Fernando Toro (born January 31, 1941, in

Santiago, Chile Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

) is a retired US Hall of Fame

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the 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 known as National Hunt racing in ...

jockey about whom

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 races ...

called one of Southern California's most successful jockeys in the 1970s and '80s. On November 19, 1956, Fernando Toro won the first race of his riding career at the

Club Hípico de Santiago Club Hípico de Santiago is a thoroughbred horse race track in Santiago, Chile. History The Club Hípico de Santiago, opened in 1870, is Chile's oldest racetrack and home to South America's oldest stakes race, the Clásico El Ensayo. It is one ...

. He was the leading rider in Chile when he decided to emigrate to the United States in 1966 where he would retire from riding in 1990 having won 3,555 North American races. In 1975, Fernando Toro was voted 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 conduc ...

. The award has been given annually since 1950 to a thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct both on and off the racetrack. Widely respected for his expertise in

turf Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls. In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricultu ...

races, among his many successes Fernando Toro rode the filly

Royal Heroine Royal Heroine (1980–2002) was a Hall of Fame Thoroughbred Champion racehorse foaled in Ireland who raced in England and France and then in the United States where she set a North American record for a mile on turf while winning the inaug ...

to victory in the 1984 inaugural running of the

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incept ...

. In 2023, Toro was inducted into the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

as a selection by the Historic Review Committee. Since he was unable to make the journey from California to

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

for the induction ceremony, Toro will receive his Hall of Fame jacket and plaque at

Del Mar Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "from the sea". It may refer to: Places in the United States * Del Mar, California * Del Mar High School, located in San Jose, California * Del Mar racetrack, located in Del Mar, California * Del Mar Fai ...

on August 19, 2023.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toro, Fernando 1941 births Living people American jockeys Chilean jockeys Sportspeople from Santiago Chilean emigrants to the United States Sportspeople from California