Derby-Winning Jockey Gets Hero's Welcome in Vancouver

Mario Gutierrez had always been an underdog. From humble roots in Veracruz, Mexico, all he ever wanted to do was carry on his father’s tradition and be a jockey. That simple ambition launched him into the global spotlight on May 5 when he and the Canadian-owned 15-to-1 longshot I’ll Have Another won the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby.

It wasn’t immediately obvious that I’ll Have Another had much of a chance in the Run For the Roses: after all, he started from post 19 in the 20-horse field. He kept in the pack and remained unnoticed — until the homestretch. As they rounded the final turn, the Kentucky-bred three-year-old broke from the field and made his dash for glory, beating pre-race favorite Bodemeister by more than a length at the finish line.

The victory seemed like a bolt from the blue — until you look more closely. Like Gutierrez, I’ll Have Another had an undistinguished beginning. He was initially sold for $11,000 and then resold as a two-year-old for $35,000 to Windsor, Ontario native J. Paul Reddam. This year, the chestnut colt has won three high-profile races: the 77th Santa Anita Derby and the 75th Robert B. Lewis Stakes preceded the achievement at Churchill Downs.

The 25-year-old Gutierrez doesn’t appear to be the type who stands out from the crowd, either — until, again, you dig a little more deeply. He had raced quarter horses in Mexico and at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver for the past six years. During that time, he established himself as one of the best three jockeys each year and was named the top rider in 2007 and 2008.

Hundreds of people lined up at Hastings Park on Sunday to meet horse racing’s newest celebrity; many had watched Gutierrez race at the track over the years. Refreshingly, the big win doesn’t seem to have given him a runaway opinion of himself.

“I’m still the same guy,” Gutierrez said to the stable of media nags assembled at his press conference. “I don’t want anybody to think that I’ve changed. I want to keep being the same guy who runs races and I’m just happy to be here.”

The next stop for Gutierrez and I’ll Have Another is the 137th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, where they will face Bodemeister once more. But perhaps the biggest challenge Gutierrez faces now is trying to convince anyone that he’s still running from the back of the pack.