Feb 19th, 09
Jockey Garrett Gomez won three graded stakes races during a two-day span at Santa Anita Park to lead all North American riders with $462,010 in purse earnings for the week ended February 17.
Gomez earned his most lucrative victory during the week when Life Is Sweet posted a three-quarter length win in the $200,000 La Canada Stakes (GII) on February 15 at Santa Anita.
The 37-year-old jockey also won a pair of $150,000 races on February 16 at the Arcadia, California track. He rode Evita Argentina to a one-length win in the San Vicente Stakes (GII) and earned a 2-1/2-length triumph aboard Jibboom in the Buena Vista Handicap (GIII).
A Tucson, Arizona native who lives in Duarte, California, Gomez earned his second consecutive Eclipse Award in 2008 as outstanding jockey. He concluded the '08 season with $23,344,351 in purse earnings, a figure that left him only $10,609 shy of breaking Jerry Bailey's North American record for purse earnings in a season.
.
