Jockey Alex Canchari dead at age 29

Canchari last rode at Prairie Meadows, on the closing day card Oct. 2. He won 47 races from 332 starts at the meet, for mount earnings of $1.3 millionAlex Canchari, a rider based in the Midwest, died on Wednesday of an apparent suicide, according to his family. Canchari was 29.

Canchari had not ridden since October of last year at Prairie Meadows racetrack in Iowa. He began riding late in 2011 and had amassed more than $28 million in purse earnings and 1,044 wins. His most prestigious win came aboard Flat Out Speed in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks in 2020.

Canchari last rode at Prairie Meadows, on the closing-day card Oct. 2. He won 47 races from 332 starts at the meet, for mount earnings of $1.3 million.

Canchari was born and raised in Shakopee, Minn., and worked at Canterbury Park as a child. His father, an immigrant from Peru, had a brief career as a jockey before becoming a trainer, shuttling his operation between Minnesota and Nebraska. He retired as a trainer in 2018.

Alex’s brother, Patrick, was also a jockey before being paralyzed in an auto accident in 2020. His father passed away later that year.

“We are speechless and completely heartbroken about the passing of my brother, Alex,” his sister, Ashley, wrote in a social-media post. “Alex had a heart of gold and encouraged and saw the good in everyone. We wish he could have seen that light in himself.”

Alex Canchari was especially popular at Canterbury, given his deep roots at the track.

“The news of this talented and genuine young man’s death has deeply saddened the Canterbury Park family,” the track posted on social media, with a picture of Alex, his father, and his brother.

According to his sister, Alex is survived by his fiancé, Brooke-Lyn; a son, Leon; and a daughter, Penelope. Brooke-Lyn is expecting a baby in August, she said.

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