LEGENDARY HORSEMAN DANNY CARDOZA HAS PASSED AWAY
Danny Cardoza, an American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame jockey whose name became synonymous with excellence at Los Alamitos and on racing’s biggest stages, passed away on Monday following a long illness.
Born in 1949 in Fowler, California, Cardoza grew up with a singular ambition—to become a jockey. Long before official race records were kept by the American Quarter Horse Association, he had already begun building the foundation of what would become one of the most accomplished careers in the sport’s history.
From the early 1970s through his retirement from riding in 1993, Cardoza established himself as one of Quarter Horse racing’s dominant figures. He rode the winners of more than $25 million and recorded over 3,000 victories, including 3,212 officially recognized wins.
Of those, 2,528 came at Los Alamitos, where he earned the distinction of all-time leading jockey. During his tenure, there was scarcely a major stakes race at the Southern California track that he did not win.
Here is a list of some of his accomplishments at Los Alamitos:
- Held the record most Quarter Horse riding wins for nearly two decades. He retired with 2,528. He is second all-time in Quarter Horse wins at Los Alamitos.
- Piloted 93 stakes winners to rank 12th all-time at Los Alamitos
- Nine-time leading Quarter Horse rider at Los Alamitos. Won his first title in the summer of 1975 and his final title in the summer of 1988.
- Won the 1986 Champion of Champions with the Bob Baffert-trained Gold Coast Express and the 1984 Champion of Champions with the Mike Robbins-trained Dashs Dream.
- Won three runnings of the Golden State Million Futurity including the 1981 running with Dashingly.
- Won five runnings of the Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship including the 1982 running with Sgt Pepper Feature.
Cardoza’s name is forever tied to some of the sport’s most iconic moments. In 1979, he piloted Pie In The Sky to victory in the All American Futurity, then the sport’s first $1 million race. He later swept both the Los Alamitos Derby and All American Derby in 1984 aboard Dashs Dream, one of the most brilliant runners of the era.
“She was the greatest horse I ever rode,” Cardoza often said.
Cardoza would go on to enjoy a successful training career, caring for horses for Vessels Stallion Farms and for the innovative ownership group named “The Girls”. For Vessels, Cardoza trained back-to-back Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity winners with champions Dashing Knud (2000) and Your First Moon (2001). For “The Girls” he trained AQHA champions Old Habits, winner of the All American Derby and Los Alamitos Super Derby in 1999.
Cardoza also trained Grade 1 winner Dinastia Toll BRZ, a three-time graded stakes winners and the dam of champion FDD Dynasty; Meter Me Gone, the 1995 Grade 1 All American Derby winner; Natovas Princess, winner of the 1999 Kindergarten Futurity; Dash To Chivato, winner of the 1999 Grade 1 Southern California Derby and Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Derby; 1994 Grade 1 La Primera Del Ano Derby winner Pretty Sensation; and distance champion Hateful Hanna, a three-time graded stakes winner.
Cardoza worked at Rolling A Ranch after his training career and later as the ranch trainer for John Andreini.
Our condolences to his wife, Debbie, the Cardoza family and the hundreds and hundreds of lives he influenced through his riding, training and his love for Quarter Horses.
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