Stahlbaum Wins Avelino Gomez Award

Retired Canadian jockey Gary Stahlbaum, who won 1,759 career races, has been named the 2016 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.

The award is given to a jockey—Canadian-born, Canadian-raised, or a regular rider in the country for more than five years—who has made significant contributions to the sport.

Stahlbaum, a Sovereign Award winner as Canada's outstanding jockey of 1980, won nearly 120 stakes, including 16 graded stakes, and close to $20 million in purse earnings before retiring in 1998.

"I guess the best way to describe how I felt when I found out about the award is 'surprised,' " Stahlbaum said. "I've been away from the races so long, so to find out about this, it's really nice to have this honor."

Throughout his career, Stahlbaum went head-to-head against some of the sport's most decorated stars, Hall of Fame legends such as Sandy Hawley, Robin Platts, and Gomez himself.

Robbie King, a former rider and Gomez honoree, and current executive director of the Jockey Benefit Association of Canada, is thrilled to see Stahlbaum noted for his impact on Thoroughbred racing.

"Gary was a great jockey, who could do it all very well, be that nursing a sensitive filly on the lead or rousing a lazy colt from off the pace," King said. 

A native of Toronto, now residing near where Greenwood Racetrack used to be, Stahlbaum rode several of Canada's most accomplished horses for two decades, including Horse of the Year Afleet, and champion fillies Bessarabian, Rainbow Connection, Eternal Search, and One From Heaven.

His breakthrough season came in 1971 in just his second full year of riding when he won 148 races. In 1977, Stahlbaum had a career best win total of 196 triumphs. In a three-year period from 1979-81, he captured the coveted riding title at Woodbine's summer meet.

"I wish I would have won the Queen's Plate," said the 65-year-old. "I finished second three times. But, I was lucky enough to win some good races and have some success." 

Stahlbaum is looking forward to the Gomez ceremonies that will take June 12, Woodbine Oaks day. The award honors the memory of Cuban-born Gomez, who died of complications after a three-horse accident in the 1980 Canadian Oaks, a race Stahlbaum won.

"I remember being in the winner's circle and being asked questions, but all I was thinking about was Avelino," he said.

To commemorate his contributions to the sport, a life-size statue of Gomez, who called Toronto home and raised a family there, keeps watch over Woodbine's walking ring. A replica is presented to each year's honoree.

Stahlbaum joins Ron Turcotte, Johnny Longden, Sandy Hawley, Don MacBeth, Chris Rogers, Jeff Fell, Lloyd Duffy, Hugo Dittfach, Robin Platts, Larry Attard, Don Seymour, David Gall, Richard Grubb, Irwin Driedger, David Clark, Jim McKnight, Chris Loseth, Richard Dos Ramos, Robert Landry, Francine Villeneuve, Sam Krasner, John LeBlanc Sr., George Hosang, Jack Lauzon, Robert King Jr., Stewart Elliott, Emile Ramsammy, Steve Bahen, Mickey Walls, Patrick Husbands, and last year's recipient, Quincy Welch, as Gomez honorees.