Jockey's Guild

A three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey and a member of the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame, Ramón A. Domínguez has been retired since 2013, when he suffered a traumatic brain injury in a racing accident. He has since devoted his time to helping causes like the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and New York Race Track Chaplaincy, and he was instrumental in the introduction of the 360 Gentle Touch Riding Crop, a modernized and more humane version of the traditional whip. After the initial recovery from his accident, Domínguez was...

The eighth annual PDJF Telethon, held last Saturday, April 18, raised a record-breaking $575,000 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), over $100,000 more than the previous year, the event announced Friday. "This event is a testament of what can be accomplished when so many people, especially the fans, come together for a good cause," said Andrew Moore, FanDuel TV's General Manager of Racing. "Every donation makes a difference. We are grateful to all of our friends in the industry that came together to make this event a success and...

The Jockeys' Guild Education Foundation (JGEF), an initiative dedicated entirely to the educational empowerment of professional jockeys, has been launched through a partnership between the Lavin Family Foundation, Glen Hill Farm, and the Jockeys' Guild. Through scholarships, personalized academic guidance, and practical skills training, JGEF will aim to give jockeys the tools to build financial security and employment opportunities during and after their riding careers. Prior to its official start date of July 1, JGEF will be circulating a survey to jockeys and will be forming focus groups in coordination...

Racing at Aqueduct was cancelled Wednesday through Friday by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) in advance of forecasted arctic temperatures and extremely low wind chill values hitting the New York metro area. NYRA, in consultation with the Jockeys' Guild, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB), will request formal approval from the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) to conduct live racing on Wednesday, Feb. 4 with additional make-up days to be determined at a later date. Aqueduct Racetrack will be closed to...

Johnny Velazquez, who has served as Chairman of the Jockeys' Guild for more than 20 years and as Co-Chair with Mike Smith since 2018, will be stepping down from that role, the organization announced Thursday. The members have elected Smith and Javier Castellano as Co-Chairs; Joe Bravo, James Flores, and Julien Leparoux as Co-Vice Chairs; Tyler Gaffalione as Secretary; and Julien Leparoux as Treasurer. In addition, Alex Birzer, James Graham, Rodney Prescott, and Velazquez will serve on the Board of Directors. Velazquez will also remain actively involved with the Guild...

The live racing card at Woodbine set for Thursday, Dec. 11 will begin one hour earlier to accommodate the new card after the Dec. 4 program was cancelled following one race, Woodbine Entertainment has announced. The 10-race Thursday card will start the final week of live racing for the 2025 season at the venue, and will now kick off at 4:30pm local time. Cold weather bringing plenty of snow rolled through the area earlier in the week, and the cancellation was agreed upon by the Jockeys' Guild, the HBPA, and...

It wasn't a perfect night for Paco Lopez Thursday night at Delta Downs as he was 0-for-2, finishing eighth with his first mount of the night and third in his second try. But, according to his agent, Jose Garcia, Lopez saw it as a positive night for the simple fact that he was back doing what he loves. "He was very happy to be back," Garcia said. "You have a rider who, basically, loves to ride horses." Lopez had not ridden since Sept. 22 at Parx. Afterward he was suspended...

Eleven weeks ago, jockey Tyler Conner lay on the turf at Colonial Downs calm, but for all the wrong reasons. "I couldn't feel anything," he said. "I was totally calm which was weird but it was because I wasn't in any pain." Conner was involved in an incident in the seventh race in Virginia July 24 when his mount, the Elizabeth Merryman-trained Stanza (Great Notion), clipped heels with eventually-disqualified race winner Montador (Nyquist) and fell around the far turn. Francisco Arrieta, who was aboard Montador, was suspended 15 days by...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Jockeys' Guild, in partnership with the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, co-hosted a mental health roundtable on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the U.S. Capitol. The event brought together jockeys and professional athletes from women's soccer and football to share their personal experiences and highlight both the common and unique mental health challenges they face. "We are committed to keeping the dialogue going on mental health challenges for professional jockeys," said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. "The more we talk about it, the more jockeys...

Trevor McCarthy is only 30 and a winner of 1,871 races, which suggests he had many good years left in the saddle. Instead, McCarthy, who last rode on Aug. 15 at Colonial Downs, has retired and has gone into the real estate business. It was his way of escaping a job that was not only making him unhappy but bringing about mental health issues that he knew he had to find a way to get under control. "Mostly, this was about my mental health and my happiness," said McCarthy, who...

The Jockeys' Guild on Friday issued a statement defending jockey Luan Machado one day after news broke that the 10-year veteran rider was being sued in a Kentucky court by the owner and breeder of a horse he rode at Churchill Downs in November who lost by a neck but likely would have won if Machado hadn't prematurely geared him down with a 2 1/2-length lead inside the eighth pole. The Guild's press release Feb. 28 stated that the allegations asserted against Machado "are utterly baseless." The Guild's statement continued:...

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and the Jockeys' Guild agreed to a new scale of mount fees for jockeys who ride at NYRA tracks which will take effect Feb. 1, according to a Wednesday release from the Guild. Under the new fee agreement, jockeys will receive a minimum of a $125 losing mount fee for races at all NYRA racetracks as well as a $500 minimum fee in races with purses of $1 million or more. This scale also includes a 4th place incentive. "We have come to...