Solis appointed to California Horse Racing Board

ARCADIA, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis has been appointed to the California Horse Racing Board, according a statement released Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown.

A native of Panama, Solis replaces Bo Derek, whose resignation from the board was announced Thursday.

In an interview Thursday, Solis, 51, said he was approached recently about taking a position on the racing board.

“I thought about it for awhile,” he said. “I think it will be good for racing. I’ve been in this sport for 30 years. I think I can help.”

Solis said he will spend the next few weeks become familiar with the workings of the racing board. The next scheduled racing board meeting is May 21 at Santa Anita.

Hours after the announcement, Solis won with his only mount Thursday at Santa Anita – the maiden Smart Transition in the fourth race.

Solis’s appointment to the racing board will not affect his position as an active rider, according to the jockey and the racing board.

Solis is a member of the Jockey’s Guild and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. A fixture in Southern California since the early 1980s, Solis has won 4,997 races in North America.

Derek, best known as an actor, served nearly seven years on the board and was first vice chair in recent months. During her time on the board, Derek championed causes related to horse and human welfare, specifically on issues related to a reduction in medications, the implementation of a controversial rule allowing claims to be voided for unsound horses, and safety equipment worn by jockey and exercise riders.