Garret Gomez, Breeders’ Cup Winning Jockey, Dies at 44

Garret Gomez, a jockey with 3,769 wins to his name including winning the Breeders’ Cup 13 times, was found dead on Wednesday. He was 44.

His daughter, Shelley Gomez, confirmed his death but gave no further details, the BloodHorse.com was the first to report.

Having officially retired in June 2015, Gomez was known to have a history of substance abuse issues. According to the Daily Racing Forum, he was found in a casino hotel in Tuscon, Arizona.

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Gomez was twice honored with the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey the year, and in 2011 was granted the George Woolf Memorial Award by his peers.

One of his most memorable victories came riding a horse named Blame, when he sent Zenyatta to her only defeat in the 2010 Classic at Churchill Downs.

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His mounts earned more than $205 million during his racing career, according to Daily Racing Forum.

Gomez is survived by four children, two — a daughter, Shelby, and son, Collin — from his first marriage and two — a daughter, Amanda, and son, Jared — from his second. He recently separated from his second wife, Pam, and had moved from Santa Anita, California, to Tuscon, Arizona.

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