Jockey Garrett Gomez, who ranks as the nation’s leading jockey in purse
earnings this year, donated $10,000 to the Winners Foundation during Tuesday’s
opening day card at Santa Anita. The Winners Foundation is an industry-funded
organization with a mission to help racing personnel overcome drug and alcohol
abuse, a battle that Gomez has experienced himself. The 36-year-old native of
Tucson, Arizona, was sidelined for nearly two years with substance abuse
problems before he returned to riding in September 2004.
“The Winners Foundation has helped me tremendously,” Gomez said, “and they
continue to help hundreds of other people in the industry. My wife and I would
like to sincerely thank Bob Fletcher and everyone else at the Winners
Foundation. They have done so much to help us and to help many others. This is
the least I can do. My family and I are very, very appreciative of everything
they have done and continue to do.
“Life’s great now, and I’m more than happy to do it,” he said. “My agent, Ron
Anderson, has done a great job, and we worked our butts off this year. I
wouldn’t be here today, and all this wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the
Winners Foundation, so the money is just a small way of saying thanks for what
they’ve done for me.”
Gomez’s mounts have amassed more than $21.6 million so far in 2006, $2
million more than his nearest pursuer in the jockey standings, Edgar Prado. Champion rider at the recently concluded Hollywood Park meeting, Gomez
is a leading contender for an Eclipse Award.