Mario G. Pino (born September 8, 1961) is a retired American

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 ...

. Raised on a farm, he began his riding career in 1978 at

Delaware Park Delaware Park may refer to: *Delaware Park-Front Park System, the Buffalo, New York park and parkway system listed on the National Register of Historic Places. * Delaware Park, New Jersey, a CDP in Warren County, New Jersey. *Delaware Park Racetrac ...

in Wilmington. Over the years, he has chosen to be based at race tracks close to home and family and has won a number of riding titles at venues in the

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

areas. He rode his first winner aboard Ed's Desire on January 16, 1979, at the now-defunct

Bowie Race Track Bowie Race Track was an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits of Bowie, Maryland. It operated from 1914 through 1985. The facility is now a training center for Thoroughbred racehorses. History The one-mile oval racetra ...

Bowie, Maryland Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County; i ...

. On July 7, 2002, Pino won seven races on a single day at

Colonial Downs Colonial Downs is a Race track, racetrack located in New Kent County, Virginia adjacent to Interstate 64, halfway between Richmond, Virginia, Richmond and Williamsburg, Virginia, Williamsburg. The track conducted Thoroughbred flat racing and Stand ...

New Kent, Virginia New Kent is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of New Kent County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2020 Census was 739. Cumberland Landing, Cumberland Plantation, and the Cumberland Marsh Natural Area Pr ...

, and on October 25, 2003, had a six-win day at

Laurel Park Racecourse Laurel Park, formerly Laurel Race Course, is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" for several decades un ...

Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River, in northern Prince George's County. Its population was 30,060 at the 2020 census. Founded as a mill town i ...

. He has twice ridden in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

, finishing third in 2007 aboard

Hard Spun Hard Spun (foaled May 10, 2004 near Malvern, Pennsylvania) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse that finished second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. Background Hard Spun is a bay horse with a white star standing 16.2 hands high. He is from one ...

. In his debut 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 ...

on May 5, 2007, Pino rode the colt to a second-place finish and then was third in the

. After winning the

King's Bishop Stakes The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The ...

and the

Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes The Kentucky Cup Classic Stakesis a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-olds and older over a distance of miles on the Tapeta track scheduled annually in late March at Turfway Park in the Cincinnati, Ohio suburb of Florence ...

Pino rode Hard Spun to a second-place finish in that year's

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Champion ...

. On November 7, 2007, Pino reached 6,000 career wins when he rode Pass Play to victory at

. On October 20, 2021, he became the tenth jockey in North America to win 7,000 races when his mount Enjoy the Music won a

claiming race In Thoroughbred racing, a claiming race is a type of horse race in which the horses are all for sale at a specified claiming price until shortly before the race. They were known as selling races until 1924 after which they were relabeled claiming ...

at Presque Isle Downs & Casino in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. The following day — the closing day of the season at Presque Isle — he told ''

The Blood-Horse ''The Blood-Horse'' (also referred to simply as ''Blood-Horse'' and displayed on its nameplate in upright all-capital letters without hyphenation as BLOODHORSE) is a news magazine that originated in 1916 as a monthly bulletin of the Thoroughbred ...

'' that he would retire following that day's races. With one more win at Presque Isle, Pino retired with 7,001 wins and career earnings in excess of $131 million.

Year-end charts

References

March 24, 2007 article on Mario Pino by Jack Ireland of ''The News Journal'' at Delawareonline.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pino, Mario G. 1961 births Living people American jockeys Sportspeople from Wilmington, Delaware American people of Italian descent