Luis Saez

Born: May 19, 1992 in Panama City, Panama.

Residence: Long Island, New York and South Florida; splits his time between the NYRA and Gulfstream Park circuits.

Family: Single.

Breeders’ Cup Record: 22-0-2-1 | $1,450,345

• Began riding in the U.S. in 2009 and was the runner-up in Eclipse-Award voting as the top apprentice that year.

• Enjoyed a banner opening weekend of Keeneland’s 2020 Fall Meet, winning five stakes – the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) on Valiance, the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) on , the Darley Alcibiades (G1) with Simply Ravishing, the Bourbon Stakes (G2) on Mutasaabeq and the Woodford (G2) on Leinster. The three Grade 1s and the Bourbon were “Win and You’re In” races for the Breeders’ Cup Longines Distaff (G1), TVG Juvenile (G1), Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Juvenile Turf, respectively.

• Rode to victory in the (G1), but was placed 17th following a disqualification for interference, the first such occurrence in the Derby’s 145-year history.

• Was given a 15-day suspension for his ride in the Derby.

• Following the Kentucky Derby, Saez rode Maximum Security to victory in the Haskell Invitational (G1) and Bold Ruler Stakes (G3) before closing out the year with a win in the Cigar Mile (G1) to secure Champion 3-year-old honors. The horse and rider opened 2020 by winning the $20 million Saudi Cup in February.

• Leading rider at the Gulfstream Park championship meet in 2017-18 (record-setting 133 wins) and 2016-17 (102 wins). In 2020, finished two wins behind leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. with 113 wins.

• Notched two seven-win days at the Gulfstream championship meet in 2018.

• Recorded his 2,000th win Nov 9, 2018, at Aqueduct when he won the fourth race on Y'allcomenow.

• First Grade 1 win was aboard for D. Wayne Lukas in the 2013 and together they later won the Clark Handicap (G1) that year.

• First graded stakes win was in the 2010 Tropical Park Handicap (G3) at Calder Race Course on Twilight Meteor.

• First stakes win was in the 2009 Needles at Calder on Cinnamon Road.

• First win was Aug. 20, 2009 at Calder on Fearless Honor.

• Began at Calder Race Course after winning 37 races in his native Panama where he grew up on a farm.

• Graduated from the renowned Laffit Pincay Jr. Jockey School at Presidente Remon Racetrack in Panama and for a time lived on a tack room floor there.

• Younger brother Sebastian Saez is also a jockey riding in the U.S. Another brother, Juan Suarez, tragically died of head trauma after a spill at Indiana Grand in October 2014 when he was a 17-year-old apprentice rider.