Veteran jockey Richard Gamez dies after falling from mount during race

A longtime Arizona jockey with more than 640 victories spanning a 44-year career died Sunday when he was trampled after falling off his mount at a Tucson track.

Richard Gamez, 66, was leading the fifth race with Drama is Overrated going into the final turn at Rillito Park Racetrack, Tucson.com reported. The horse stumbled and Gamez was thrown from his saddle, the website reported.

Gamez was trampled by at least one horse and was taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries, according to Tucson.com.

Gamez had 4,642 career mounts and 643 wins atop thoroughbreds and won more than $1,2 million since he debuted in 1976, the Arizona Daily Star reported. Gamez also started more than 1,300 American quarter horse races, winning nearly 200 and earning more than $617,000, according to the American Quarter Horse Association.

“We are devastated to have lost a member of our Rillito family,” the Rillito Park Foundation, which oversees the track, said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathy goes out to Richard’s family and friends. Richard was a fantastic human being and a true horseman.”

“We’ve had jockeys get injured here before, but nothing like this,” foundation president Jaye Wells told Tucson.com. “The accident was such that it didn’t really have anything to do with his age. I’m no medical expert, but we believe the brain injury was such that he wouldn’t have survived if he’d been 20.”

Among the horses he rode were stakes winners Dollar Economy and Cash Is Genuine, according to the American Quarter Horse Association.

The Arizona Department of Gaming’s racing division said it is investigating the accident, the Daily Star reported.

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