Thoroughbred › Jockeys
Avelino Gomez - the very name excites Canadian racing fans.
Gomez, a fiery Cuban who has dominated the Canadian racing scene for more than 20 years, is also one of Canada's more colourful athletes.
Go Go Gomez, El Perfecto, The Cuban Hawk, Gomez has answered to them all. But he himself has declared `I am the greatest', before Muhammed Ali made the phrase his own. Gomez, is acknowledged as one of the world's greatest jockeys. He is ranked seventh on the list of all-time leading race-winning jockeys. During his spectacular career Gomez has won 3,920 races.
Avelino, who was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1928, was North American's leading race-winning jockey in 1966, when he won 318 races. Gomez won the title in spite of starting his season in early April, thus spotting his U.S. opponents three months of race-riding. Gomez's win percentage of .32 was also the highest ever for a North American champion.
In Canada, Gomez was untouchable. In 1966 he became the first jockey in Canadian racing history to win 300 races in a single season. He has been six times Canada's top jockey. Gomez has won The Queen's Plate, North America's oldest continuously run stakes race, a record four times. He first won with Lyford Cay, in 1957; repeated in 1960 with Victoria Park; won with Titled Hero in 1966 and won again in 1969 with Jumpin Joseph.
In the United States Gomez's skills were immediately recognized. He rode Ridan, Crimson Satan and other outstanding thoroughbreds. But Gomez himself, has a soft spot in his heart for Victoria Park and Cool Reception.
Racing fans have a spot in their hearts for the man who patented the victorious high leap from the saddle in the winner's circle; who defiantly turned while romping to victory aboard Victoria Park in The Queen's Plate and stuck his tongue out at the person, or persons who had threatened to shoot Gomez if he rode Victoria Park; and, who, upon hearing that Ben Sorenson had declared himself the leading rider in Canada in a magazine article in the United States, sent a telegram to Sorenson declaring "Benny, Gomez is King. You're the Queen".
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