Ángel Cordero Jr. facts for kids

Ángel Tomás Cordero Jr. (born November 8, 1942) is a famous jockey from Puerto Rico. He is known as one of the best Thoroughbred horse racing jockeys of his time. He was the first person from Puerto Rico to join the United States' Racing Hall of Fame.

Ángel Cordero Jr. won many races, including three Kentucky Derby races. He was the top jockey in wins at Saratoga Race Course for thirteen years. In his career, he won over 7,000 races!

Early Life and Family

Ángel Cordero Jr. was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He started racing horses when he was very young. Horse racing was a family tradition for him. His father, Ángel Cordero Sr., was a rider and a horse trainer. His grandfather and uncles were also riders and trainers.

Winning the Triple Crown Races

Ángel Cordero Jr. made history as the first Puerto Rican jockey to win all three of the American Classic Races. These races are the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. He won them over different years.

In 1974, when he was 31, Cordero won the Kentucky Derby riding a horse named Cannonade. He won the Derby two more times, which is a big achievement. Only a few jockeys have won this race three or more times. He won in 1976 on Bold Forbes and in 1985 on Spend A Buck.

In 1976, Cordero also won the Belmont Stakes with Bold Forbes. He won the Preakness Stakes twice. The first time was in 1980 with Codex. The second time was in 1984 with Gate Dancer.

More Achievements and Later Career

Cordero achieved many other great things in his career. He won four Breeders' Cup races. He was also the leading jockey at Saratoga Race Course for thirteen years. In 1987, he became only the fourth jockey ever to win over 6,000 races.

In 1992, Cordero had a serious fall during a race. This accident ended his riding career. However, in 1995, he surprised everyone by riding in the Breeders' Cup one more time.

Life After Riding

Even after he stopped riding, Ángel Cordero Jr. stayed very involved in horse racing. He became an agent for other jockeys, helping them manage their careers. One of the jockeys he worked with was John Velazquez, who is also from Puerto Rico.

Cordero's wife, Marjorie Clayton Cordero, was also well-known in horse racing in New York. She passed away in 2001. Cordero has five children.

Ángel Cordero Jr. has received many honors. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1988. In 2001, he joined the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the African-American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.

In 2021, Cordero was still working in New York. He was helping another Puerto Rican jockey named Manuel Franco. Cordero also shared in an interview about his long friendship with baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, whom he considers like a brother.

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans