Born: March 5,1972
Birthplace:Brooklyn, NY
Residence: Florida
Family: Wife, Mia; sons Joey and Vinny
Started Riding: 1988
Circuit: Tampa Bay Downs, Delaware Park, Churchill Downs
|
Year
|
Starts
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
Earnings
|
W rank
|
W %
|
ITM %
|
|
2006-2007 meet
|
288
|
33
|
40
|
29
|
$560,688
|
8th
|
11.5
|
35.4
|
Jose Martinez gained an interest in horses through his father, who was also a jockey. He began going to the racetrack while still young. “I started cutting school to go to the track at 12 years old,” recalls Martinez. “I stole trainers’ ponies and rode them around!” Martinez began his legitimate race riding career in 1988 at BelmontPark, and won his first race in September of that year on a horse called Bullet Run. The conclusion of the 2006-2007 Tampa meet found Martinez ranked as eighth leading rider overall. His favorite mount has been Roman Candles, on whom Martinez won the 2007 renewal of the Pelican Stakes as well as the Hilton Garden Inn Sprint on Florida Cup Day.
When he’s not riding, Martinez enjoys working on his computer and spending time with his sons, Joey (13) and Vinny (10) and his wife Mia. “I can’t keep up with them!” he says. Martinez adds that while his sons haven’t started sneaking off to the track yet, eldest Joey, “is starting to ask questions. I think he likes the idea of being a jockey. We might see a Joey Martinez out here in the next few years!”
After the Tampa Bay Downs meet, Martinez journeyed to Hoosier Park, where he is the eleventh leading jockey through October 28 with thirteen wins and $130,692 in purses earned.