Tag: jockey

Jockey Miguel Mena Killed In Vehicular Accident

Jockey Miguel Mena was tragically killed in a vehicular accident on Sunday night in Louisville, Ky. The 34-year-old was struck by a vehicle as a pedestrian on Interstate 64, according to wave3.com. Local police are calling the death an accident.

A native of Peru, Mena moved to the United States at age 17. Basing his career in the Midwest, Mena won 2,079 races from just over 16,000 starts.

Mena was presented with the inaugural Randy Romero “Pure Courage” Award in February of 2020, following his recovering from a debilitating ankle injury suffered in early 2018.

Mena is survived by his wife April and their two daughters, Naelah and Montserrat.

For more about Mena's career, here is a feature from earlier this summer.

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Jockey Miguel Mena Dies

Journeyman jockey Miguel Mena was struck and killed as a pedestrian on Interstate 64 near Louisville the evening of Oct. 31, according to a tweet from Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee, who confirmed the information with Mena's close friend, trainer Al Stall, Jr.

Mena, 34, began riding in this country in 2003, posting his first victory at Gulfstream Park that September. According to his biography on the Keeneland website, Mena's father Jose was also a jockey, while his uncle was a trainer.

“I used to go to the race track all the time,” he said. “I was watching my dad ride and I wanted to do what he was doing. I got the idea in my head when I was a kid that I'm going to be a jockey.”

According to the Keeneland bio, Mena was grooming horses by the age of 11 and at 14, he started at the Jorge Bernardini Yori Jockey School in his native Peru, whose graduates also included Edgar Prado and Rafael Bejarano.

According to Equibase statistics, Mena rode the winners of 2,079 races, earning his first graded success aboard Go Between in the 2007 GII Fayette S. at Keeneland. His first Grade I winner came aboard Champagne d'Oro for Eric Guillot in the 2010 GI Test S. at Saratoga and he also won the 2011 GI Stephen Foster H. atop longshot Pool Play for Mark Casse. Mena's most productive year in the saddle was in 2012, when his mounts earned better than $6.2 million. Mena had two rides on Keeneland's closing day program Oct. 30.

More to follow

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On The Big Screen: Jockey Frankie Dettori Stars In Documentary Depicting His Life Story

Frankie Dettori has dominated the small screen for more than 30 years – and now the superstar jockey is coming to the big screen in a new documentary that details his extraordinary life.

The movie 'Dettori', made by Embankment Films, charts the rider's life as he is sent to England as a teenager to follow in the footsteps of his father, the Italian champion Gianfranco.

It details how he overcame a career-threatening early injury, escaped from the inferno of a deadly plane crash and overcame drug abuse, repeatedly picking himself up and driving himself to new heights.

Dettori grants behind-closed-doors access to his life and the inner sanctum of the racing world as the film-makers shadow his every step as he strives for a record third victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on his favourite horse Enable.

The film will be released to selected cinemas and on DVD, Blu-ray and download on November 15.

This story was reprinted with permission by Horse Racing Planet. Find the original piece and more content here.

The post On The Big Screen: Jockey Frankie Dettori Stars In Documentary Depicting His Life Story appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Excitement Is Just Always There’: Tyler Gaffalione On Verge Of Fourth Title At Keeneland

With three days remaining in Keeneland's Fall Meet, Tyler Gaffalione is on his way to earning his fourth title as the track's leading rider. He has 24 victories, 11 more than Florent Geroux in second.

Gaffalione, 27, relishes the experience of competing at Keeneland, where he first won a race during the 2016 Fall Meet and topped the rider standings for the 2018 Fall Meet, 2020 Summer Meet and 2020 Fall Meet.

“There's just so much history here,” Gaffalione said. “The feeling you get when walking on the grounds is like nothing else. With all the colors and the people, it made my first win here very special. It could be a claiming race on a Wednesday, and that excitement is just always there.”

Gaffalione grew up in Ocala, Florida, and followed in the footsteps of his father, Steve Gaffalione, and grandfather, Robert Gaffalione, as a jockey. Immersed in the horse industry at a young age, he received a pony for his fourth birthday. He competed in barrel racing until he was old enough to start exercising racehorses. He began his career as a jockey in 2014 at Gulfstream Park and received the 2015 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice.

Through Oct. 27, Gaffalione has ridden 1,670 winners and the earners of more than $82 million. He rode War of Will to win the 2019 Preakness (G1). His other riding accomplishments include rider titles at Gulfstream and Churchill Downs.

“I've just been so blessed along the way,” Gaffalione said. “I have great support from trainers and owners and all of the horsemen. I don't really even know how to describe it, it's just really exciting.”

In the closing days of Keeneland's Fall Meet, Gaffalione is preparing for the Nov. 5-6 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar.

“You always go in there thinking you have a good chance, but I would say this year is my strongest,” Gaffalione, who has ridden in 28 Breeders' Cup races since 2016. “I've got a couple of nice young horses, and I'm really looking forward to these races.”

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