Braulio Baeza (born March 26, 1940) is an Panamanian-American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. 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 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]
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.
Year | Kentucky Derby | Finish | Preakness | Finish | Belmont | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | Crozier | 2nd | Crozier | 3rd | Sherluck | 1st |
1962 | Admiral's Voyage | 9th | - | - | Admiral's Voyage | 2nd |
1963 | Chateaugay | 1st | Chateaugay | 2nd | Chateaugay | 1st |
1964 | - | - | Quadrangle | 4th | - | - |
1964 | - | - | - | - | Orientalist | 6th |
1965 | - | - | - | - | Bold Bidder | 8th |
1966 | Stupendous | 4th | Stupendous | 2nd | Stupendous | 7th |
1967 | Successor | 6th | - | - | - | - |
1967 | - | - | Great Power | 10th | - | - |
1967 | - | - | - | - | Proud Clarion | 4th |
1968 | Iron Ruler | 11th | - | - | - | - |
1968 | - | - | - | - | Ardoise | 5th |
1969 | Arts and Letters | 2nd | Arts and Letters | 2nd | Arts and Letters | 1st |
1970 | Naskra | 4th | - | - | - | - |
1970 | - | - | - | - | Aggressively | 6th |
1972 | - | - | Key to the Mint | 3rd | Key to the Mint | 4th |
1973 | My Gallant | 9th | - | - | - | - |
1973 | - | - | - | - | Twice A Prince | 2nd |
1974 | Triple Crown | 17th | - | - | - | - |
1974 | - | - | Rube the Great | 9th | Rube the Great | 4th |
1975 | Prince Thou Art | 6th | Prince Thou Art | 4th | Prince Thou Art | 5th |
1976 | Honest Pleasure | 2nd | Honest Pleasure | 5th | - | - |
Kentucky Derby: 12-1-3-0
Preakness Stakes: 10-0-3-2
Belmont Stakes: 14-3-2-0
The Kentucky Derby is an American Grade I stakes race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds and fillies 121 pounds.
The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1+1⁄8 miles (1,800 m) at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds (55 kg). The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year. The winner gets $846,300 of the $1,500,000 purse, and a large garland blanket of lilies, resulting in the nickname "Lilies for the Fillies." A silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy is presented to the winner.
Whirlaway was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fifth winner of the American Triple Crown. He also won the Travers Stakes after his Triple Crown sweep to become the first and only horse to win all four races.
Foolish Pleasure was an American bay Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1975 Kentucky Derby.
The Champagne Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old horses. The race is run at a distance of one mile on the dirt at Belmont Park in October each year. Although the race is open to both colts and fillies, in practice it is New York's premier race for two-year-old colts and fillies enter the Frizette Stakes instead.
Swaps was a California bred American thoroughbred racehorse. He won the Kentucky Derby in 1955 and was named United States Horse of the Year in the following year. He was known as the "California Comet," and occasionally with affection, due to his wins despite numerous injuries and treatments, the "California Cripple."
Graustark (1963–1988) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a favorite to win the 1966 Kentucky Derby until an injury prematurely ended his career.
Never Bend (1960–1977) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1962 American Champion Two-Year-Old and later became a leading sire in England.
Roberto was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career that lasted from 1971 until July 1973, he ran fourteen times and won seven races. He was the best Irish two-year-old of 1971, when his victories included the National Stakes. As a three-year-old, he won the Derby before recording a famous victory over Brigadier Gerard in the inaugural running of the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup. This is regarded by many experts to have been one of the greatest ever performances on a European racecourse. He won the Coronation Cup as a four-year-old before being retired to stud. Roberto had fragile knees and required a left-handed track to perform to his best; he never won going right-handed. He was described by Lester Piggott as " a champion when things were in his favour". Roberto also proved to be a highly successful and influential stallion.
Calvin H. Borel is an American jockey in thoroughbred horse racing and rode the victorious mount in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, the 2009 Kentucky Derby and the 2010 Kentucky Derby. His 2009 Derby win with Mine That Bird was the third biggest upset in Derby history,, and Borel's winning margin of 6+3⁄4 lengths was the greatest in Derby history since Assault won by 8 lengths in 1946. On May 1, 2009, Borel won the Kentucky Oaks aboard Rachel Alexandra, only the second time since 1993 that a jockey has won the Oaks-Derby combo, and just the seventh time overall a jockey has accomplished this feat in the same year. On May 16, 2009, Borel won the 2009 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico with thoroughbred filly Rachel Alexandra. In doing so, Borel became the first jockey to win the first two jewels of the Triple Crown on different mounts. Borel's nickname is "Bo'rail'" due to his penchant for riding close to the rail to save ground.
Camilo Marin was a Cuban-born jockey's agent who is widely regarded as one of horse racing's most successful agents.
Chateaugay was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who won two of the three U.S. Triple Crown races. Bred at Darby Dan Farm near Lexington, Kentucky by his prominent owner, John W. Galbreath, Chateaugay was a son of Swaps, the 1956 U.S. Horse of the Year and a Racing Hall of Fame inductee.
Cain Hoy Stable was a Thoroughbred racing stable and horse breeding operation with training facilities in Columbia, South Carolina, and Kissimmee, Florida. It was owned by Harry Guggenheim, who also raced horses in Europe. A founding member of the New York Racing Association, Guggenheim began racing in 1929 and originally raced as the Falaise Stable, the name of his Long Island, New York estate. In 1943, he renamed it the Cain Hoy Stable for his Cain Hoy Plantation, a 15,000-acre (61 km2) timber and cattle plantation near Wando, South Carolina.
Albert M. Johnson was an American Hall of Fame jockey and trainer. Born in the rural community of Milan, Washington, Albert Johnson began his career in 1917 at Playfair Race Track in nearby Spokane.
Jacinto Vásquez is a retired Panamanian thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He rode two Kentucky Derby winners, Foolish Pleasure in 1975 and the filly Genuine Risk in 1980. He was also the regular jockey for the champion filly Ruffian.
Dallas Stewart trains a string of thoroughbred horses in Kentucky from bases at Churchill Downs, Turfway Park, Keeneland Race Course, Fair Grounds Race Course, Arlington Park and Saratoga Race Course. Before venturing out on his own, he spent 12 years working under the tutelage of leading trainer D. Wayne Lukas. There, he oversaw such horses as Lady's Secret, Thunder Gulch, Serena's Song, Timber Country, Tabasco Cat, and many other Grade I winners.
Worth (1909–1912) was an American Thoroughbred race horse. He was the winner of the 1912 Kentucky Derby, an achievement he is best known for.
Sherluck was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1961 Belmont Stakes and ending Carry Back's chance to win the U.S. Triple Crown.
Roy J. Waldron was a batboy for the St. Louis Browns before he turned to training Thoroughbred racehorses. He is best known for winning the 1940 Kentucky Derby with Gallahadion, a colt he race conditioned for Ethel V. Mars of chocolate bar fame.
David Gorman (1926–1987) was an American jockey in Thoroughbred racing born in Elmont, New York, home to Belmont Park racetrack where in 1951 he would win the most important race of his career.