Raul Cespedes, California jockey, dies at 67

Former jockey Raul Cespedes, who rode at California tracks from 1967-1982, died of cancer Monday at his home in Fontana, Calif. He was 67.

A native of Santiago, Chile, Cespedes rode in his homeland as well as Panama and Mexico before coming to California. His riding record in the U.S. included a fifth-place finish in the 1972 Belmont Stakes aboard Big Spruce and a trio of stakes wins at Golden Gate Fields: the 1969 San Francisco Mile with Wingover, the 1975 Albany Handicap with Pelegrin Sands, and the 1979 California Oaks with Whydidju.

Cespedes served as a jockey agent in Northern California, Ohio and Florida following his riding career.

He is survived by his ex-wife Marie Daffin; sons Christopher, Jonathan, and Nelson; and daughter Angela. Services are pending.