05/28/2012 2:37PM

Jockey Mario Gutierrez: Profile, career highlights

By DRF Staff
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Justin N. Lane
Jockey Mario Gutierrez after winning the Kentucky Derby aboard I'll Have Another.

Mario Gutierrez

Age: 25, born Sept. 19, 1986, in Veracruz, Mexico

Family status: Single

• Started out with Quarter Horses raised and trained by his father

• Leading apprentice at Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico City in 2005

• Began riding at Hastings in 2006 on the advice of Canadian trainer Terry Jordan and was the meet’s leading apprentice

• Leading rider at Hastings in 2007 and 2008, second in standings in 2009 and 2011

• Came to Southern California in October 2011 to ride primarily for leading Hastings owner Glen Todd and trainer Troy Taylor and then stayed when they returned to Canada in April

Career record in U.S. and Canada through May 23: 3,032 mounts, 666 wins, purse earnings of $12,783,373
Record in U.S. since moving to Southern California in October 2011: 180 mounts, 20 wins, purse earnings of $3,363,653

Graded stakes wins

2012
• Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, I’ll Have Another
• Grade 1 Preakness, Pimlico, I’ll Have Another
• Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita, I’ll Have Another
• Grade 2 Robert Lewis, Santa Anita, I’ll Have Another
• Grade 3 Wilshire Handicap, Hollywood Park, Quiet Oasis

2009
Grade 3 Ballerina, Hastings, Holy Nova

2007
Grade 3 Premiers, Hastings, Sir Gallovic

Daily Racing Form coverage

Gutierrez keeps his cool in Preakness
The unflappable Gutierrez gave I'll Have Another a second straight terrific ride, guiding him past Bodemeister in the shadow of the wire to win the Preakness by a neck and set up the opportunity for racing's first Triple Crown in 34 years in the June 9 Belmont Stakes. David Grening »

Gutierrez doesn't let inexperience stop him in Kentucky Derby
Jockey Mario Gutierrez has ridden races for nearly half his life but until this week had never been to Churchill Downs or attended a Kentucky Derby - until Saturday, when he had the best seat in the house for the world’s greatest race, atop the winner I'll Have Another. Mike Welsch »

Kentucky Derby mount a dream come true for Gutierrez
Eight years after he left home in Mexico, Gutierrez is at the top of American racing. Now 25, Gutierrez last weekend won his first Grade 1, riding I’ll Have Another to victory in the Santa Anita Derby. I’ll Have Another will be his first mount in the Kentucky Derby on May 5. It will be Gutierrez’s first visit to Churchill Downs. Steve Andersen »

Del Donaker More than 1 year ago
I first became familiar with Mario's riding by looking at formulator past performances. The formulator allows you to see the past performances of all competitors in a race. This enabled me to study the competition of shippers from Hastings being sent to California. I could see that Gutierrez was riding a lot of winners. Going to the Hastings website, I found that he raced a little more than half the races that the meet leader had. But amazingly, he had just about the same amount of wins - a winning percentage of almost twice that of the meet leader! It's no surprise that he is continuing with success, especially on dirt courses.