Jockey Luis Quinonez

BORN: 01/06/67, Sinaloa, Mexico

RESIDES: Jones, Oklahoma

FAMILY: Gedda, wife; Lexie, Alayna Marie, daughters; Nathan and Ryan, sons 

Luis had honor of winning the first stakes of Oaklawn’s 2010 season when he roused C.R. Trout’s Shotgun Gulch to triumph in the opening day Dixie Belle. 

“I’ve ridden the filly three times and she’s won all three. She isn’t a big filly, but she is very honest, very game and is maturing nicely,” enthused Luis. 

The jockey is always a threat for the riding title at Oaklawn. At present, he is in action here for the 13th straight season.  

Quinonez is coming off an excellent 2009 Spa meeting when he won with 24 of his 248 mounts, including Texas Birdstone in the Rainbow Stakes. 

Luis won the 2007 Spa jockey title by riding 52 winners from 292 mounts as his horses earned $1,238,200. 

In 2008 he finished runner-up for meeting honors, 49-47, losing out to Eusebio Razo, Jr. He had 275 mounts as his horses earned a meeting high $1,343,581. 

In 2006, Luis lost the Spa title to John Jacinto, getting nipped the final day of the meeting, 45-44. 

The oldest of three jockey brothers, Quinonez’ circuit is Oaklawn, Prairie Meadows and Remington. 

In recent years at Oaklawn he won such head-liners as the Pippin on Plaid, Fifth Season astride Silent Pleasure and Azeri on Injustice. Fans will remember when his “big horse” was More Moonlight, on whom he won the American Beauty and Spring Fever. He captured the Martha Washington on Brownie Points. 

Canterbury Downs opened in 1995 and Luis won five straight riding titles there, 1995-1999. He was soon hailed as the “riding king of Minnesota.” 

With the recent passing of Gerry DiLaura, Luis lost his long time agent. 

“We were together 18 years,” recalled the jockey. “It was rarely that I ever questioned one of his decisions. Gerry would put me on horses and I’d ride them.”