Braulio Baeza (born March 26, 1940) is an Panamanian-American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. In 1963, he was the first Latin American jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. Baeza began his racing career in 1955 in Panama at Hipodromo Juan Franco, and in March 1960, was invited to Miami, Florida to ride under contract for Owner/Trainer, Fred Hooper. He rode his first race in the US in the first race on Keeneland's opening day, 1960, and won it on Foolish Youth.[1]

Braulio Baeza
OccupationJockey
Born (1940-03-26) March 26, 1940 (age 84)
Panama City, Panama
Career wins4,013
Major racing wins
Kentucky Oaks (1961, 1976)
Blue Grass Stakes
(1961, 1963, 1976)
Fashion Stakes
(1962, 1964, 1971, 1972)
Gardenia Stakes (1962, 1971)
Juvenile Stakes (1962, 1968, 1972)
National Stallion Stakes (filly division)
(1962, 1964)
Wood Memorial Stakes (1962)
Stymie Handicap (1963)
National Stallion Stakes (1964, 1965, 1966)
Jockey Club Gold Cup
(1965, 1966, 1969)
Travers Stakes
(1966, 1969, 1972, 1975)
Whitney Handicap (1968, 1972)
Washington, D.C. International (1972)
Canadian International Stakes (1972)
Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (1967, 1973)

U.S. Triple Crown wins
Kentucky Derby (1963)
Belmont Stakes (1961, 1963, 1969)

International race wins:
Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (1972)

Racing awards
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
(1968)
U.S. Champion Jockey in earnings
(1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969)
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
(1972, 1975)
Honours
United States Racing Hall of Fame (1976)
Significant horses
Buckpasser, Graustark, Dr. Fager, Ack Ack
Chateaugay, Arts and Letters, Droll Role
Roberto, Foolish Pleasure

Braulio Baeza's success in America was instantaneous. He was the leading money winner in American racing from 1965 to 1969,[2] the 1968 winner of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, and the 1972 and 1975 winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. During his career, he rode a number of Thoroughbred greats, including Buckpasser, Graustark, Dr. Fager, and Ack Ack. In 1961, he won his first Belmont Stakes.[3] Two years later, he rode to his first Kentucky Derby victory on Chateaugay, as well as for his second Belmont Stakes win.[4] In 1969, he won the Belmont for the third time, denying Majestic Prince the Triple Crown, on board Paul Mellon's future Hall of Famer, Arts and Letters.

In 1972, Baeza travelled to York Racecourse in England, where he rode John Galbraith's Roberto to victory over the previously unbeaten Brigadier Gerard in the inaugural Benson & Hedges Gold Cup. That same year, he went to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he won the prestigious Canadian International Stakes on Droll Role for Trainer T. J.Kelly. Baeza was the jockey aboard Foolish Pleasure in the tragic 1975 match race against the great 3-year-old filly Ruffian, who had to be euthanized after she pulled up during the race with a broken front ankle.

Braulio Baeza retired in 1976 after having won 3140 races in the United States. He was inducted that same year into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Triple Crown record

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Year Kentucky Derby Finish Preakness Finish Belmont Finish
1961 Crozier 2nd Crozier 3rd Sherluck 1st
1962 Admiral's Voyage 9th - - Admiral's Voyage 2nd
1963 Chateaugay 1st Chateaugay 2nd Chateaugay 1st
1964 - - Quadrangle 4th - -
1964 - - - - Orientalist 6th
1965 - - - - Bold Bidder 8th
1966 Stupendous 4th Stupendous 2nd Stupendous 7th
1967 Successor 6th - - - -
1967 - - Great Power 10th - -
1967 - - - - Proud Clarion 4th
1968 Iron Ruler 11th - - - -
1968 - - - - Ardoise 5th
1969 Arts and Letters 2nd Arts and Letters 2nd Arts and Letters 1st
1970 Naskra 4th - - - -
1970 - - - - Aggressively 6th
1972 - - Key to the Mint 3rd Key to the Mint 4th
1973 My Gallant 9th - - - -
1973 - - - - Twice A Prince 2nd
1974 Triple Crown 17th - - - -
1974 - - Rube the Great 9th Rube the Great 4th
1975 Prince Thou Art 6th Prince Thou Art 4th Prince Thou Art 5th
1976 Honest Pleasure 2nd Honest Pleasure 5th - -

Kentucky Derby: 12-1-3-0

Preakness Stakes: 10-0-3-2

Belmont Stakes: 14-3-2-0

References

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  1. ^ "Braulio Baeza". Racingmuseum.org. 1976-01-01. Archived from the original on 2006-10-08. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  2. ^ "Annual Leading Jockeys" (PDF). Churchill Downs Incorporated. 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  3. ^ "Carry Back Was Way Back At Belmont". Sports Illustrated. 1961-06-12. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  4. ^ "1963 - Chateaugay". Churchill Downs Incorporated. 1963-05-04. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
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