Garrett Keith Gomez (January 1, 1972 – December 14, 2016) was an American

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 ...

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 ...

who won two

Eclipse Awards The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century Great Britain, British racehorse and Father, sire, Eclipse (horse), Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is ...

and thirteen

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 during his career.

Racing career

Early career

Gomez learned to ride by watching his father, Louie, who was a jockey at many tracks in the Southwest United States. When Gomez was in the tenth grade, he dropped out of school to start his career as a jockey, and began riding at Santa Fe Downs in New Mexico in September 1988, picking up his first victory at that venue aboard Furlong Circle. After a stint riding on the California Fair Circuit, Gomez switched his tack to the Midwest and rode at Ak-Sar-Ben and Fonner Park in Nebraska. Gomez was the second leading apprentice rider in 1989, racking up 182 winners. In the mid 1990s, Gomez's career began to take off. He won back-to-back runnings of the

Arkansas Derby The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. In 2004, t ...

in 1994 (with Concern) and 1995 (with Dazzling Falls). Two years later, he captured the "Mid-America Triple" at Arlington Park by winning the

American Derby The American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at Chicago's old Washington Park Race Track on the city's South Side and rac ...

Arlington Classic The Arlington Classic Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Arlington Park race track near Chicago. History The event was inaugurated ...

, and his first Grade I, the

Secretariat Stakes The Secretariat Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of one mile on the Grass, turf. The event was originally raced at the now-closed Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illi ...

, all aboard Honor Glide. After his triumphs in the Midwest, Gomez moved west to California, and was successful right away, as he won the 1998 Hollywood Park Fall Meet riding title. In 1999, Gomez picked up four Grade I victories on the West Coast, as he took the

Malibu Stakes The Malibu Stakes is a race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses of either gender held each December at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The race is at a distance of seven furlongs '' and is the first leg of Santa Anita Park's Strub Seri ...

with Love That Red, the

Santa Maria Handicap The Santa Maria Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A race for fillies and mares age four and older, it is contested on Pro-Ride synthetic dirt over a distan ...

with India Divina, the

Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap The Frank E. Kilroe Mile is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to horses four years of age and older, it is raced over a distance of one mile (1.6 km). The Grade I race curre ...

with Lord Smith, and the

Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap The Awesome Again Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old or older over the distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt scheduled annually in September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. T ...

with Budroyale. In 2000, Gomez rode Skimming, owned by

Juddmonte Farms Juddmonte Farms is a horse breeding farm, owned until his death on 12th January 2021 by Prince Khalid bin Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.National Thoroughbred Racing Association"Juddmonte Farms, Inc.", profile. Retrieved October 16, 2007. Overview Ju ...

and trained by Robert J. Frankel, who would give Gomez back-to-back victories in the Grade 1

Pacific Classic Stakes The Pacific Classic Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one quarter miles on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The even ...

at Del Mar. Gomez also took the Grade I

Del Mar Debutante Stakes The Del Mar Debutante Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies run each year in early September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 1999, the Debutante is raced on dirt at a distance of s ...

in 2000 aboard Cindy's Hero.

Legal troubles and return

After battling substance-abuse issues and serving jail time in 2003, Gomez returned to riding in 2004. In 2005, he paired up with Borrego, who gave him his first victory in the

Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the sp ...

and his record third victory in the

, and on the two-year anniversary of his entering rehab, Gomez won two Breeders' Cup events, the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup ...

with Stevie Wonderboy and the

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incept ...

with

Artie Schiller Artie Schiller (foaled April 23, 2001 in Kentucky) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Haras du Mezeray of Ticheville, Orne in Lower Normandy, France, he was out of the mare Hidden Light, a daughter of multiple Grade I winner, ...

. Gomez won the riding title at

Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may refer to: Places United States * Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California * Hollywood Park, Chicago, a neighborhood in North Park, Chicago, Illinois * Hollywood Park, Inglewood, an entertainment complex and m ...

in their spring-summer meet. Then in 2006, 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 yea ...

was injured in a riding accident at Keeneland, which meant that trainer

Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967 in Dallas, Texas) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won the Eclipse Award seven times as Trainer of the Year, four of these in consecutive years. His horses Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (20 ...

needed a new lead rider on the East Coast, and turned to Gomez. Gomez won 16 stakes races aboard Pletcher-trained horses, including five Grade I races. Thanks in part to those victories, Gomez led the nation in earnings for a jockey with over $20.1 million. He was a finalist for the

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

for the Outstanding Jockey, which was ultimately won that year by

Edgar Prado Edgar S. Prado (Lima, June 12, 1967) is a Peruvian-born American jockey, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. His big break came in 1997 when he won 536 races, making him the fourth rider in history to win 500 races in ...

. Like most jockeys, Gomez also suffered multiple injuries throughout his career.

Career peak

In 2007, Gomez broke

Jerry Bailey Jerry D. Bailey (born August 29, 1957 in Dallas, Texas) is an Thoroughbred Racing on NBC, NBC Sports thoroughbred racing analyst and a retired American National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame jockey. Early years Bailey was born ...

's record for most stakes victories in a season by winning 76 stakes races, including two

races, the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a -mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt (although the distance has varied, depending on the configuration of the host track) for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the Uni ...

with undefeated Eclipse Award winner

Indian Blessing Indian Blessing (foaled April 9, 2005, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in 2007 and Champion Female Sprint Horse in 2008. Background Indian Blessing was bred by and raced for ...

and the

Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt Corrected grade for Santa Anita sprintover a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually si ...

with

Midnight Lute Midnight Lute (foaled May 13, 2003, in Versailles, Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was named American Champion Sprint Horse in 2007. Background Midnight Lute was bred by Tom Evans, Macon Wilmil Equines & Marjac Farms, Inc. ...

. Early in the year, Gomez was the rider for

Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...

, winning the

Las Virgenes Stakes The Las Virgenes Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over the distance of one mile on the dirt scheduled annually in late January or early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The eve ...

, the

Santa Anita Oaks Santa Anita Oaks is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to three-year-old fillies willing to race 8.5 furlongs ( miles) on the dirt. The race is a Grade II even ...

and the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred Filly, fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky O ...

with her. In the

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 ...

, he was booked to ride

Hard Spun Hard Spun (foaled May 10, 2004 near Malvern, Pennsylvania) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse that finished second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. Background Hard Spun is a bay horse with a white Horse markings, star standing 16.2 ...

, which left the mount open on Rags To Riches for John Velazquez to pick up and win with. At the end of the year, thanks to his stakes victory record and his $22.8 million in earnings, Gomez won the

for the Outstanding Jockey. Gomez also tied with jockey

Victor Espinoza Victor Espinoza (born May 23, 1972) is a Mexican jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing who won the Triple Crown in 2015 on American Pharoah. He began riding in his native Mexico and went on to compete at racetracks in California. He has wo ...

for the riding title at Santa Anita in 2007. Lookin At Lucky at 2009 Breeder's Cup Juvenile

Gomez earned his 3,000th win aboard Hyperbaric in the Oak Tree Mile on September 28, 2008. He won four races at the Breeders' Cup and was again the leading jockey by nationwide earnings. He had a chance to surpass the record for earnings by a jockey in one season, which is held by Jerry Bailey, but fell just over $10,000 short. It is likely Gomez would've broken the record, but he was injured in a spill at Santa Anita on the final Saturday of 2008 and had to miss the following race card where Proudinsky, who he was scheduled to ride, won the $150,000

San Gabriel Handicap The San Gabriel Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California at the close of each year (though on occasion it is run in very early January). The Grade II race is open to horses, age three and up, will ...

. He won his second

for Outstanding Jockey in 2008. In 2009, Gomez won his fourth straight earnings title in a close contest with

Julien Leparoux Julien R. Leparoux (born July 15, 1983 in Senlis, Oise, France) is a French Eclipse Award winning jockey currently racing in the United States. He has won seven Breeders' Cup races, including the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile with Champion Turf Mare T ...

that was only decided when Gomez won the last race of the year at Santa Anita aboard Cenizo. "To have to go down to actually my last mount of the year is unreal," said Gomez. "I was lucky enough to pick up the winner. I was hanging around the jockeys' room hoping to pick up something and Martin (Pedroza, the regular rider of Cenizo) didn't feel well." In 2010 Gomez picked up his biggest win to date when he won the

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October o ...

with

Blame Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, or making negative statements about an individual or group that their actions or inaction are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for ...

, handing champion mare

Zenyatta Zenyatta (foaled April 1, 2004) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic and Breeders' Cup Distaff and 19 of her 20 starts. She was the 2010 American Horse of the Year, and Champion Older Female in 2008, ...

her only loss in the process. That marked his third

win of the weekend, despite the fact he was injured in a spill just a day before the two-day Breeders' Cup program. Gomez also won the

Stephen Foster Handicap The Stephen Foster Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt run annually in mid-June at Churchill Downs Spring Meet in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is named in ho ...

and the

Whitney Handicap The Whitney Stakes (run as the Whitney Handicap through 2013 and still sometimes referred to as such) is an American Grade 1 stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of miles. The current purse is $1 ...

with Blame, helping the horse get the

for

American Champion Older Male Horse The title of American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part of ...

. Gomez also won his first riding title at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...

during the spring meet. Gomez also won some major races outside of the United States. At

Woodbine Racetrack Woodbine Racetrack is a race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, the King's Plate. The track ...

in Ontario, Canada, he won the

Woodbine Mile The Woodbine Mile is a Grade I stakes race on turf for Thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up held annually in mid September at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. Currently sponsored by Ricoh, the Woodbine Mile offers a purse of Can$1, ...

in both 2007 and 2009; the

Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf The Northern Dancer Turf Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario in mid-September. A Grade I event with a current purse of Can$300,000, it is run at a distance of miles on Woodbine's E. ...

in 2008; the

Canadian International Stakes The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up on Turf. It is held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is Since its creation i ...

in 2009, and the

Nearctic Stakes The Nearctic Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The Grade II sprint is raced on turf over a distance of six furlongs and currently offers a purse of $232,290. Prev ...

and

Summer Stakes The Summer Stakes is a Group races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to Filly, fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at York Racecourse, York over a ...

in 2010. He also won two big races in Dubai, the

Godolphin Mile The Godolphin Mile is a Group 2 flat Thoroughbred horse race in the United Arab Emirates for Southern Hemisphere three-year-old horses and Northern Hemisphere four-year-olds. It is contested on dirt over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 8 ...

in 2007 and the

Dubai Golden Shaheen The Dubai Golden Shaheen is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,200 metres (approximately 6 furlongs) on the dirt course at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai in late M ...

in 2010. In 2011, he received the

George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct ...

from his peers. "He's just an American success story," said his agent Ron Anderson. "He and his family have been through a lot and Garrett has been very upfront in dealing with all of this. Professionally, his accomplishments speak for themselves. He's won 12 Breeders' Cup races over the past six years and nobody in the history of the sport has done that." In May 2012, he teamed up with Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award winner Rudolph Alvarado to write The Garrett Gomez Story: A Jockey's Journey Through Addiction & Salvation. The book captures the story behind Gomez' lifelong struggle to overcome his addiction to alcohol and drugs. Gomez rode Beholder to victory in the 2012

, his thirteenth win at the Breeders' Cup.

2013 and retirement from horse racing

Gomez started 2013 by guiding the filly to victories in the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks. However, he suffered a relapse in his fight against alcoholism in the summer and missed time from the saddle as a result. He returned later in the year at Del Mar and also made appearances at Belmont and Woodbine, but he then left again during the fall meet at Keeneland. On June 8, 2015 Gomez announced his retirement from horse racing on his Facebook page. He said, "I would like to thank everyone in the sport of horse racing for all the support I ever received in my career. I enjoyed every horse I ever rode and I thank all of them for making my career. I'd like to apologize to all my fans for leaving the sport the way I did. Sometimes you have to do things in life for yourself. I'd like everyone to know I'm officially retired from the sport of horse racing. I thank everyone for all I achieved that had a part in my career. I had a lot of awesome moments in this game." In 2017 Gomez was posthumously inducted into the

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 ...

Personal life

Gomez had four children: Shelby and Collin with his first wife Beth, and Amanda and Jared with his second wife Pam. Gomez was found dead in his hotel room at the Casino Del Sol in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

on December 14, 2016. The cause of death was determined to be an accidental overdose of methamphetamine.

Year-end charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomez, Garett 1972 births 2016 deaths American jockeys Eclipse Award winners American Champion jockeys Sportspeople from Tucson, Arizona

Racing career

Early career

Legal troubles and return

Career peak

2013 and retirement from horse racing

Personal life

Year-end charts

See also

References