Editing Bill Shoemaker (section)

==Early life==
[[File:Jayne Mansfield with jockeys in 1957.jpg|thumb|[[Jayne Mansfield]] with (left to right) jockeys [[Johnny Longden]], [[Eddie Arcaro]] and Willie Shoemaker in 1957]]
Referred to as "Bill", "Willie," and "The Shoe", William Lee Shoemaker was born in the town of [[Fabens, Texas]]. At {{convert|38|oz|kg}}, Shoemaker was so small at birth that he was not expected to survive the night. Put in a shoebox on the oven to stay warm, he survived, but remained small, growing to {{convert|4|ft|10|in|m}} and weighing {{convert|91|lb|kg}}. His diminutive size proved an asset in [[thoroughbred horse racing]], of which he went on to become a giant, despite dropping out of [[El Monte High School]] in [[El Monte, California]].