Camarero
Encyclopedia
Camarero was a Thoroughbred
racehorse that was raised and raced in Puerto Rico
. He was the winner of 73 races, including the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
in Puerto Rico. Camarero is notable for setting the current world record of the most consecutive wins
for a Thoroughbred
racehorse at 56 in a series of races between April 1953 and August 1955.
His name translates to "waiter" in Spanish. Camarero was a small bay colt that weighed 750 pounds and stood only 14 hands high. His male line traced to The Finn
and he was bred and owned by prominent San Juan
newspaper man Jose Coll-Vidal.
As per Puerto Rican racetrack regulation, prohibitive
favorites are not allowed to be wagered on, which meant that for most of Camarero's winning streak no one was allowed to bet on him. Camerero was the first winner of Puerto Rico's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
, winning the Governor's Cup, Jose de Diego Stakes and Primavera Stakes in 1954, undefeated.
, was changed to Hippodromo Camarero, in honor of the racehorse.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse that was raised and raced in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. He was the winner of 73 races, including the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
in Puerto Rico. Camarero is notable for setting the current world record of the most consecutive wins
Winning streak (sports)
In sports, a winning streak refers to a consecutive number of games won. A winning streak can be held by a team, as in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or by an individual, as in tennis...
for a Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse at 56 in a series of races between April 1953 and August 1955.
His name translates to "waiter" in Spanish. Camarero was a small bay colt that weighed 750 pounds and stood only 14 hands high. His male line traced to The Finn
The Finn
The Finn was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that is best remembered as the winner of the 1915 Belmont Stakes and as the sire of Zev and Flying Ebony, the respective winners of the 1923 and 1925 Kentucky Derbies. The Finn was foaled in Lexington, Kentucky at Hamburg Place, the stud farm of John...
and he was bred and owned by prominent San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
newspaper man Jose Coll-Vidal.
As per Puerto Rican racetrack regulation, prohibitive
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
favorites are not allowed to be wagered on, which meant that for most of Camarero's winning streak no one was allowed to bet on him. Camerero was the first winner of Puerto Rico's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
, winning the Governor's Cup, Jose de Diego Stakes and Primavera Stakes in 1954, undefeated.
Death
Camarero died on August 27, 1956 of an intestinal obstruction. His gravesite at Hipodromo Quintana was visited by 10,000 fans during the funeral ceremony.Honours
In 1958 Camarero was the first inductee in the Puerto Rico Horse Racing Hall of Fame. In 2006, the name of El Nuevo Commandante racetrack in Canóvanas, Puerto RicoCanóvanas, Puerto Rico
Canóvanas is a municipality in Puerto Rico, located in the northeastern region, north of Juncos and Las Piedras; south of Loíza; east of Carolina; and west of Río Grande. Canóvanas is spread over 7 wards and Canóvanas Pueblo...
, was changed to Hippodromo Camarero, in honor of the racehorse.