Braulio Baeza

Braulio Baeza (born March 26, 1940) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey and one of the master Thoroughbred jockeys of our time. In 1963, he was the first Latin American jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. Baeza began his racing career in 1955 in Panama at Hipodromo Juan Franco, and in March of 1960, was invited to Miami, Florida to ride under contract for Owner/Trainer, Fred Hooper. He rode his first race in the US in the first race on Keeneland's opening day, 1960, and won it on Foolish Youth.[1]

For the Chilean footballer, see Braulio Baeza (footballer).
Braulio Baeza
OccupationJockey
BornMarch 26, 1940
Panama City, Panama
Career wins4,013
Major racing wins
Kentucky Oaks (1961, 1976)
Blue Grass Stakes
(1961, 1963, 1976)
Fashion Stakes
(1962, 1964, 1971, 1972)
Juvenile Stakes (1962, 1968, 1972)
National Stallion Stakes (filly division)
(1962, 1964)
Wood Memorial Stakes (1962)
Stymie Handicap (1963)
National Stallion Stakes (1964, 1965, 1966)
Jockey Club Gold Cup
(1965, 1966, 1969)
Travers Stakes
(1966, 1969, 1972, 1975)
Whitney Handicap (1968, 1972)
Washington, D.C. International (1972)
Canadian International Stakes (1972)
Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (1967, 1973)

U.S. Triple Crown wins
Kentucky Derby (1963)
Belmont Stakes (1961, 1963, 1969)

International race wins:
Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (1972)

Racing awards
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
(1968)
U.S. Champion Jockey in earnings
(1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969)
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
(1972, 1975)
Honours
United States Racing Hall of Fame (1976)
Significant horses
Buckpasser, Graustark, Dr. Fager, Ack Ack
Chateaugay, Arts and Letters, Droll Role
Roberto, Foolish Pleasure

Braulio Baeza's success in America was instantaneous. He was the leading money winner in American racing from 1965 to 1969,[2] the 1968 winner of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, and the 1972 and 1975 winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. During his career, he rode a number of Thoroughbred greats, including Buckpasser, Graustark, Dr. Fager, and Ack Ack. In 1961, he won his first Belmont Stakes.[3] Two years later, he rode to his first Kentucky Derby victory on Chateaugay, as well as for his second Belmont Stakes win.[4] In 1969, he won the Belmont for the third time, denying Majestic Prince the Triple Crown, on board Paul Mellon's future Hall of Famer, Arts and Letters.

In 1972, Baeza travelled to York Racecourse in England, where he rode John Galbraith's Roberto to victory over the previously unbeaten Brigadier Gerard in the inaugural Benson & Hedges Gold Cup. That same year, he went to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he won the prestigious Canadian International Stakes on Droll Role for Trainer T. J.Kelly. Baeza was the jockey aboard Foolish Pleasure in the tragic 1975 match race against the great 3-year-old filly Ruffian, who had to be euthanized after she pulled up during the race with a broken front ankle.

Braulio Baeza retired in 1976 after having won 3140 races in the United States. He was inducted that same year into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

References
  1. "Braulio Baeza". Racingmuseum.org. 1976-01-01. Archived from the original on 2006-10-08. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  2. "Annual Leading Jockeys" (PDF). Churchill Downs Incorporated. 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  3. "Carry Back Was Way Back At Belmont". Sports Illustrated. 1961-06-12. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  4. "1963 - Chateaugay". Churchill Downs Incorporated. 1963-05-04. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.