Gomez donates $10,000 to Winners Foundation

Jockey Garrett Gomez, who ranks as the nation's leading jockey in purse

earnings this year, donated $10,000 to the Winners Foundation during Tuesday's

opening day card at Santa Anita. The Winners Foundation is an industry-funded

organization with a mission to help racing personnel overcome drug and alcohol

abuse, a battle that Gomez has experienced himself. The 36-year-old native of

Tucson, Arizona, was sidelined for nearly two years with substance abuse

problems before he returned to riding in September 2004.

"The Winners Foundation has helped me tremendously," Gomez said, "and they

continue to help hundreds of other people in the industry. My wife and I would

like to sincerely thank Bob Fletcher and everyone else at the Winners

Foundation. They have done so much to help us and to help many others. This is

the least I can do. My family and I are very, very appreciative of everything

they have done and continue to do.

"Life's great now, and I'm more than happy to do it," he said. "My agent, Ron

Anderson, has done a great job, and we worked our butts off this year. I

wouldn't be here today, and all this wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the

Winners Foundation, so the money is just a small way of saying thanks for what

they've done for me."

Gomez's mounts have amassed more than $21.6 million so far in 2006, $2

million more than his nearest pursuer in the jockey standings, Edgar Prado. Champion rider at the recently concluded Hollywood Park meeting, Gomez

is a leading contender for an Eclipse Award.