José Santos
Encyclopedia
Jose Abon Santos (born April 26, 1961, in Concepción, Chile
) is a retired Chilean thoroughbred
jockey
who has been honored by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
in the United States
.
in his native Chile, following in the footsteps of his father and three of his seven brothers, and in Colombia
before moving to the United States in 1984. There he was the top money-winning jockey four years in a row, from 1986 through 1989, winning the 1988 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
in the United States; Santos was at the top of the sport during those years. He won seven Breeders' Cup
races and won the 1999 Belmont Stakes
aboard Lemon Drop Kid
. He won the 2003 Kentucky Derby
and Preakness Stakes
with Funny Cide
but missed winning the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
after finishing third in the Belmont Stakes. More recently, Santos has said that Funny Cide was not the greatest horse he ever rode but certainly was his personal favorite.
In 1999, Santos won the coveted George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
(since 1950, presented annually to the thoroughbred horseracing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct both on and off the racetrack); the Award has long been considered a very high honor, for the winning jockey is selected by his peers. Santos also won the 2003 ESPY Awards
as the foremost jockey in the United States. He has long been a favorite of aficionados of the sport and is one of the best-liked and most respected jockeys in it.
Santos and his first wife, Maria, who was from Roslyn Heights, were divorced in 1994; they had two children during the marriage. Daughter Sophia Santos was graduated from Roslyn High School in 2005, then briefly attended the Fashion Institute of Technology. Son Jose Ricardo Santos was a graduated from the same high school in 2007 and now serves in the United States Marine Corps
.
In 2011 Jose Santos' biography "Above it All the Turbulent Life of Jose Santos" was authored by award winning author Bill Heller
The photograph, with accompanying comments, was posted highlighting what appeared to be a metallic object in Santos's right hand as he and Funny Cide crossed the finish line. Due to the angle from which the photograph was taken, it appeared that Santos was holding an object in his right hand, and so raised suspicion that he had cheated to win the world-famous race. Subsequent developments furthered the suspicion. When asked about what the photo appeared to show, Santos thought the reporter was asking about an object around his wrist and was quoted as identifying the object as a "cue ring", triggering an investigation.
The Chilean-born jockey, whose only English is heavily accented, tried later to explain that he had called the object around his wrist a "Q ray," which is a magnetic bracelet worn by athletes to ease joint pain.
Santos hired attorney David Travis to defend him before the Kentucky Racing Commission. Experts were called in to examine the initial photograph and numerous others (showing the same scene but shot from different angles). At the conclusion of the investigation, Santos was cleared of all charges. The results of the investigation showed that in reality Santos did not have an object in his hand and it was the angle of the photograph that only made it appear otherwise. Other photographs and angles showed absolutely nothing in Santos’s hand and revealed that it would have been virtually impossible for him to be holding anything.
The $48 million libel suit against The Miami Herald was settled in 2008. Santos's Palm Beach attorney, litigator Bruce S. Rogow, told reporters his client was "pleased" with the confidential terms.
, John Velazquez, Gary Stevens, and Shane Sellers
) to wear advertising patches in the Kentucky Derby
, starting in 2004. They sued, with an argument grounded in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
, to be allowed to wear such patches during the race. The ruling was issued on April 21, 2004, by U.S. District Judge John Heyburn in Louisville
.
The jockeys in question had been offered substantial endorsement contracts to wear the ad patches, with payments, in some cases, of $30,000 apiece. Wearing this advertising was legal in the other Triple Crown
states, New York
and Maryland
, but the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority had maintained that such advertising violated racing tradition and might lead to corruption.
in New York. He suffered five broken vertabrae, a broken sternum, and several broken ribs.
Santos initially planned to return to riding by late 2007. However, he did not fully recover from his spinal injuries. Advised by his doctors that it would be far too dangerous for him to return to riding and that he would likely end up paralyzed should he have another accident, Santos, along with his current wife, Rita, and the support of his children, decided to retire.
One week before his induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
, Santos announced his retirement in several press conferences at the Saratoga Race Course
. The first was held in the press box at the racecourse. With his usual smile, though later showing other emotion, Santos informed the press that he would retire. He received a standing ovation from all in attendance, with most members of the press waiting to personally shake his hand and wish him well. Another press conference was held in the jockey's room and was televised on the Saratoga Race Course television station. With all of his fellow jockeys in attendance, it was an emotional scene not only Santos but for many other jockeys. Here as well, Santos received a touching standing ovation from his peers and friends of many years. Almost every jockey in attendance, many from all over the United States, waited until the end to greet Santos, some with a handshake and even more with an embracing hug.
A much moved José Santos said:
One week later, when Santos was formally inducted into the Hall of Fame, he received an unprecedented three standing ovations from the crowd. It was one of the best attended Hall of Fame ceremonies in years. Family and friends accompanied Santos to the induction ceremonies at Saratoga, including his second wife, Rita, from whom he is currently separated, and his two eldest children, José Ricardo and Sophia, from his first marriage to Maria.
Lifetime statistics: 25,928 mounts, 4,083 wins, and earnings of $188,561,787, ranking him eleventh in the all-time jockey rankings.
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
) is a retired Chilean 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...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
who has been honored by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Career
Jose Santos first raced horses at the Club Hípico de ConcepciónClub Hípico de Concepción
Club Hipico de Concepcion, also called the Mediocamino, is a Thoroughbred race track in Hualpen near Concepcion in the Bio-Bio Region of Chile. It features a right-handed nine-furlong dirt track. Currently, no major races are run at the Mediocamino....
in his native Chile, following in the footsteps of his father and three of his seven brothers, and in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
before moving to the United States in 1984. There he was the top money-winning jockey four years in a row, from 1986 through 1989, winning the 1988 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
The Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey is an American thoroughbred horse racing honor for jockeys first awarded in 1971. Part of the Eclipse Awards program, it is awarded annually....
in the United States; Santos was at the top of the sport during those years. He won seven Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
races and won the 1999 Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
aboard Lemon Drop Kid
Lemon Drop Kid
Lemon Drop Kid is a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse.-Background:He is among many stakes-winning Thoroughbreds to be descended from Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. Seattle Slew is the son of, Charming Lassie. Kingmambo was his sire, himself a son of the very important Champion sire Mr...
. He won the 2003 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
with Funny Cide
Funny Cide
Funny Cide is a Thoroughbred race horse who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 2003. He is the first New York-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby and the first gelding to win since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929.-Bloodlines:...
but missed winning 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...
after finishing third in the Belmont Stakes. More recently, Santos has said that Funny Cide was not the greatest horse he ever rode but certainly was his personal favorite.
In 1999, Santos won the coveted George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.The award was created...
(since 1950, presented annually to the thoroughbred horseracing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct both on and off the racetrack); the Award has long been considered a very high honor, for the winning jockey is selected by his peers. Santos also won the 2003 ESPY Awards
ESPY Awards
An ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
as the foremost jockey in the United States. He has long been a favorite of aficionados of the sport and is one of the best-liked and most respected jockeys in it.
Santos and his first wife, Maria, who was from Roslyn Heights, were divorced in 1994; they had two children during the marriage. Daughter Sophia Santos was graduated from Roslyn High School in 2005, then briefly attended the Fashion Institute of Technology. Son Jose Ricardo Santos was a graduated from the same high school in 2007 and now serves in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
In 2011 Jose Santos' biography "Above it All the Turbulent Life of Jose Santos" was authored by award winning author Bill Heller
Libel Lawsuit
In 2004, José Santos and Sackatoga Stable, owners of thoroughbred Funny Cide, filed a $48 million libel suit against The Miami-Herald because of a story by freelance writer Frank Carlson and a photograph that appeared in its issue for May 10, 2003, seven days after Santos won the Kentucky Derby.The photograph, with accompanying comments, was posted highlighting what appeared to be a metallic object in Santos's right hand as he and Funny Cide crossed the finish line. Due to the angle from which the photograph was taken, it appeared that Santos was holding an object in his right hand, and so raised suspicion that he had cheated to win the world-famous race. Subsequent developments furthered the suspicion. When asked about what the photo appeared to show, Santos thought the reporter was asking about an object around his wrist and was quoted as identifying the object as a "cue ring", triggering an investigation.
The Chilean-born jockey, whose only English is heavily accented, tried later to explain that he had called the object around his wrist a "Q ray," which is a magnetic bracelet worn by athletes to ease joint pain.
Santos hired attorney David Travis to defend him before the Kentucky Racing Commission. Experts were called in to examine the initial photograph and numerous others (showing the same scene but shot from different angles). At the conclusion of the investigation, Santos was cleared of all charges. The results of the investigation showed that in reality Santos did not have an object in his hand and it was the angle of the photograph that only made it appear otherwise. Other photographs and angles showed absolutely nothing in Santos’s hand and revealed that it would have been virtually impossible for him to be holding anything.
The $48 million libel suit against The Miami Herald was settled in 2008. Santos's Palm Beach attorney, litigator Bruce S. Rogow, told reporters his client was "pleased" with the confidential terms.
Advertising controversy
José Santos was also one of the first of five top jockeys (the others were Jerry BaileyJerry Bailey
Jerry D. Bailey is a retired American Hall of Fame jockey. He began his racing career in November 1974. His first mount was on a horse named Pegged Rate, who ran off the board. He notched his first career win the next day on his second career mount, Fetch, at New Mexico's Sunland Park, and has...
, John Velazquez, Gary Stevens, and Shane Sellers
Shane Sellers
Shane Jude Sellers is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. At age eleven, he began working around horses and in 1983 rode his first winner at Evangeline Downs....
) to wear advertising patches in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, starting in 2004. They sued, with an argument grounded in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
, to be allowed to wear such patches during the race. The ruling was issued on April 21, 2004, by U.S. District Judge John Heyburn in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
The jockeys in question had been offered substantial endorsement contracts to wear the ad patches, with payments, in some cases, of $30,000 apiece. Wearing this advertising was legal in the other Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
states, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, but the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority had maintained that such advertising violated racing tradition and might lead to corruption.
Retirement
On February 1, 2007, Santos, then 45 years old, was involved in a three-horse racing accident at Aqueduct RacetrackAqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
in New York. He suffered five broken vertabrae, a broken sternum, and several broken ribs.
Santos initially planned to return to riding by late 2007. However, he did not fully recover from his spinal injuries. Advised by his doctors that it would be far too dangerous for him to return to riding and that he would likely end up paralyzed should he have another accident, Santos, along with his current wife, Rita, and the support of his children, decided to retire.
One week before his induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
, Santos announced his retirement in several press conferences at the Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
. The first was held in the press box at the racecourse. With his usual smile, though later showing other emotion, Santos informed the press that he would retire. He received a standing ovation from all in attendance, with most members of the press waiting to personally shake his hand and wish him well. Another press conference was held in the jockey's room and was televised on the Saratoga Race Course television station. With all of his fellow jockeys in attendance, it was an emotional scene not only Santos but for many other jockeys. Here as well, Santos received a touching standing ovation from his peers and friends of many years. Almost every jockey in attendance, many from all over the United States, waited until the end to greet Santos, some with a handshake and even more with an embracing hug.
A much moved José Santos said:
One week later, when Santos was formally inducted into the Hall of Fame, he received an unprecedented three standing ovations from the crowd. It was one of the best attended Hall of Fame ceremonies in years. Family and friends accompanied Santos to the induction ceremonies at Saratoga, including his second wife, Rita, from whom he is currently separated, and his two eldest children, José Ricardo and Sophia, from his first marriage to Maria.
Lifetime statistics: 25,928 mounts, 4,083 wins, and earnings of $188,561,787, ranking him eleventh in the all-time jockey rankings.