Garrett Gomez

[Valuist]

I know he had been doing decently in SoCal the past few years. Whatever happened to him? I haven't seen his name in the charts in a while....

[blind squirrel]

the last time i saw him ride was at SUNLAND PARK,
he was leading rider......he may be at YAVAPI,a long
way from DEL MAR and winning the PACIFIC CLASSIC!

[so.cal.fan]

Someone was just talking about Garrett at HP the other day.
He isn't riding right now......understand his weight is up.
I think he has another business he is involved in now.

[Valuist]

Where exactly is Yavapai anyways? I'm guessing its somewhere in Arizona.

I wonder if there was a substance problem. I think he had one in the mid 90s, then abruptly "retired", only to come back 6 months later, post re-hab.

[VetScratch]

Years ago, on the Chicago circuit, Garrett went through a problem period that resulted in his disappearance and re-emergence on a new circuit months later.

At AP, urban legend has it that one of the track's most prominent trainers, already known for his hot temper, grabbed Garrett in the tunnel between the track and the paddock and proceeded to give him a "whupping"! That incident supposedly ocurred just before Garrett packed his tack and left Chicago.

[Valuist]

I bet that story is an urban legend. When Gomez left in late summer 1997, he had a big lead in the riders standings and had been talking for weeks about testing the waters in Southern California.

[JimG]

I read elsewhere he is currently getting treatment for a substance abuse problem.

[Valuist]

He had a problem in the past.

Seems that jockeys have a bigger problem w/this than even NBA players.

[TurfRuler]

Here's an update:


Date: 7/10/2003 8:05 pm

Gomez held on drug charges
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Jockey Garrett Gomez, who has won more than 2,000 races in his career but has not ridden since last fall, was arrested in Temecula, Calif., on July 3 on drug-related charges.
Gomez, 35, is being held at the Southwest Detention Center in Temecula, according to Dennis Gutierrez, a spokesman for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Gomez was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and being under the influence of a controlled substance, according to Gutierrez. A bench warrant had been issued for his arrest in Pasadena, Calif., in early July, after Gomez failed to make a court appearance for a separate arrest, according to a source. He faces arraignment in Southwest Justice Center Superior Court in Temecula on July 16.

The July 3 arrest is the latest setback in the troubled career of a top jockey who has battled substance abuse problems in the past.

Gomez has not ridden since last fall at Sunland Park in New Mexico, where he temporarily led the standings. He was booked to ride one mount on the opening day of the Santa Anita meeting last December, but was removed at scratch time.

Gomez moved from the Midwest to California in the mid-1990's and became one of the circuit's leading jockeys. He won the riding title at the 1998 Hollywood Park fall meeting. The following year, his mounts earned a career-high $9 million.

Last year, his top stakes wins came aboard Golden Apples (Santa Ana Handicap) and Denon (Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap).

Gomez is not currently licensed by the California Horse Racing Board. He approached officials in mid-June about a return to riding but did not file an application, according to a person familiar with Gomez's case.

In recent weeks, Gomez was reportedly working with counselors at the Winner's Foundation, a racing charity that aids people in the sport with substance abuse problems.

[Valuist]

Thanks for the update. I was not aware of this.

Sounds eerily like Chris Valovich (or Chris Antley also); substance problem related layoff; intends to comeback but is too lazy to file the paperwork to get re-licensed. Hopefully it won't end the same way

[cj]

I lot of these guys start out doing drugs to help with weight problems, then the problem escalates from there. I rode in a van with Antley and Allen Stacy going from the Big M to Maryland, and both guys got plastered on the way home, and I'm not talking alcohol...it was very sad to see even then.

[Bubbles]

I don't know if you guys remember the sad tale of Ronnie Franklin. He was just 19 when he rode Spectacular Bid to his near-Triple Crown. While most blamed a safety pin for the Bid's troubles, the teen blamed himself. At the advice of "friends," he tried cocaine. After numerous rehabs and relapses, he was banned from even ATTENDING the Preakness. It's sad to see jockeys resort to the lowest of levels to cope with something.