of 41 mounts during the competition.

Per the Paulick Report, McMahon's best performances took place during the years of 2015 and 2016. He won 2019 races in 2015 and ranked 11th nationally. He also earned $4,989,625 in 2016 while finding similar success on the track. In his career, McMahon has won three graded stakes: the 2016 Texas Mile Stakes (G3) with Great Minds, the Super Derby (G3), and Oklahoma Derby (G3) with Texas Chrome in 2016.

McMahon previously faced discipline from the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. He reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine and THC in 2017. The commission suspended him for 30 days.