Garret Gomez, a jockey with 3,769 wins to his name including 13 Breeders’ Cups, was found dead on Wednesday. He was 44.
His daughter, Shelley Gomez, confirmed his death but gave no further details, BloodHorse.com was the first to report.
Having officially retired in June 2015, Gomez was known to have a history of substance abuse issues. According to the Daily Racing Forum, he was found in a casino hotel in Tucson, Arizona.
Gomez was twice honored with the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey of the year, and in 2011 was granted the George Woolf Memorial Award by his peers.
One of his most memorable victories came while riding a horse named Blame, when he sent Zenyatta to her only defeat, in the 2010 Classic at Churchill Downs.
Gomez’s mounts earned more than $205 million during his racing career, according to Daily Racing Forum.
He is survived by four children, two — daughter Shelby and son Collin — from his first marriage and two — daughter Amanda and son Jared — from his second. He recently separated from his second wife, Pam, and had moved from Santa Anita, California, to Tucson, Arizona.