19 Facts About Alex Solis

Alex O Solis was born on March 25,1964 and is a Panamanian jockey based in the United States.

Alex Solis got his big break and his first gained national prominence when he won the 1986 Preakness Stakes with Snow Chief.

Alex Solis grew up poor on a farm in San Carlos, Panama, where he spent a lot of time around horses.

Alex Solis visited a race track for the first time when he was 13 and by 14 was enrolled in a jockey school.

Alex Solis began his American career at Calder Race Course in Florida, where he quickly achieved racing success and was given the nickname El Maestrito.

Alex Solis told interviewers that he worked to improve his English by watching television and listening to music.

Alex Solis rode the Derby again in 1986 on Snow Chief, who had won the Santa Anita Derby and was the morning line favorite, but again finished well back.

Alex Solis was third in the 1991 Derby on Mane Minister, and third in the Belmont Stakes on the same horse.

Alex Solis finished second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness with Captain Bodgit in 1997, second in the Derby with Victory Gallop in 1998 and second in both the Derby and the Belmont with Aptitude in 2000.

Alex Solis won two Breeders' Cup races in 2003 with Johar in the Breeders' Cup Turf, and the Breeders' Cup Classic on Pleasantly Perfect, both trained by Richard Mandella.

Alex Solis ended 2003 ranked fourth nationally in purse earnings with a career-best $16,304,252.

Alex Solis won the 2004 Dubai World Cup on Pleasantly Perfect, and the 2006 Santa Anita Derby aboard Brother Derek.

In 2010, Alex Solis rode Mandurah to a new world record for a mile on the turf at Monmouth Park, 1:31.23, breaking the previous record of 1:31.41 set by Mister Light in 2005 at Gulfstream Park.

Alex Solis' most serious riding injury was a broken back in 2004, when he was out eight months following surgery that included two titanium rods and eight screws.

Alex Solis has had broken knees, fingers, toes, ribs and his left leg.

Alex Solis was one of the jockeys featured in Animal Planet's 2009 reality documentary, Jockeys, something he enjoyed doing, but felt that the end product did not accurately portray the life of a jockey.

In 2002, Alex Solis was inducted in the Calder Race Course Hall of Fame.

In 2010, Alex Solis was inducted into the Panama Racing Hall of Fame.

Alex Solis was elected to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 2014 and earned his 5,000th North American racing win at Santa Anita Park on January 1,2015, becoming only the 29th jockey in North American history to do so.