Mario G. Pino

Mario G. Pino (born September 8, 1961 in Wilmington, Delaware) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Raised on a farm, he began his riding career in 1978 at Delaware Park in Wilmington. Over the years he has chosen to be based at race tracks close to home and family and has won a number of riding titles at venues in the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia areas.

On November 7, 2007, Mario Pino, who rode his first winner on January 16, 1979 at Bowie Race Track in Bowie, Maryland, became the 15th jockey in North American racing history to achieve 6,000 career wins when he rode Pass Play to victory at Laurel Park Racecourse.

On July 7, 2002, Mario Pino won seven races on a single day at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Virginia and on October 25, 2003 had a six-win day at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. He has twice ridden in the Preakness Stakes, finishing off the board both times. For 2007, was his breakout year as he has been the jockey aboard the well-thought-of three-year-old colt Hard Spun. In his debut in the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2007, Pino rode the colt to a second-place finish and then was third in the Preakness Stakes. After winning the King's Bishop Stakes and the Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes, in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Pino rode Hard Spun to a second-place finish.

References

• March 24, 2007 article on Mario Pino by Jack Ireland of The News Journal at Delawareonline.com

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