Oct 30th, 08
On the strength of riding four winners at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, jockey Garrett Gomez led all North American riders with $3,910,878 in purse earnings for the week ended October 28.
Gomez also won his third Bill Shoemaker Award as outstanding jockey at the Breeders' Cup. He won the award in 2005 and 2007.
The 36-year-old jockey's four wins on Friday and Saturday increased his total number of Breeders' Cup victories to eight. He won two races on the '05 and '07 cards.
On October 24, Gomez piloted Ventura to a four-length romp in the Sentient Flight Group Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
One day later, Gomez took the TVG Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with Albertus Maximus, the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) aboard Midshipman, and the Sentient Flight Group Breeders' Cup Sprint (GI) with Midnight Lute.
Gomez also finished third with Whatsthescript (Ire) in the Breeders' Cup Mile (GI).
Last weekend's Breeders' Cup performances continues Gomez's remarkable comeback story. He entered rehab on October 29, 2003, and missed 21 months of racing because of personal issues, including substance abuse.
He currently leads all North American riders with $21,463,879 in purse earnings through Tuesday, nearly $7 million more than second-place Kent Desormeaux.
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