Gomez Is Getting His Career Back on Track

If Garrett Gomez gets to toast a riding title at Hollywood Park’s fall-winter meeting, his glass will not have alcohol in it.

Nine months ago, Gomez had a recurring drinking problem and went into rehabilitation.

“I’ve turned my life around,” Gomez said Saturday, after riding Heptathlon to a late-running victory in the $74,090 Safely Kept Handicap. Going into the final two days of the Hollywood meet, Gomez holds a 22-21 lead over Eddie Delahoussaye in the jockey standings.

Gomez, who’ll turn 27 on New Year’s Day, has worked hard at Hollywood Park, showing up seven days a week to exercise horses in recent weeks and sometimes starting the morning by breezing a horse at Santa Anita and driving the 35 miles to Hollywood Park for more workouts.

Riding with a clear head has been the big difference. “When I saw myself slipping earlier this year,” Gomez said, “I realized that I needed help and I asked for it. Me and alcohol don’t mix. It’s like poison. It’d be safer for me to go sky-diving than it would to have a drink.”

Gomez, who has been riding in California for about a year, is on the threshold of winning his second career riding title. In 1997, he helped close Arlington International--whose owner, Dick Duchossois, tired of competing against riverboat casinos--by leading the jockey colony at the suburban Chicago track. Gomez’s race to the wire with Delahoussaye is reminiscent of the finish to the Oaklawn Park meet in Arkansas six years ago. Having won 62 races, Gomez led Pat Day going into the final card, but Day beat him out by two wins.

Heptathlon’s last win before Saturday was with Delahoussaye aboard at Hollywood Park a year ago. Delahoussaye, who rode one winner Saturday, finished fifth in the Safely Kept with Statua.

“Eddie is having a tremendous meet,” Gomez said. “I don’t know how many he’s won this week [seven in the last four days], but Alex [Solis] and I have been watching him win races left and right. I’m just taking what I’ve got to ride and seeing what I can do with them.”

Solis, with 19 wins, is third in the standings and will be riding several short-priced horses today.

Richard Matlow, who trains Heptathlon, said he used Gomez because of his ability with late runners.

“He looks like a great come-from-behind rider,” Matlow said.

In a 5 1/2-furlong grass race, there’s minimal chance to play catch-up, but Heptathlon won after being last among eight horses with an eighth of a mile left. The 5-year-old mare trailed by more than 12 lengths after the first quarter-mile.

“She was in tight leaving [the gate] and I had to ease her back,” Gomez said. “Richard said that she’s probably a little better if you sit back there and let her find her stride.”

The pacesetters in the race--Granja Realeza and Geneve--paid for a :44 3/5 half-mile and wound up the near the back of the field. Stop Traffic, the 7-10 favorite, finished second, one length behind Heptathlon, beating Plus by a head for the runner-up spot.

“I sat until we got halfway around the turn,” Gomez said. “I eased her around there and she started picking them up. By the time I got to Plus on the outside, she was hitting gears and I said, ‘See you, guys.’ ”

Heptathlon, paying $15.20 as the third choice, was timed in 1:03 2/5 and earned $45,250.

Nick Cosato, Gomez’s agent, has lined the jockey up with rides on the final seven races today and Gomez will ride the entire eight-race card on Monday.

One of Gomez’s mounts today is River Keen, the 2-1 second choice behind 7-5 Puerto Madero and 9-5 Musical Gambler in the Native Diver Handicap. River Keen will be making his first start since trainer Bob Baffert claimed him for $100,000 on Dec. 4. The 6-year-old won at 1 1/16 miles that day, with Gomez aboard.

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Russell Baze won two races at Golden Gate Fields and is likely to go over the 400 mark in wins for the seventh consecutive year. Baze has won 392 races and with seven racing cards to go. Baze is the only jockey to win 400 or more races more than three times. . . . Heptathlon is undefeated in three starts at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Hollywood course. . . . Surachai is the 120-pound high weight for Hollywood’s closing-day Dayjur Handicap. The 5-year-old California-bred has won one of six starts since winning last year’s Dayjur. . . . Unbridled Hope, who broke her maiden for owner Marty Wygod at Santa Anita in March, won the $75,000 Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct. . . . Wild Event is eight for 13 on turf after his win at Calder in the $150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap.