In memory of jockey Jose Miguel Mena and to support his family, jockeys at racetracks around the country on Saturday, Nov. 13, will be wearing black armbands emblazoned with his nickname, “Cholo.”
Mena was tragically killed in a vehicular accident in Louisville, Kentucky on Oct. 31, 2021.
“Miguel was a longtime member of the Jockeys' Guild and a valued member of each and every jockey colony where he rode,” said Jockeys' Guild President and CEO Terry Meyocks. “We hope this show of support and affection will bring some comfort to his immediate family, his wife April and daughters Naelah and Montserret as well as his many friends throughout the racing industry.”
Jockeys Jose and Irad Ortiz also honored Mena at last weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships, emulating his signature winning pose when crossing the wire.
Irad Ortiz, Jr. honors late jockey Miguel Mena as he crosses the wire first in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with Life Is Good
Stewards in California issued a ruling on Nov. 6 against jockey E.T. Baird for violation of the state's rules regarding whip use. The ruling states that Baird used his whip more than six times during the sixth race on Nov. 5, which was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Baird was aboard One Timer in that race, where he sat off early leader and eventual winner Twilight Gleaming before being overcome by closers in the stretch.
The offense is the first for Baird under California rules in the past 60 days, according to the stewards' ruling.
Baird is not typically based in California and has spent most of this racing season in Illinois. According to Equibase, he has been riding since 1985 and has amassed 2,482 wins from 18,761 starts.
Behind every winning race is a winning ride, and the Breeders' Cup has produced some of the most impressive piloting efforts the sport has seen.
When considering those winning trips, a share of the credit must, of course, go to the jockey's agents who booked the mounts for their riders. An agent knows a good ride when they see it.
With 37 years of Breeders' Cup races to draw from, we polled six jockey's agents to get their picks for the greatest riding effort in Breeders' Cup history. The answers cast a wide net from personal victories, to betting scores, to rooting for childhood heroes.
Doug Bredar
“For obvious reasons, it would be Gun Runner in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. I'm still surprised that Arrogate went off as the favorite. The bettors thought that Gun Runner would have issues going a mile and a quarter, but the connections felt otherwise. Arrogate had beaten him a couple of times, and it was not only an incredible thrill watching Florent Geroux win the race, but redemption for the way he did it. The fractions were 22.4, 46.1, 1:10.2 and 1:35. He went wire-to-wire and I thought it was an exceptional ride. Very fond memories of a special race.”
John Herbstreit
“Arazi and Zenyatta are the most impressive horse races I've seen. Even when Zenyatta ran second, she was impressive. Alysheba and Personal Ensign are my favorite wins. My favorite ride was Pat Day on Wild Again in the 1984 Classic.”
Ron Ebanks
“Randy Romero on Personal Ensign in the mud getting up the last jump to nail Gary Stevens on Winning Colors (1988 Distaff). He was my idol as a kid and I couldn't have been more happy and proud of him.”
Jimmy McNerney
“Pat Valenzuela aboard Fraise in the 1992 Turf stands out the most. It was the first Breeders' Cup that I was old enough to 'legally' bet and I put $100 across the board on him. He came from last and P-Val made every right move weaving his way through the pack through the turn. When they straightened, he dove down and snuck through along the fence and nipped Sky Classic right on the money. There's no other path that he could've taken and had the same result.”
Mike Luider
“Gulch in the 1988 Sprint. Angel Cordero Jr. was masterful!”
Brian Beach
“Julie Krone's ride on Halfbridled in the 2003 Juvenile Fillies was one of the best I've seen. It's not always about weaving though traffic and getting up at the wire. It's sometimes about getting your horse to perform its best under adverse circumstances, and that's what happened in this race. They broke from the 14 post and Julie was able to get her filly to relax while going wide and still not expending too much energy until she could get a better position down the backstretch. By the time they turned for home Julie had Halfbridled in a perfect winning position with something left in the tank for the run to the wire.”
Canadian Hall of Fame jockey Hugo Dittfach has died at age 85. A winner of over 4,000 races, “Hustlin' Hugo” Dittfach is remembered for his incredible work ethic and perseverance. Dittfach arrived in Canada following World War II, a refugee from East Germany that spent three-years in a Russian concentration camp in Poland.
While working at a restaurant in Calgary, Dittfach received a suggestion from a patron that he pursue horse racing due to his size. Launching his career in 1956, Dittfach was a leading rider in Western Canada before relocating to Ontario.
Dittfach would reach the pinnacle of Canadian racing in 1961, riding 20-1 longshot Blue Light to victory in the Queen's Plate, edging the world's leading race-winning jockey Johnny Longden and race-favorite Just Don't Shove in one of the closest finishes in race history.
Dittfach remained a fixture and leading rider at Woodbine, Greenwood and Fort Erie for many years, winning numerous stakes, including the Prince of Wales a record five-times. He retired from riding in 1989 to become a trainer.
“So many individuals in our racing industry, including myself, are lucky to have cherished memories of Hugo,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. “Hugo was a hard-working, earnest man, that gave his all every time he got on the back of a horse. Hugo rode regularly for Jim Dandy Stable and I fondly remember his ride on Ruthie's Run to win the Princess Elizabeth Stakes in 1974.
“A true gentleman, Hugo made an incredible contribution to our sport in Ontario and will be missed by all.”
“Hustlin' Hugo” won the Sovereign Award as Canada's Outstanding Jockey in 1975, was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1983 and received the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award in 1991 for his contributions to the sport.
Woodbine Entertainment extends sincere condolences to the family and friends of Hugo Dittfach.
