(1943-02-05) February 5, 1943 (age 81) Santurce, Puerto Rico
Career wins
1,800+
Major racing wins
Manhattan Handicap (1966, 1969) Santa Monica Handicap (1966) Brooklyn Handicap (1967, 1969) National Stallion Stakes (1967, 1969) Prioress Stakes (1967) Washington Park Handicap (1967) Whitney Handicap (1967) Donn Handicap (1968) Flamingo Stakes (1968) Jersey Derby (1968, 1970) Matron Stakes (1968) Youthful Stakes (1968) Diana Handicap (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974) Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (1969) San Gabriel Handicap (1969, 1972) Santa Anita Handicap (1969) Santa Maria Handicap (1969) San Fernando Stakes (1969, 1971, 1972) Vagrancy Handicap (1969) Spinster Stakes (1970) Tremont Stakes (1970, 1971) Widener Handicap (1970) Wood Memorial Stakes (1970) Woodward Stakes (1970) Jerome Handicap (1971) Roamer Handicap (1971, 1972) Delaware Handicap (1972) Metropolitan Handicap (1972) Hollywood Derby (1973) Lawrence Realization Stakes (1973) Mother Goose Stakes (1973)
American Classic Race wins: Preakness Stakes (1970)
Significant horses
Amberoid, Autobiography, Dark Mirage, Gallant Bloom, Gamely, Hail To All, Nodouble, Personality, Ta Wee,
Eddie Belmonte (born February 5, 1943, in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a retired jockey who competed at the highest levels in Thoroughbred horse racing in his native Puerto Rico and in the United States.
After much success riding in Puerto Rico, Eddie Belmonte came to the United States in the latter part of 1964 to compete at New York and area racetracks. He was the first Puerto Rican jockey to compete in the Kentucky Derby, riding Exhibitionist in the 1966 running of the American Classic. His crowning career achievement came as the jockey of Personality, winner of the 1970 Preakness Stakes and that year's Eclipse Award for American Horse of the Year.
In addition to riding in New York, Belmonte rode successfully at tracks in New Jersey, Florida, and California. On February 17, 1972, he rode five winners in a single day at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.[1] In October 1973, Belmonte traveled to Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France to ride in the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Aboard El Famoso, he finished out of the money.[2]
Eddie Belmonte retired as a jockey in 1976 and later worked as a riding instructor and jockeys' agent.[3] He attempted a comeback in 1977 [4] but on April 18, after winning a race at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmonte suddenly collapsed and fell from his horse. His collapse came about as a result of an effort to meet riding weight limits through a dieting process that brought rapid weight loss.
[5]
Selected other wins:
Queens County Handicap (1965)
Adirondack Stakes (1966, 1971)
Derby Trial Stakes (1966)
Gravesend Handicap (1966)
Santa Catalina Stakes (1966)
Jim Dandy Stakes (1967, 1973)
Lamplighter Stakes (1967)
Sport Page Handicap (1967)
Test Stakes (1967, 1969, 1970)
Bowling Green Handicap (1968)
Discovery Handicap (1968)
Red Smith Handicap (1968)
Stymie Handicap (1968)
Californian Stakes (1969)
Comely Stakes (1969)
Miss Woodford Stakes (1969)
San Felipe Stakes (1969)
Santa Ysabel Stakes (1969, 1971)
Saranac Stakes (1969)
Schuylerville Stakes (1969)
Arlington Classic (1970)
Display Handicap (1970)
Stuyvesant Handicap (1970)
Baldwin Stakes (1971)
San Gorgonio Handicap (1972)
San Gabriel Handicap (1972)
San Marcos Stakes (1972)
Santa Paula Stakes (1972)
Santa Ana Handicap (1973)
La Brea Stakes (1975)
^Hebert, Bob (February 18, 1972). "Belmonte Boots in Five Winners". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
^"Bubbly Win For Rheingold". Sports Illustrated. October 15, 1973. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
^"Eddie Belmonte profile (Spanish language)". SportPRNews.com. 12 October 2008. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
^Cady, Steve (February 17, 1977). "Belmonte Sweating Out Another Comeback". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
^Eskenazi, Gerald (April 19, 1977). "Belmonte Wins at Big A, Then Collapses". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
EddieBelmonte (born February 5, 1943, in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a retired jockey who competed at the highest levels in Thoroughbred horse...
of Victory: 11½ lengths – Smarty Jones (2004) Most wins by a jockey: 6 – Eddie Arcaro (1941, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1957) Most wins by a trainer: 8 –...
1995) 3 – Melnyk Racing (2000, 2003, 2005) Most wins by a jockey: 4 – Eddie Maple (1981, 1982, 1984, 1986) 4 – Jerry Bailey (1995, 2000, 2001, 2002)...
States on the CBS television network. Personality, who was jockeyed by EddieBelmonte, won the race by a scant neck over runner-up My Dad George. Approximate...
Baeza John A. Nerud Tartan Stable 1+1⁄8 miles 1:48.80 1967 Stupendous 4 EddieBelmonte Edward A. Neloy Wheatley Stable 1+1⁄8 miles 1:48.20 1966 Staunchness...
II 1973 Cathy Baby 4 EddieBelmonte William Corbellini Mereworth Farm 1+1⁄8 1:46.80 II 1972 Blessing Angelica 4 EddieBelmonte H. Allen Jerkens Hobeau...
Wee Eddie Belmonte John A. Nerud Tartan Stable 1:23.60 1968 Heartland John L. Rotz Max Hirsch King Ranch 1:22.40 1967 Gamely EddieBelmonte James W. Maloney...
(1934, 1935, 1936) 3 – Forego (1974, 1975, 1976) Most wins by a jockey: 6 – Eddie Arcaro (1944, 1947, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1961) Most wins by a trainer: 7 –...
Shoe Larry Gilligan Larry Sterling George Putnam 9th 5 Exhibitionist EddieBelmonte Hirsch Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs 10th 6 Sky Guy Larry Adams Nick Combest...
Angel Cordero Jr. Arnold N. Winick Fence Post Farm 8th 1A Personality EddieBelmonte John W. Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs 9th 15 Native Royalty Ismael Valenzuela...
lengths for his owner, George Steinbrenner. Most wins by a jockey: 9 – Eddie Arcaro (1944, 1945, 1947 (2), 1949, 1950, 1956, 1957, 1958) Most wins by...
Henry M. Moreno Regal Enterprises, Inc. 1:21.60 1972 Convenience 4 EddieBelmonte Willard L. Proctor Glen Hill Farm 1:21.60 1971 Duke's Little Gal 4 Robby...
Shoemaker Charles Whittingham Kinship Stables 1:46.60 1973 Bird Boots 4 EddieBelmonte Steve Ippolito Jack R. Hogan 1:47.00 1973 Minstrel Miss 6 Donald Pierce...
Baeza Alfred Scotti Neil Hellman 5 1⁄2 F 1:03.60 $16,545 1971 Chauffeur EddieBelmonte Frank "Pancho" Martin Sigmund Sommer 5 1⁄2 F 1:04.40 $25,200 1970 Raise...
Angel Cordero Jr. Jerry C. Meyer Elmendorf Farm 13th 11 Gleaming Sword EddieBelmonte Robert L. Wheeler Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney 14th 9 Dancer's Image...
MacKenzie Miller Cragwood Stables 1:35.00 I 1972 Executioner 4 Eddie BelmonteEddie Yowell October House Farm 1:35.40 1971 Tunex 5 John Ruane H. Allen Jerkens...
John L. Rotz Mervin Marks Oxford Stable 2:00.40 1970 Personality 3 EddieBelmonte John W. Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs 2:01.80 1969 Arts and Letters 3 Braulio...
Baeza Edward A. Neloy Ogden Mills Phipps 8.5 F 1:44.60 1967 Bugged EddieBelmonte Ivor G. Balding C. V. Whitney 8.5 F 1:44.80 1966 Successor Braulio Baeza...
Barrera Charles T. Wilson Jr. 1-1/16 1:43.20 1971 Balcony's Babe 3 EddieBelmonte F. A. Miquelez M/M. Ellwood B. Johnston 1-1/16 1:43.20 1970 # Linda...
Stable (William Kosnick & Charles T. Hargrove) 1:49.60 1970 Personality EddieBelmonte John W. Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs 1:48.00 1969 Al Hattab Michael Hole Warren...
Don Pierce John H. Adams El Peco Ranch 2:00.60 1972 Big Shot II * 7 EddieBelmonte Pancho Martin Sigmund Sommer 1:59.80 1971 Cougar II 5 Bill Shoemaker...
(1939) 1:04.00 @ 5.5 furlongs: Timbeau (1963) Most wins by a jockey: 7 – Eddie Arcaro (1941, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1958) Most wins by a trainer:...
George Seabo Shelter Rock Stable 7 F 1:24.80 $19,890 1968-1 Show Off 2 EddieBelmonte Willard C. Freeman Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr. 7 F 1:25.00 $14,803 1968-2...
Robert G. Dunham E. V. Benjamin III et al. 1:49.00 1970 Taken Aback EddieBelmonte H. Allen Jerkens Hobeau Farm 1:51.40 1969 Gallant Bloom John L. Rotz...
and Steve Cauthen, all U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductees, as well as EddieBelmonte, Álvaro Pineda, Joe Culmone, Ruperto Donoso, Glen Brogan and Heliodoro...
Joseph A. Trovato Carl Rosen 1+1⁄8 1:48.60 I 1973 Windy's Daughter EddieBelmonte Laz Barrera Mrs. Paul L. Blackman 1+1⁄8 1:48.40 I 1972 Wanda Jorge Velásquez...
Pierce David A. Whiteley Preston Madden 1:47.60 1972 Big Shot II 7 EddieBelmonte Pancho Martin Sigmund Sommer 1:48.60 1971 Cougar II 5 Bill Shoemaker...