Paco Lopez

Pascacio "Paco" Lopez (born October 18, 1985)[2] is a Mexican-born American jockey.

Paco Lopez
OccupationJockey
BornOctober 18, 1985
Veracruz, Mexico
Career wins2,745 (as at 2020/02/12)[1]
Major racing wins
Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (2009)
Alysheba Stakes (2010)
Skip Away Stakes (2010)
Cliff Hanger Stakes (2011, 2012)
Forward Gal Stakes (2011, 2018)
Jersey Derby (2011, 2013)
My Charmer Handicap (2011, 2012)
Oceanport Stakes (2011, 2012, 2014)
Philip H. Iselin Stakes (2011)
Delta Princess Stakes (2012, 2014)
Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship (2012)
Miss Woodford Stakes (2012)
Sapling Stakes (2012, 2014, 2016)
Ack Ack Handicap (2013)
Barbaro Stakes (2013)
Monmouth Cup (2013, 2017)
Monmouth Oaks (2013, 2015, 2016)
Tyro Stakes (2013, 2014)
Honorable Miss Handicap (2014)
Prioress Stakes (2014)
Rampart Stakes (2014)
Salvator Mile Handicap (2014)
Sunshine Millions Sprint (2014)
Woodward Stakes (2014)
Eatontown Handicap (2015, 2016)
Greenwood Cup Stakes (2015)
Inside Information Stakes (2015, 2016)
Pegasus Stakes (2015)
Comely Stakes (2016)
Demoiselle Stakes (2016)
Pegasus World Cup Turf (2016)
Tempted Stakes (2016)
Davona Dale Stakes (2017)
Jenny Wiley Stakes (2017)
Jim McKay Turf Sprint (2017)
Suwannee River Stakes (2017)
Ancient Title Stakes (2018)
Azeri Stakes (2018)
Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (2018)
Henry S. Clark Stakes (2018)
Ashland Stakes (2019)

Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Sprint (2018)

Racing awards
U.S. Champion Apprentice Jockey (2008)
Significant horses
Firenze Fire, Itsmyluckyday,
Pants on Fire, Roy H

Early life

Paco Lopez was born in Veracruz, Mexico.[3] He lived impoverished in his hometown until he left his childhood house in 1997, aged 12, to live with one of his three sisters.[2] While living with his sister, he began to work on a ranch.[2] Lopez's time on this ranch later lead to him learning how to ride quarter horses and, eventually, start his career in horse racing.

Career highlights

Lopez began his horse racing career in Mexico, riding on bush tracks.[4] After racing on unregulated tracks in Mexico for some time, he moved to and began riding in Florida in 2007, becoming known in the United States for his aggressive style of racing.[4] In 2008, Lopez won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey,[5] and in 2014, he won his first Grade 1 race (Graded Stakes Race) on the horse Itsmyluckyday at Saratoga.[6] In 2018 he got his first Breeders' Cup win when he rode Roy H to victory in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.[7] Lopez has won 7 Monmouth Park riding titles that ties for second most ever by any jockey at Monmouth Park.

Suspensions

In 2019, however, he received two separate major suspensions. The first being a 30 day suspension in February 2019 when he was reprimanded for dangerous riding at Gulfstream Park, as well as for several other occurrences of aggressive riding that led to the injury of other jockeys or horses.[8] The second was another 60 day suspension in April, again at Gulfstream Park, for almost causing injury to a fellow jockey, Leonel Reyes, during a race.[9]

References
  1. "Paco Lopez". Equibase Co. LLC. 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  2. "Jockey Bios: Paco Lopez", "Keeneland", 2018 (Date Accessed: September 24, 2019)
  3. Bill Finley "Paco Lopez, racing's best kept secret", "ESPN", 2014 (Date Accessed: September 26, 2019)
  4. "Jockey Feature: Paco Lopez" "One Lucky Mudder", 2013 (Date Accessed: September 26, 2019)
  5. Art Petrosemolo "PACO LOPEZ – A YOUNG RIDER WHO ONLY GETS BETTER", "TheTwoRiverTimes", 2015 (Date Accessed: September 28, 2019)
  6. "Itsmyluckyday wins Woodward at Saratoga", "USA Today", 2014 (Date Accessed: September 28, 2019)
  7. James Scully "Roy H easily repeats in TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint", "Brisnet", 2018 (Date Accessed: September 28, 2019)
  8. Bob Ehalt "Paco Lopez Receives 30-Day Suspension at Gulfstream", 2019 (Date Accessed: September 26, 2019)
  9. Pete Monaco "Not again, Paco!", "The Spectrum" 2019 (Date Accessed: September 28, 2019)
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