Ángel Tomás Cordero Jr. (born: November 8, 1942) is one of the leading

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

s of the late 20th-century and the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the United States' Racing Hall of Fame. He led all jockeys in wins at

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actua ...

for thirteen years. Cordero rode three

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

winners and won over 6000 races in his career.

Early years

Cordero was born in Santurce,

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

where he began racing at a young age. His father, Ángel Cordero Sr., was a rider and Throughbred trainer. His grandfather and uncles were also riders and horse trainers. His hometown in America is on

Long Island, NY Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

American Classic Races

Cordero was the first Puerto Rican jockey to win all three of the

American Classic Races In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three ...

, the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

, and

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

, though not all in the same year. In 1974, when he was 31, Cordero won the

aboard

Cannonade Cannonade (May 12, 1971 – August 3, 1993) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of the 1974 Kentucky Derby. Background Owned and bred by prominent businessman John M. Olin, Cannonade was foaled at Gainesway Farm i ...

. He won the Derby twice more, making him one of only eight jockeys to win the race three or more times in the Derby's history. In 1976, he won on

Bold Forbes Bold Forbes (March 31, 1973 – August 9, 2000) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1976 Kentucky Derby and 1976 Belmont Stakes. Background Bold Forbes was a bay horse bred in Kentucky by Lee Eaton. Bold Forbes' dam Comely Nel ...

and in 1985, on Spend A Buck. In 1976, Cordero won the

, and he won the

twice, once in 1980 aboard

Codex The codex (plural codices ) was the historical ancestor of the modern book. Instead of being composed of sheets of paper, it used sheets of vellum, papyrus, or other materials. The term ''codex'' is often used for ancient manuscript books, with ...

(his winning status was not overturned despite widely-publicized accusations of illegal block-maneuvering and face-lashing of opponent-filly Genuine Risk with his whip) and the second time in 1984, aboard

Gate Dancer Gate Dancer (1981–1998) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as a winner of an American Classic Race, the Preakness Stakes, and for his part in a three-horse finish in the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Classic. Bred in F ...

. Among his other accomplishments, Cordero was the winner of four

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

races and was the leading rider at

for thirteen years. In 1987, Cordero became the fourth jockey to win over 6,000 races. In 1992, Cordero's career was cut short after a fall which nearly cost him his life. His spleen was removed due to the accident that occurred at Aqueduct. However, against the wishes of his family and friends, in 1995, Cordero saddled up again to ride the Breeders' Cup once more.

Later years

Cordero has now retired from riding, but continues to be involved in the sport full-time. He was the agent of fellow Puerto Rican horse jockey,

John Velazquez John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both ye ...

. Cordero's wife, Marjorie Clayton Cordero, who was also a well-known figure in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

's thoroughbred racing, died on January 22, 2001. Cordero is the father of five children. Cordero was inducted into

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

in 1988 and in 2001, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. In 2010 he was inducted into the African-American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame. In an interview in December 2021, Cordero spoke about his life-long friendship with

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

Orlando Cepeda Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes (; born September 17, 1937), nicknamed "the Baby Bull" and "Peruchin", is a Puerto Rican former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for six teams from 1958 to 1974, primarily the San Francisco Giants. A ...

, who he considers his brother. In 2021, Cordero was based in New York full-time and working with

Manuel Franco Manuel Franco (July 9, 1871 – June 5, 1919) was President of Paraguay from August 15, 1916, to June 5, 1919. Childhood and Youth Doctor Manuel Franco was born in Concepción on June 9, 1871, in times of the government of Cirilo Antonio Rivar ...

, a Puerto Rican jockey.

References

Angel Cordero Jr.'s profile at the United States' National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordero, Ángel Jr. United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Puerto Rican jockeys American Champion jockeys Eclipse Award winners People from Santurce, Puerto Rico Sportspeople from San Juan, Puerto Rico 1942 births Living people

Early years

American Classic Races

Later years

See also

References