A jockey who won the Preakness twice has died. Robby Albarado was 52 years old.
A Churchill Downs spokesperson said the track was told of Albarado’s death by several of his friends and family members, The Associated Press reported.
Trainer Kenny McPeek said Albarado, who was an exercise rider for McPeek, had recently been hospitalized to have a stent inserted to open up a blockage near his heart. He was released from the hospital before he died, WLKY reported.
Albarado rode Curlin to win both the Preakness and Breeder’s Cup Classic in 2007. In 2020, he rode Swiss Skydiver to also take home the Preakness title. He came in second in the 2013 Kentucky Derby.
Albarado was from Lafayette, Louisiana, and started riding at bush tracks before he went pro.
He raced from 1996 until retirement in 2021.
Over his long career, he rode in 34,000 races, winning 5,222 of them, earning over $221 million, the AP reported. He is fourth in all-time wins at Churchill Downs, with 1,192, WLKY reported.
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