Bravo joins elite company as Woolf Award winner

ARCADIA, Calif. – An appreciative Joe Bravo, who began riding in Southern California last summer, was honored between races at Santa Anita on Sunday with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.

The award is presented by the track through a vote of riders nationwide, reflecting success on the track and personal character.

Bravo, 50, was joined in the winner’s circle by many active riders at Santa Anita as well as retired jockeys Frank Olivares, Laffit Pincay Jr., and Don Pierce, past recipients of the Woolf award.

“I’m soaking this all in,” an emotional Bravo told the ontrack crowd. “To put my name next to these guys, it hits me hard. I can’t say how much it means.”

Bravo said the camaraderie among jockeys is unique in sports, considering they share a locker room and compete against one another every half-hour.

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“I’ve been riding a long time, and they’re able to stomach me,” he said, displaying his wry sense of humor.

“It’s like a family. You’re with these guys day in and day out.”

Through Sunday, Bravo was tied for 10th in the jockey standings with 13 wins at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.