Retired Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, a record nine-time winner of the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), will throw out a ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on April 3 in advance of the Dodgers’ Freeway Series preseason finale with the Angels, which starts at 12:10 p.m. PD).
Stevens will also be an honored guest at Santa Anita Park earlier in the day as he’ll be among a large group of racing luminaries on hand for the Santa Anita Derby Draw Breakfast in the track’s FrontRunner Restaurant, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
“This is really awesome,” said Stevens. “I’m a big Dodger fan and I’m really honored by this. I’m going to bring my wife (Angie) and my little girl (Maddie) and we’re going to take a lot of pictures. It should be a great day!”
Stevens who is currently working as a racing analyst with HRTV and NBC, won his first Santa Anita Derby in 1988 with the brilliant filly Winning Colors. She went on to win the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) as well in the first of three Run for the Roses triumphs for the native of Caldwell, Idaho.
Stevens’ other Santa Anita Derby wins came with Mister Frisky (1990), Personal Hope (1993), Brocco (1994), Larry The Legend (1995), Indian Charlie (1998), General Challenge (1999), Point Given (2001), and Buddy Gil (2003).
In addition to Winning Colors in 1988, Stevens won the Kentucky Derby in 1995 with Thunder Gulch and in 1997 with Silver Charm.
Along with his Kentucky Derby victories, he also had five other Triple Crowns wins, two in the Preakness and three in the Belmont.
