Tony Vega (jockey), Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetTony Vega (jockey)
American jockey
Date of Birth: 21-Apr-1961
Date of Death: 11-Nov-2013
Profession: jockey
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Taurus 
About Tony Vega (jockey)
- Anthony “Tony” Vega (April 21, 1961 – November 11, 2013) was a Puerto Rican American Thoroughbred jockey and community activist from New Brunswick, New Jersey.
- He was a graded stakes winning, three-time champion jockey who competed in North American horse racing from 1982 to 2012.In 1983, he was the top apprentice jockey in the U.S.
- for wins, and was second in the nation for earnings with over $2 million in purse money.
- As an apprentice, Vega won back to back riding titles at the (Keystone Park Winter-Spring meet (55 wins) & Monmouth Park Racetrack (134 wins), the first rider in Monmouth Park history to win 100 races in a season, the first apprentice jockey to win the riding title at Monmouth, the first jockey to lead the standings at three different racetracks at the same time (Keystone Park, Monmouth Park & Meadowlands Racetrack), and the first jockey to win six races in one day at Monmouth.
- Vega also broke twenty records that year, and became the first jockey to win the New Jersey Sports Writers Association's "Pro Rookie of The Year" award, along with being awarded the 1983 New Jersey Racing Writers "Apprentice Jockey of The Year" and being honored as Thoroughbred racing's representative at the 18th annual Philadelphia Sports Writers Association's awards ceremony.
- He finished second that year in the voting for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, and was ranked 7th overall for wins in the U.S.
- and 29th on the list for earnings.
- Tony Vega had never landed any mounts in any of The American classic races such as The Kentucky Derby, Triple Crown or, Breeders Cup but, Vega did compete in some of the most prestigious races in American horse racing during his time, Such as, “The 1983 Sapling” & “The Sorority stakes at Monmouth Park (Major stakes preps for 2yr old horses), “The 1984 “Black Eyed Susan” (Pimlico) Major Grade 1 stake race for fillies in the U.S.
- run annually the day before The Preakness Stakes, “The 1985 United Nations Handicap (Atlantic City Racecourse) A key turf race in the U.S.
- won by Several American Turf Champions, The 1988 Grade 1 inaugural running of “The NYRA MILE” (Key Triple Crown prep for 3yr old’s on the derby trail, Now known as The Cigar Mile) (Aqueduct Racetrack), and, “The 1993 Young America Stakes Gr.2(Meadowlands Racetrack).
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