Chapter 3

In chapter 3 of Raíces: The Making of Latino Legacies in Racing, we step into an era where Latino talent in the sport extends beyond figures who broke barriers and evolves into a dynamic force of lasting legacies firmly integrated in American horse racing. We see these legacies through figures like Juan Arias, the Venezuelan trainer behind the triumphant Cañonero II; Mexican-born trainer Héctor Palma with more than 50 years of training success; Chilean jockey and Hall of Famer Fernando Toro, who made history when he won the first Breeders’ Cup Mile with Royal Heroine in 1984; the Panamanian jockey, Triple Crown winner, and era-definingBraulio Baeza; the Peruvian father-daughter duo of Bernardo Álvarez-Calderón and Gabriela Álvarez-Calderón, whose breeding operations continue to influence international bloodlines; andjockey Ángel Cordero Jr., a force from Puerto Rico who amassed more than 7,000 victories and mentored the next generation of riders.