Álvaro Pineda (November 9, 1945 – January 18, 1975) was a Mexican

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

who competed in

thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...

in the

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.Pesar por la muerte de José Alférez - Hipódromo www.oem.com.mx/esto/notas/n619526.htm - 7 Mar 2008 "Un talento comparable solamente con los más grandes jinetes mexicanos como Álvaro Pineda o Víctor Espinosa, " A top jockey in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, in 1966 Álvaro Pineda finished second in wins at

Del Mar Racetrack The Del Mar Fairgrounds is an event venue in Del Mar, California. It hosts the annual San Diego County Fair. The venue sits on a property along the Pacific Ocean coastline. It includes the Del Mar Racetrack, built in 1936 by the Del Mar Thoroug ...

Donald Pierce Donald Pierce is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a cyborg and is commonly an enemy of the X-Men. Donald Pierce appears in the 2017 film '' Logan'', portrayed by Boyd Holbr ...

and was the track's leading rider in 1968. He made one appearance in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

, finishing 13th in 1967. In 1974, Álvaro Pineda's peers voted him the

George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct ...

, awarded annually to a jockey in American racing who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack. In early 1975, while competing at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious race ...

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of t ...

, Álvaro Pineda was killed from a blow to his head when his horse, Austin Mittler, reared in the starting gate and flipped over, crushing his head against the steel frame of the gate. In 1978 his younger brother Roberto, a jockey competing at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of O ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, also died from an accident during a race.

References

Álvaro Pineda accident at The Jockeys Guild

1945 births 1975 deaths American jockeys Mexican emigrants to the United States Mexican jockeys Jockeys who died while racing Sports deaths in California 20th-century Mexican sportsmen {{Horseracing-bio-stub