Gomez honored with George Woolf Award

Garrett Gomez, shown after his Classic win aboard Blame, has another feather in his cap (Jamie Newell/Horsephotos.com) By a vote of his peers nationwide, jockey Garrett Gomez, a two-time Eclipse Award winner, and who was North America’s leading rider by money-won for four straight years (2006-2009), will become the 62nd recipient of the prestigious Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in a winner’s circle ceremony at Santa Anita on March 20. Gomez outpolled fellow jockeys Joe Bravo, Javier Castellano, Corey Lanerie and Gallyn Mitchell. Nicknamed “Go-Go” for his hard-charging style, Gomez is considered one of the best finishers in modern racing history. This ability was never more evident than in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs on November 6. Gomez, nursing an injured shoulder, called upon every ounce of his strength and big-money savvy to win the Classic aboard Blame, while fighting off the late charge of the great Zenyatta by mere inches. Although he sustained the shoulder injury as a result of a spill at Churchill Downs on November 4, Gomez rebounded to not only win the Classic, but he also won the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2) aboard More than Real (More Than Ready) and the Juvenile Turf (G2) aboard Pluck (More Than Ready) during the two-day Championships. “It’s heartwarming to me to see that his peers have acknowledged not only his tremendous professional success, but his triumph over the issues he’s dealt with in his personal life as well,” said Ron Anderson, Gomez’s agent for the past five years. “He’s just an American success story. He and his family have been through a lot and Garrett has been very up-front in dealing with all of this. Professionally, his accomplishments speak for themselves. He’s won 12 Breeders’ Cup races over the past six years and nobody in the history of the sport has done that.

“Garrett has come a long, long way personally and professionally and for him
to be able to join the fraternity of Woolf Award winners at this stage of his
career, it’s got to be one of the crowning achievements in his life.”

The Woolf Award was created to honor and memorialize Woolf, who was one of
the greatest riders of his era and who died soon after a spill on the Club House
turn at Santa Anita on January 13, 1946. The Woolf trophy is a replica of the
full-size statue of the late jockey which adorns Santa Anita’s Paddock Gardens
area.

Born January 1, 1972, in Tucson, Arizona, Gomez broke his maiden on August
19, 1988, at Santa Fe Downs in New Mexico. He rode the fair circuit in New
Mexico and then rode extensively in Nebraska, at Fonner Park and Ak-sar-ben.

Gomez’s career began to take off in the mid 1990s, as he became well
established in the Midwest region of the country. In the midst of this success
however, were problems related to substance abuse — resulting in time away from
racing in 1995.

Although he was considered one of America’s most talented young riders,
Gomez’s career went into free-fall in 2002 as a result of drug and alcohol
issues. Although he rode for part of that year, he was totally inactive in 2003
and 2004.

However, with the assistance of his former agent Jim Pegram, “Go-Go” returned
to full-time riding late in 2004, and by the end of 2005, he had clearly
established himself as one of the top big-money riders in America, as he won his
first two Breeders’ Cup races that year, taking the Juvenile (G1) with Stevie
Wonderboy and the Mile (G1) with Artie Schiller.

At the suggestion of retired Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, Gomez hired
Anderson in early 2006, a move that no doubt facilitated Gomez’s ascent to the
top of his profession. In addition to their four consecutive money-won titles,
Gomez and Anderson combined forces to win Eclipse Awards in 2007 and 2008.

Ever since his return to the saddle in 2004, Gomez has dealt with his
personal problems in a forthright manner and contributed generously, monetarily
and personally, to charitable causes such as the California-based Winners’
Foundation, which helps people throughout the racing industry.

Gomez resides in Duarte, California, with his wife Pam and children Jared,
Amanda, Shelby and Collin.