Jose Flores (jockey)

Jose Luis Flores (August 4, 1960 – March 22, 2018) was a Peruvian jockey who spent most of his career in the United States, where he was a leading rider at race tracks in Pennsylvania.

Jose Flores
OccupationJockey
Born(1960-08-04)August 4, 1960
Peru
DiedMarch 22, 2018(2018-03-22) (aged 57)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Career wins4,650
Major racing wins
Donald Le Vine Memorial Stakes (1999)
Philadelphia Park Breeders' Cup Handicap (1999)
Gallant Bob Handicap (2001, 2002)
My Juliet Stakes (2001, 2003)
Turf Monster Handicap (2006)
Lyman Sprint Championship (2006, 2007)
Pistol Packer Handicap (2006)
Pennsylvania Nursery (2010)
Auld Lang Syne Stakes (2012)
Chick Lang Stakes (2012)
Racing awards
Parx Racing Leading Jockey (2004)
Honors
Parx Racing Hall of Fame (2013)

Life and career

Flores was born and apprenticed as a rider in Peru, where his father was also a jockey.[1][2]

Starting in 1983 he raced in Panama at the Hipódromo Presidente Remón, winning 211 races. He moved to the United States in 1987,[2] first to Miami and then to Pennsylvania, where he was the leading rider at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pennsylvania four times before changing in the late 1990s to Philadelphia Park, now Parx Casino and Racing, where he became the highest-earning jockey in the history of the track.[1][3] In 2013 he was inducted into the Parx Hall of Fame.[4]

He won 4,650 races out of 28,684, among the 42 winningest careers in North America,[5] and placed in 7,975. In 1999 he won the Philadelphia Park Breeders' Cup Handicap on Loaded Gun.[1][3] In his most successful year, 1987, he won 380 races out of 1,694.[3] Since the mid 2010s his career had been slowed by injuries;[6] his last win was on March 13, 2018.[2]

Death

On March 19, 2018, Flores was in the lead in a race at Parx when his mount, Love Rules, fell with a suspected shoulder fracture and he was thrown. Two other horses and their riders also fell but were not seriously injured;[4] one horse may have fallen on Flores,[2] who incurred grave head and spinal injuries[5] and died on March 22 after being taken off life support.[3][4][6] It was the first death known to the Jockeys' Guild of a jockey in Pennsylvania caused by a racing accident.[7]

"He's been a mentor to other riders and a professional gentleman at all times. He's the epitome of what a jockey should be" is what Sam Elliott, Director of Racing at Parx, said about Jose Flores.[1][3]

Personal life

Flores was married to Joanne McDaid-Flores, herself a jockey from 2004 to 2016,[3] and has three sons, two grown.[1]

gollark: There's someone trying to sell off a `TREES` code. It's an albino.
gollark: Oh, cool!
gollark: I don't have or want vampire dragons, you know.
gollark: I'll be free in an hour when I can finally liberate myself of an egg I picked up in the cave and don't want at all.
gollark: We do at least have script dragons.

References
  1. "Hall of Fame: Jose Luis Flores", Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association; retrieved March 24, 2018.
  2. Jimmy Young, "Jinete peruano José L. Flores declarado clínicamente muerto", El Siglo, March 21, 2018. (in Spanish).
  3. "'Mentor' And 'Gentleman' Jockey Jose Luis Flores Dies After Being Removed From Life Support", Paulick Report, March 22, 2018.
  4. Kevin Skiver, "Legendary Pennsylvania jockey Jose Flores dies after 'sickening' racing accident", CBS Sports, March 22, 2018.
  5. Jay Hovdey, "Peril of riding knows no age discrimination", Daily Racing Form, March 21, 2018.
  6. Dick Jerardi, "Jockey Jose Flores dies after 'sickening' horse racing accident at Parx", Philadelphia Inquirer, March 22, 2018.
  7. Associated Press, "Renowned jockey Jose Flores dies in racing accident", San Francisco Chronicle, March 22, 2018.
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