Page 9 - The Game July 2006

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, July 2006 9 John LeBlanc Receives Avelino Gomez Award
Noting it one of the most significant honours in his career, former jockey John LeBlanc received the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award in a trackside ceremony on Sunday , June 11 at Woodbine.
LeBlanc, the rider who teamed with La Prevoyante, Canada’s Horse of the Year in 1972 and Angle Light, Secretariat’s entrymate in the 1973 Kentucky Derby, was joined by family, friends and fellow riders on Labatt Woodbine Oaks Day, as Jacqui Gomez, daughter of Avelino Gomez, presented the statue to the man who won 1,466 career races.
"It’s my privilege, on behalf of my family, to present this year’s Avelino Gomez Memorial Award to John LeBlanc, a jockey who rode with my father and was friends with my father," said Gomez, during the ceremony.
The Gomez honour is awarded annually to the person, Canadian-born, Canadian-raised, or regular rider in the country for more than five years, who
has made significant contributions to the sport.
“I would like to say thank you to Jacqui and the Avelino Gomez family for presenting me with this award,” said LeBlanc, the 22nd rider to receive the honour, who also partnered stalwarts Glorious Song and Kennedy Road throughout his career in the irons. “It’s a pleasure for me to receive it.”
Born in New Brunswick in 1939, LeBlanc, who rode his first
winner in 1961 aboard Flakwin at Thistledown in Ohio, got to know Gomez well during their racing days.
“What makes it even more special is that I rode with Avelino for many years, and although we were competitors on the racetrack, we became very good friends," said LeBlanc, who is still part of the thor- oughbred scene, formerly as a jockey’s valet at Woodbine and currently helping out his son, trainer John Jr., in his barn on the Toronto oval backstretch. "I would like to thank all the owners and trainers that helped
John LeBlanc -
2006 Avelino Gomez Award recipient Michael Burns Photo - Courtesy of WEG
me achieve my goals."
The award is presented in memory of
Gomez, one of North America’s most prolific and personable jockeys. Gomez, or “El Perfecto” as he was known by racing fans, died of complications after a three-horse accident during the running of the Canadian Oaks in 1980.
A life-size statue of the Cuban-born Gomez, who settled in Toronto and raised a family in the city, proudly holds court above the Woodbine walking ring. A replica is presented to each year’s winner.
LeBlanc joins Ron Turcotte, the late John Longden, Sandy Hawley, the late Don MacBeth, the late Chris Rogers, Jeff Fell, Lloyd Duffy, Hugo Dittfach, Robin Platts, Larry Attard, Don Seymour, David Gall, Richard Grubb, Irwin Driedger, David Clark, James McKnight, Chris Loseth, Richard Dos Ramos, Robert Landry, Francine Villeneuve and Sam Krasner, last year’s recipient, as Gomez honourees. - WEG Media Relations Dept.
Montoute Returns to Riding Full Time
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Although he had never really stopped race riding, Jockey Schemlin Montoute, has made the decision that he would like to return to race riding full time.
Born in Trinidad,
Schemlin ventured to the
racetrack on the encour-
agement of his neighbour
at the age of fourteen. He
started out cleaning stalls
before the trainer began
putting him on horses in the shed row. The following year he applied and was accepted to the coveted riding school where he spent three years honing his race riding skills.
In 1983 he received his jockey license and competed in Trinidad for five years before accepting a contract with the Saskatchewan Racing Authority in 1988. Schemlin had a stint in Alberta before moving his tack to Woodbine in 1989.
“I was doing pretty well at Woodbine and I was riding the card at Fort Erie,” recalls the personable jockey, “Then
business dropped off and I decided to take a little break.”
Over the years Schemlin has been exercising horses in the mornings, working for trainer Danny Vella the past three years, and still gets the odd mount in the afternoons. “I never really stopped riding andnowIfeelitistimeto get back to riding full time.”
With his agent Greg Broadhurst, Schemlin will
be riding at both Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks, where the latter of which racetracks he currently has a 25% win average. “It is a tough circuit but I am going to keep at it and see what happens.” said Schemlin, “I usual- ly do good with the horses I ride.”
Jockey Schemlin Montoute

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