Q&A with jockey Garrett Gomez

Opening day of Santa Anita Park’s autumn horse racing meet is Friday, and the jockey who is perhaps the nation’s best will be there hoping to dominate the season.

Duarte’s Garrett Gomez, 39, won the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2007 and 2008 with skills he displays atop an estimated 900 horses per year, including an upset of then-unbeaten Zenyatta last year in the Breeders’ Cup Classic aboard Blame.

Gomez has endured a typically frenetic week in a jockey’s life, upset by the broken ankle suffered Thursday while he worked out three-time graded turf stakes winner Banned at Santa Anita. The horse underwent surgery Saturday, when Gomez rode Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice to a surging second-place showing in the Pennsylvania Derby.

How does a catastrophic horse injury like that suffered by Banned affect you?

“It’s something that happens that’s part of the sport. You never like to see it happen. It’s hardest on the owners and groomers who spend every day with the horse. I’m on and off the horse. You try to move right on. Honestly, we don’t spend too much time with them. I try not to get too attached.”

What horse were you closest to?

“The faster you get attached to them, then an owner or trainer wants a rider change. You can’t do it. It’s not a good thing to do.”

Looking at your success, you certainly have a strong connection with horses. What makes you better than everyone else?

“I don’t like to say I’m better, but horses do respond well to me. I try to be the best passenger I can be. There’s times I just stay out of the way and let them do their job. I’m fortunate that I get quality horses. I do the best with what I have. I try to feel the race. I don’t overanalyze the race before it happens. Horses are like people. They wake up in different moods every day, just like me and you. You have to be aware of that. Some days, they feel a lot of speed. Others, you have to work them to their speed. I adapt to a race as it happens, and work to put him in the best spot it can be.”

I’m told the inventory available for this Santa Anita meet is richer than it has been on the Southern California circuit in a while, with 2,000 horses in Arcadia and another 1,000 stabled at Hollywood Park. What does that mean for the race fans?

“Anytime you have quantity, you have quality. Quantity helps people bet on races, it keeps more jockeys racing and it makes for bigger fields, which makes for a better meet.”

You owe horse racing fans a good story after beating Zenyatta with Blame. Who should we look for?

“Riding Blame was one of the best moments of my career — a quality, classy horse. To me, it had nothing to do with Zenyatta [trying to retire with 19 wins in 19 races]. I wish Zenyatta went 19 for 19, but I’m proud I’m the one who beat her. My [4-year-old filly] Blind Luck is prepping for the Breeders’ Cup, I won the Del Mar Handicap on her. And right now I’m shaking people loose to get a couple good horses who’ll be in the [Kentucky] Derby. One of them may be on the East Coast. Too early to tell right now.”

Take us into your mind when you’re entering the final turn with a horse primed to win.

“Stay out of the way. You can feel your own adrenaline, the crowd’s excitement. Do the right thing, get him to the wire in the lead and protect him. I’ve gotten better at controlling my excitement.”

As a horse racing fan, it’s hard not to mourn what used to be when you visit the track and see sparse crowds. What can be done to boost attendance?

“Get a younger crowd out there. I think less is more, too. If you race every day, there’s nothing fresh about it. Less race days get you bigger fields. We have opening day coming up. That’s fresh, neat, exciting to people. Then halfway through the season, after racing every day, the fans’ attitude is, ‘Oh, they’re still running?’ I don’t know how to run a racetrack, but you like to see the people out there.”

Here’s an idea: Give the fans in the paddock, outside the view of TV cameras, a sign that this is your best horse of the day. Raise your hand up, something like that. That’ll get more people to come.

“Ha. No. I can’t do that. A lot of times the horse you think is your best ends up running the worst. I can’t tell what I have until I’m in the race.”

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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