Gabriel Saez

A native of Panama City, Panama, Gabriel Saez graduated from the Laffit Pincay Jr. academy in that country and began riding in Panama before moving to the U.S. in the late 2000s. He started his North American career at Delaware Park and soon developed a productive relationship with trainer Larry Jones. Saez picked up his first graded stakes win in 2008 aboard Jones’s filly Proud Spell, and the next year they would team up to win the Kentucky Oaks. The next day, he rode Jones’s filly Eight Belles to a runner-up finish in the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

In addition to the Midlantic circuit, Saez has spent time in Kentucky and Louisiana. He picked up his 1,000th career win on Feb. 4, 2017 at Fair Grounds. In 2019, Saez was the regular rider of Mr. Money, who earned over $1 million that year and won four graded stakes.