Florida Thoroughbred History Moments: Visionary Fred W. Hooper Opened Pathway For Latin Jockey Success In U.S.

A founder of TOBA, strong advocate for the creation of the Breeders' Cup and a member of countless industry boards, Fred W. Hooper was the first industry leader to foster Latin American jockeys to race at Florida tracks.

Hall of Fame jockeys Laffit Pincay, Jr., Braulio Baeza and Jorge Velasquez among others got their start with Hooper.

Living to be 102, Hooper's own rags-to-riches story of hard work, to always look ahead, and don't look back, is a truly Florida tale. Hooper later received racing's highest honor, an Eclipse Award of Merit.

Hooper's profile is the third in the Florida Thoroughbred History Moment series that has expanded into history profiles. The first two profiles featured Lugusta “Gus” Gray who actually worked for Hooper for more than 30 years and who still retells the legendary stories of Hooper and his horses in their heyday.

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association has launched a digital campaign promoting the successful history of Florida-breds born and raised in the Sunshine State.

The series titled “Florida Thoroughbred History Moment” features an opening and closing image of an old-timey newsreel much like those featured in movie theaters in the 1940s. Along with the sound of the whirr of the newsreel, each video is narrated by the distinctive voice of Hugh Kelly giving an even more nostalgic feel. Based in Florida, Kelly lends his voice perfectly to the series.

Each 'Florida Thoroughbred History Moment' vignette highlights a significant achievement in Florida-bred history focusing on the people, the horses and the farms that have contributed to its success since the industry kicked off in earnest after Needles' 1956 Kentucky Derby win.