Apprentice rider Enrique Pacheco, 24, won the first race of his career today at Calder Race Course. Sondeo, the
jockey's winning mount, is trained by Juan Rizo, for whom Pacheco is an exercise rider. He literally grew up working for the Rizo family's Santa Cruz Ranch. He started on the ranch in Peru, where his father has worked for 25 years, and moved to South Florida nearly two years ago. This was the 12th mount of his career.
An excerpt from Women in Racing
The family of jockey Isiah Sala visited Marquis Downs on Monday, a day after the 23-year-old died from injuries sustained during a racing accident at the track.
A jockey was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution after California investigators found he purposely fell off his mounts to collect disability benefits.
Michael Walker won New Zealand's jockey championship at age 16. Now a much older and wiser 17, Walker recently matched and will soon eclipse the country's record for most wins in a year.
New Zealand jockey sensation Michael Walker equalled Lance O'Sullivan's New Zealand record of 162 wins in a season today. O'Sullivan set that total in the 1996-97 season.
He may ride for a Saudi Arabian prince, but Gary Stevens hasn't lost touch with the common man. As the 38-year-old native of Caldwell, Idaho, was leaving the winner's circle ceremonies following Point Given's redemptive victory in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Stevens spotted Gladys McHargue, a female outrider, perched on her pony, tears streaming down her cheeks. He turned to wife Nikki, who was carrying a bouquet of black-eyed Susans, plucked out a single flower, and handed it to McHargue, then reached up to give her a warm embrace and exchange a few private words.
Kent Desormeaux got off to a good start, with three wins, two seconds, and two third-place finishes in 11 rides his first weekend in Japan.
From Ascot to Del Mar to Suffolk Downs, Jerry Bailey was aboard 59 stakes winners around the world in 2000.
The death of jockey Chris Antley has been ruled an accidental overdose by the Los Angeles County coroner. In a report finalized Thursday, the coroner attributed Antley's death to multiple drug intoxication. Initially, Pasadena, Ca., police ruled the jockey's death a homicide after finding his body face down in a hallway of his Pasadena home Dec. 2. Four drugs were found present in Antley's body, according to toxicology tests performed by the coroner.
Jockey Russell Baze earned his 400th win on the year in Thursday's fourth race at Golden Gate Fields. With the win Baze reached the 400-win mark for the eighth time in nine years.
Stewards suspended jockey Norberto Arroyo, Jr., for 10 days Thursday for careless riding aboard Pretty Boundary in Aqueduct's fourth race on Nov. 29.
Jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. earned career victory 9,000 Saturday at Oak Tree at Santa Anita, winning his third race of the day aboard Chichim in the Louis R. Rowan California Cup Distaff Handicap to reach the milestone. After accomplishing that feat, the veteran rider then added two more winners to bring his total for the day to five.
Jockey Robby Albarado remained hospitalized at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday for treatment of injuries he sustained during the ninth race at Keeneland on Friday.
Jockey Anibal Prado notched his 1,000th career victory as Philadelphia Park on Sunday, when he guided Run Judge Run to a neck-length victory in the track’s sixth race.
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