Jockey Mike Smith to be inducted into New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame

Mike Smith, the Roswell, N.M., native who was inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame in 2003, will be inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Feb. 23, according to the organization.

Smith, 48, will be inducted with Gary and Henry Sanchez, a father and son who were both track and field coaches, according to the Hall.

Smith has won all of racing’s top races, and he is currently first on the all-time list for wins in the Breeders’ Cup, with 20 victories. He has over $250 million in career earnings and more than 5,100 wins.

Smith began his career at New Mexico tracks after taking out his rider’s license at age 16 but left a year later for the Midwest. Most of his wins have taken place on the New York and Southern California circuits, where the nation’s top jockeys generally compete.

Smith has won the Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey twice, and he has also received the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, honoring his riding in New York, and the George Woolf Memorial Award, honoring his riding in California.